Pam Zekman from CBSChicago recently did a report on the current state of the Chicago Fire Department's ambulance fleet and emergency medical services (EMS) response times:

One key question raised in the piece: If you're facing a life-threatening situation, will an ambulance arrive in time? According to CBS 2's investigation, the answer might be no. Paramedics say the city is in dire need of more ambulances and paramedics to meet the demands of emergency calls.

A recent incident involving Lynn Ramos highlights the problem. She was struck by a 2-ton postal truck while crossing Washington Street in the Loop last month. Fire engines with paramedics arrived within four minutes to help free her from under the truck. However, according to recorded calls, one of the paramedics questioned why an ambulance hadn't yet arrived. Ambulances closer to downtown were unavailable, and the only one available was five miles away, taking 16 minutes—10 minutes over the state’s recommended time.

Ramos suffered serious injuries, including a punctured lung, a broken leg, a fractured pelvis, and broken ribs. Paramedic Field Chief Patrick Fitzmaurice said the delay should never have happened. “We don’t have enough ambulances,” he stated.

The city claims it meets state standards by sending a fire engine with a paramedic and advanced life support equipment within six minutes. But another anonymous paramedic told CBS 2 that after that, it can take 10 to 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. “Those minutes are critical,” he said, especially for patients suffering from strokes or severe trauma.

An audit by the city’s inspector general revealed that the city’s medical response times fell short of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The NFPA recommends that advanced life support equipment reach the scene within five minutes 90% of the time. However, the city met this standard only 58% of the time.

Inspector General Joseph Ferguson criticized the fire department’s performance, saying, “Taxpayer money for critical services is at the core of what we pay our taxes to do. And to the extent that our office looked at it, it appears that it is being done at a much lower level than what the fire department was claiming.”

Ferguson also pointed out that the fire department initially claimed to follow NFPA standards but later denied it. He criticized their methods for calculating performance, stating, “No one has any idea truly how well it is performing a core mission.”

Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association warned, “People’s lives will be imperiled if they don’t get the right ambulances and the right trained personnel to the scene quickly enough.”

Paramedics like Fitzmaurice say the daily struggle is real. “There are times they literally just get on the radio and say, ‘I have no ambulances. Can anybody go?’”

In a written statement, Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago denied there is an ambulance shortage. “The Fire Department takes its calls for medical assistance very seriously and does not have a shortage of ambulances,” he said. He also mentioned plans to hire more paramedics this year, following a temporary delay due to updated testing requirements.

Santiago added that the department is fully staffed every day, with a mix of paramedics working regular shifts and overtime. “This allows us to respond quickly to start care and transport patients,” he said. A spokesman also noted that the department is working to reduce the $7 million paid in overtime last year by hiring more personnel.

The department is also tracking ALS ambulance response times to improve efficiency and determine if moving some headquarters would better meet demand.

This story comes from Bill Post, who added: “This is a problem many of us have known about for a while. However, ALS engines and trucks have been arriving on the scene faster, which is why the ALS fire company program was created. In the video and story, you’ll see that one of the EMS field supervisors was willing to go on camera to confirm the story. That’s unusual since he works for the CFD. You’ll also notice the second CFD employee in the report chose not to be identified.”

Thanks Dan & Bill

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