Update to February 5, Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee - FINAL 3.3.pdf

Update to February 5, Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee, 
Regarding Ambulance Response Times in CD 2 
How much will the response times be reduced by the two new rescues in Council 
District 2? 
In the fall of 2024, Rescue 45 and Rescue 49, located in Council District 2, were 
converted to full-time units. Before the conversion, Rescue 45's first-due response time 
was 11 minutes and 47 seconds. Since its conversion to a full-time unit through January 
31, 2025, Rescue 45's first-due area response time has improved to 9 minutes and 44 
seconds, representing a 17 percent improvement. 
Rescue 49 was converted into a full-time unit simultaneously with Rescue 45. Before 
conversion, Rescue 49’s first due response time was 17 minutes and 59 seconds. Since 
converting to a full-time unit through January 31, 2025, Rescue 49's first-due area 
response time has been reduced by nearly 6 minutes to 12 minutes and 12 seconds. 
This represents 32 percent improvement. 
1. Increased Coverage: Recently, the increase from two part-time ambulances to
two full-time ambulances has resulted in 18 additional hours of coverage
between the two units in the district. This extension aims to improve overall
response times, especially in critical moments when emergency services are
needed.
Attachment A

2. Not New Units: It is true and important to note that the two ambulances 
mentioned are not new units. Instead, they represent additional coverage hours 
(18 hours total) provided by converting part-time resources to full-time 24-hour 
resources to address the demand more effectively. Rescues 45 and 49 were 
converted to full-time on September 30, 2024.  
3. Improvement in Response Times: The reported response time improvements 
specifically refer to the immediate first due area and the time periods when the 
two ambulances expanded service hours.  With this response, we are providing 
additional information regarding the response time for Rescue 45 and Rescue 49 
throughout the entire day, as requested.  By increasing coverage, we have 
reduced response times in these high-priority areas. 
4. Aggregate Data: The response time data for Council District 2 reflects an overall 
average for the entire area. While response times have improved in the 
immediate first-due areas of Rescue 45 and Rescue 49, the district-wide data 
includes regions that may not have seen the same level of improvement. 
However, the conversion of Rescue 45 and Rescue 49 has positively impacted 
ambulance response times across Council District 2. In 2024, the district's 
average response time was 11 minutes and 28 seconds. By January 2025, 
Council District 2 CEMS response times had improved to 10 minutes and 54 
seconds. This improvement indicates progress toward meeting the Arizona 
Department of Health Services (AZDHS) standard, which sets a 90th percentile 
arrival time for ambulances responding to critical emergencies.