Dunwoody’s citizens will now have a dedicated ambulance that will service the city exclusively – a move designed to alleviate years of delayed response times.
Representatives from Dunwoody, DeKalb County and American Medical Response were expected to be on hand Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. at the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Station 21, 1020 Crown Pointe Pkwy., to kick off the partnership.
The city council recently approved a $566,000 annual agreement to fund a dedicated ambulance to answer emergency calls from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The vehicle will operate out of Station 21.
Dunwoody is the first DeKalb city to contract for its own service.
A memo presented to the council in October regarding the agreement said despite concerted attempts to speed up response times, the effort did not have a significant impact.
“DeKalb County positioned three and sometimes four AMR ambulances in the City of Dunwoody. These ambulances conduct their shift changes at the DeKalb County Fire Stations in Dunwoody but are frequently pulled outside the city limits for calls for service,” the memo said. “Despite the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with DeKalb County and the AMR ambulances conducting their shift changes in the city, response times and complaints about response times continue to rise.”
Dunwoody staff members studying the matter said they feel this strategy will help alleviate extended wait times within the city.
“Staff believes directly contracting with DeKalb County and AMR for one ALS [Advanced Life Support] ambulance staffed – with a Paramedic and EMT operating 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day will make a significant impact on response times and the level of service being provided to the citizens of Dunwoody,” a memo regarding the expenditure said. “DeKalb County officials have assured staff that this agreement with AMR will not affect the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] DeKalb County has with Dunwoody, or the number of ambulances currently assigned to the city of Dunwoody.”
The ambulance will be funded using American Rescue Plan funding and a monthly report will be generated to see if the dedicated service has a positive effect.
The controversy regarding 911 service has been circulating as long as Dunwoody has been a city. Residents have complained about being subject to long hold times before calls are answered, being transferred to different agencies during the calls, and experiencing slow response times once personnel are dispatched.
At the October meeting, several city council members related personal stories about slow response times. Councilwoman Stacey Harris recounted a recent incident wherein a colleague had a medical emergency where she was non-responsive and emergency vehicles reported to the scene 30 minutes later. She also questioned why a fire truck, which is staffed by EMTs, was never dispatched to the scene.
Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch also discussed several incidents in which she had personal knowledge of slow response times, including one that had happened the day of the meeting wherein a person who was suffering a medical emergency allegedly waited more than an hour for a response vehicle.
Several concerned citizens with personal stories about response times have appeared at council meetings to comment on slow service and the impact on their lives.