Multnomah Approves New Ambulance Plan
The new plan changes the benchmark response time for life-threatening emergencies from 8 minutes to 15 in East County cities like Fairview, Troutdale and Wood Village. But it keeps the 8-minute standard in Portland and Gresham. Commissioner Vince Jones Dixon, who represents the East Multnomah County area, proposed keeping the 8-minute standard in East County. It failed 3-2. “It’s inequitable. It’s wrong,” he said. ”We could agree to disagree.” Commissioner Megan Moyer said, “I don’t like this plan.”
Commissioner Shannon Singleton says there’s room for improvement, but this is a start to end a years-long crisis of ambulances arriving late, and not having enough staff, as emergency calls increase. Competitive bidding starts next year with preference to companies that offer faster response times in Eastern Multnomah County. The current contract with American Medical Response ends in August 2028 after years of clashes with the county over slow response times and paramedic shortages.