Oklahoma City Leaders Working With EMSA On Proposed Change In Trust Bylaws

The Oklahoma City Fire Department partnered with EMSA this year to improve response times. News 9 discovered a conflict between the City of Oklahoma City and EMSA. 

Emails News 9 obtained through an open records request showed a disagreement about a proposed policy change within EMSA’s governing body. The confusion caused Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt to get involved. 

Emergency Medical Services Authority, or EMSA, has been the ambulance provider for the metro since 1990. In recent years the city has worked with EMSA to improve response times. 

“We love being a part of that community,” said Adam Paluka, public information officer for EMSA. 

Two beneficiaries form the EMSA public trust — the Tulsa and Oklahoma communities. Paluka said from 2021 to 2023 EMSA failed to meet response time requirements. 

“It’s our responsibility to be creative and to try new solutions,” Paluka said. 

The Edmond Fire Department ended its agreement with EMSA late last year due to long response times. Oklahoma City assistant city manager Jason Ferbrache said the City of Oklahoma City agreed to work with EMSA by creating a supplemental transport service.

“EMSA is still our city’s main ambulance provider,” Ferbrache said. 

This summer, the city added two ambulances through the OKC Fire Department in partnership with EMSA. 

“We have two other ambulances that we’ll be adding in the coming months,” Ferbrache said. 

City email records from January indicate EMSA leaders proposed changes to its bylaws. Ferbrache said he understood the reasoning behind the proposed changes because the city hasn’t provided ambulances until this year. 

“I believe the intent of the bylaw change was to simply to shore up conflict of interest,” Ferbrache said. 

Holt said in an email, "I do not actually believe that governments can 'compete' with each other. We are not businesses. I simply think it is fundamentally not possible. We are working — hopefully collaboratively — to serve our shared constituents.” 

Holt told EMSA he believed the bylaw change threatened to eliminate Oklahoma City's four votes from the EMSA trust. Paluka said EMSA never intended to remove OKC representation from the trust. 

“There was clearly a misunderstanding,” Paluka said. 

EMSA elected to pause the proposed bylaw change until leaders on both sides reach an agreement. Holt said, "I am grateful that the proposed changes have been delayed. You and several board members have articulated a desire not to arrive at the nightmare scenario where OKC loses all of its votes on the EMSA trust."

“Usually when you have that type of candid open conversation you end up with a really good solution in the end,” Ferbrache said. 

Paluka said this is an example of two agencies with 34 years of experience working together to keep people safe. 

“Always be open to listening,” Paluka said. “Always be open to feedback. We want to be in Oklahoma City for the next 34 years.” 

Since 2022, Paluka says EMSA’s paramedic attrition rate dropped 65% and they have retained more paramedics. He said has improved response times. EMSA’s in-house EMT school has also introduced more than 90 emergency medical technicians to the Oklahoma City system.