On August 21, the Fire Department Began daily operations of three paramedic ambulances.  These ambulances are staffed by Fire Department paramedic/firefighters 24 hours per day and 7 days a week.

As of September 30, 2009, the Fire Department ambulances have responded on 440 emergency medical calls and transported 253 (58%) patients to local hospitals.  This number of patient transports exceeds what we had anticipated and totals over $300,000 in gross transport charges for the first 39 days of operation.

Under the previous ambulance design, with a private ambulance company providing the transportation, the Fire Department would only have received about $8,000 for paramedic fees during the same time period.  Although we have not received any payments yet, we anticipate an average of 50% collection on the ambulance service.

The past 39 days of ambulance transport through the Fire Department have gotten off to a solid start and the revenue received from the service will pay for itself and ultimately reduce the taxpayers' burden for Fire Department funding.

Check back here for regular updates. If you have any questions or concerns about this new and exciting service enhancement, please contact the South Salt Lake Fire Department at 801-483-6043.