Scottsdale Fire Department moves forward plan for ground ambulance program

PHOENIX — The Scottsdale Fire Department’s ground ambulance program is officially starting to kick off thanks to new approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), authorities announced on Monday.

This program will help meet the growing demand for emergency medical services, the Scottsdale FD said.

Scottsdale FD has four main goals in mind for the ground ambulance program, according to the city’s website:

• Make sure patient care for the citizens and visitors of Scottsdale continues.
• Provide more equitable accounting for costs associated with delivering standard fire-based emergency medical services.
• Make response times more reliable.
• Boost transportation capabilities for Scottsdale residents and visitors.

The process of starting the program began in March 2022.

After that, a judge recommended authorities try to secure a certificate of necessity from ADHS in February of this year.

Now that the Scottsdale FD officially won the approval, it can move its ambulance service plan forward.

Why Scottsdale Fire needs the ground ambulance program

Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon said comprehensive “door-to-door” service is necessary in an announcement.

A third-party ambulance service transported more than 18,000 Scottsdale residents and visitors to hospitals in 2023, according to Scottsdale FD’s announcement. Authorities want to provide a municipal option.

The next step of the plan is to start the recruitment process. Job postings for the ground ambulance program will likely begin in May. The Scottsdale FD wants to hire new firefighters by mid-July.

If things go smoothly, the Scottsdale FD plans to train new hires in early August or September.

Authorities expect the service to begin operating either in December 2024 or January 2025.