A private ambulance service will now respond to non-life-threatening 911 calls in Washington, D.C.
A private ambulance service will now respond to non-life-threatening 911 calls in Washington, D.C.
The District's contract with American Medical Response (AMR) begins Monday. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the partnership last month.
AMR will begin responding to non-life-threatening 911 calls from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.
D.C. Fire & EMS will be the first to arrive to all 911 calls in the District. Once they're on the scene, they will determine how the patient will get to the hospital.
D.C. Fire & EMS will continue to transport patients with life-threatening or time-sensitive conditions, such as cardiac arrest, stroke, major trauma and unconsciousness. AMR will transport patients with minor injuries or illnesses, such as colds, sprained ankles and "general non acute sick calls," Bowser said in a release last month.
Bowser and D.C. FEMS Chief Gregory Dean said the service will help reduce delayed 911 responses and give D.C. firefighters and paramedics more time for much-needed training.
