A man died after waiting over 30 minutes for an ambulance in Portland, Oregon, due to a lack of available ambulances, In light of the recent news by emergency dispatch logs. The logs revealed that private provider American Medical Response was operating at level zero, meaning no ambulances were available to respond to the call. Firefighters worked to stabilise the man while waiting for an ambulance, which arrived at the scene 32 minutes after the initial dispatch. The incident has highlighted the frustration of Portland firefighters at the lack of available ambulances. Multnomah County officials have said ambulances should arrive to 90% of emergency calls within eight minutes.
In light of the recent news by recent reports, a man died while waiting for an ambulance for over 30 minutes after being hit by a hit-and-run driver in Portland, Oregon. This incident has highlighted the frustration of Portland firefighters who face a lack of available ambulances to respond to emergency calls.
The Bureau of Emergency Communications 911 dispatch log revealed that the private provider contracted by Multnomah County, American Medical Response, was operating at level zero, indicating that there were no ambulances available to respond to the emergency call. This situation has become increasingly common, and firefighters are becoming increasingly frustrated.
Isaac McLennan, president of the Portland Fire Fighters’ Association, said, “More and more, day after day, we’re seeing this level zero pop up, and as firefighters we’re getting frustrated. This is a highly dangerous situation and it should be unacceptable not only just for firefighters, it should be unacceptable for everybody who lives in this community.”
The incident occurred in the early hours of April 28th when both firefighters and an ambulance crew were dispatched to the accident scene in northeast Portland. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was attempting to cross the street in a wheelchair when he was hit.
The man was still alive when firefighters arrived, but the 911 dispatchers repeatedly told them that American Medical Response was operating at level zero, In light of the recent news by dispatch logs. The firefighters worked to stabilize the man in the road while waiting for an ambulance.
The logs show that the initial dispatch went out at 12:10 a.m. Firefighters arrived at 12:14, and an ambulance arrived at 12:42. The ambulance left the scene five minutes later, as a hospital transport was no longer necessary because the man had died.
McLennan told KGW-TV that there was no practical way firefighters could have taken the man to the hospital themselves as it was clear he needed an ambulance.
Global Medical Response, the parent company of American Medical Response, said in a statement that the incident is still under review by the company as well as by county emergency officials. “The safety of our patients is always our top priority. American Medical Response is committed to responding to all calls in a timely manner,” it said.
Officials in Multnomah County, which is home to Portland, have said that ambulances should arrive at 90% of emergency calls within eight minutes. However, the incident has highlighted the fact that there are not enough emergency responders to meet this target.
This tragic incident has raised serious concerns about the state of emergency services in Portland, and it is clear that action needs to be taken to address this issue. People should not have to wait for extended periods for emergency medical attention, and it is essential that the necessary res are provided to ensure that emergency responders can respond to calls in a timely manner.
