BELL CANYON : Emergency Services Agreement Sought
Bell Canyon residents in eastern Ventura County would receive ambulance service from the Los Angeles City Fire Department under a proposal to be considered by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.
The board will decide Tuesday whether to approve an agreement with Los Angeles to provide emergency services to Bell Canyon, a remote area that is difficult to reach by Ventura County ambulance provider Careline California.
If the agreement is approved, response time to the Bell Canyon area would be greatly reduced, said Barbara Brodfuehrer, administrator of the county’s Emergency Medical Services Department. Response time now is 20 minutes or more, she said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department currently provides basic life support services, such as first aid, to Bell Canyon residents.
Under the proposed agreement, firefighters would provide advanced life support services, which include the administration of drugs, and ambulance transportation.
If the agreement is approved by supervisors and the city of Los Angeles, Brodfuehrer said the program could be in effect by the end of the year.
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