Mayor Mobolade hopeful for city run ambulance proposal
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade is addressing a proposed city-run ambulance service that was brought before City Council last week by the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD). CSFD laid out its plan to take over services from American Medical Response (AMR) in hopes of improving response times, lowering costs, and adding benefits to current medical programs throughout the city.
On Tuesday, May 21, the mayor said City Council has until June 10 to make a decision on switching from private to city-run ambulance services and he is confident this change will happen.
“Every minute matters to our families in our community. Number two,” said Mayor Mobolade during a press briefing on Tuesday.
The mayor called AMR “desperate,” after the company recently disputed the city’s financial numbers for its own city-run ambulance service.
“I understand over the next month AMR is going to make a number of statements and frankly, I feel like it’s desperation, but I do feel like we have an attractive market. I think they’re a good business company,” said Mayor Mobolade.
He said the new initiate would rely mostly on grants and cost the city between $3 and $4 million, but he added he already has the support he needs to make it happen.
“Because some of the ambulances and equipment we need, a lot of that would be lease-to-purchase. In terms of startup, I’m not worried about that,” added the mayor.
City leaders say many AMR paramedics only stay on the job for about five years,
while most people who work for CSFD have careers that last two to three decades.
“All of those employees, you know, their jobs are at risk. So, that’s part of why we know we can really appeal to people with a career,” said Jayme McConnellogue, the Deputy Fire Chief for CSFD.
If the initiative goes through, the City expects to add around 150 new EMTs.
“Well, if you think about a stop and a start, right. It’s not poaching from them [AMR] now, it would be starting with them in the future after AMR doesn’t have that opportunity anymore,” said McConnellogue.
The graphic below compares emergency response times in 2022 and 2023. CSFD clocked in at an average of 8 minutes and 29 seconds, while AMR averaged more than 13 minutes. City leaders say this could be the difference between life and death.
“I can tell you that we’re preparing for the flip of a switch because that’s important. What we’d like to do is work collaboratively with AMR to figure out what that transition looks like,” added McConnellogue.
The City of Colorado Springs is currently under contract with AMR, which is not set to expire until April of 2025.
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