'A Game-Changer:' Edmond Partners With New Ambulance Service, Parts Ways With EMSA

City leaders say having a local emergency response partner is a big step forward for the growing city. 

At least 5 ambulances will now be parked in Edmond, to serve Edmond, during peak hours starting today. 

The city’s new partnership is with American Medical Response, and officials say it will help take the pressure off their fire crews. "Seconds count," Edmond Deputy Fire Chief Chris Denton said. “In the fire and EMS world we've always said that seconds count, seconds matter, and they truly do matter." 

Denton says they aim to keep their response times as low as possible. "We know we need to get people to the hospital as fast as we possibly can," Denton said. 

He cites slow response times as one of the reasons the city parted ways with EMSA, Edmond's ambulance service provider of over 30 years. "As much as two hours, in cases, waiting for an ambulance," Denton explained.  

EMSA said in a statement to News 9: 

“EMSA wishes the City of Edmond and its residents the best moving forward. Our focus continues to be providing the highest quality, cost-effective clinical care to our beneficiary city, Oklahoma City, and other Western Division members of the EMSA system. While the City of Edmond will no longer be a part of the EMSA Regulated Service Area, they are a valued community partner. We look forward to ongoing opportunities to work with the Edmond Fire Department in the response community. Edmond’s departure from the EMSA system did not result in any workforce reduction or job loss at EMSA, all unit hours previously earmarked for Edmond have been redistributed to best meet the needs of our Western Division communities.” 

"Today's day one,” Denton said Tuesday. “We're super excited. All the switches have been flipped." 

EMT Derek Collier gave News 9 a peek inside one of the brand-new ambulances. "We've got all kinds of supplies,” Collier said. “We can give them medications and fluids as needed." 

All the rigs also have state-of-the-art equipment. "And with the push of a button, it lifts the patient up, and then we can slide them right in," Collier said showing off the automatic stretcher lift in one of the rigs. 

Denton says the new ambulances are a game-changer for the city of Edmond. "We need an ambulance to be right there behind us," Denton said. "With AMR, we're happy to see that happen." 

On day one, the new AMR ambulances responded to several calls, with many more to come through the partnership.