Quick take:
Santa Cruz County received 104 ambulance calls Monday, well above its typical 70-80, prompting concerns after the system reached “level 0,” when all ambulances are temporarily busy.
Santa Cruz County’s ambulance system experienced an abnormally high number of calls this week, reaching “level 0” – a period when all ambulances are temporarily busy – as officials sought to reassure residents that emergency medical care remains available.
On Monday, the county received 104 calls for service, compared to its typical 70 to 80 calls, according to the county Health Services Agency. Officials described the total as “among the highest single-day totals in recent years.”
People monitoring emergency radio traffic raised concerns on social media after the county’s ambulance system reached level 0.
The concerns led county officials on Thursday to address and clarify how first responders handle calls and how emergency care continues even during level 0 periods.
While all ambulances may be busy and in use, when someone calls 911 during a level 0 period, the county’s emergency medical response teams are still responding and providing care before the ambulance arrives.
During level 0, fire department first responders and paramedics are still attending to people who call 911. They provide lifesaving care to the caller while a transport ambulance is being assigned to them.
The most serious and acute calls are prioritized for ambulances, and dispatches coordinate which callers receive the next available ambulance based on the severity of their conditions.
Santa Cruz County officials say that 20 calls experienced delays of about 6 minutes and 25 seconds to receive an ambulance on Monday during the level 0 period. They said most of those calls were “lower-priority medical needs” and didn’t require the ambulances’ lights or sirens.
Health Services Agency officials said the emergency medical services system is “designed to manage fluctuations in demand” and level 0 periods are an “anticipated part” of their operations that they prepare for. They have protocols to prioritize more severe calls, they coordinate ambulances once they become available and they tap into neighboring counties to provide or receive support.
The agency says that it’s “not unusual” for the county’s ambulance system to reach level 0 five times in a single day, but the periods are brief.
The county operates 13 ambulance units on staggered 12-hour shifts in a 24-hour period and the shifts are based on historical patterns of emergency calls.
Officials said that the county agency doesn’t decide directly how many ambulances are deployed by the contracted ambulance provider, American Medical Response (AMR). Ambulance staffing is based on call volume and demand rather than solely being based on population size alone, according to county agency officials.
“It is also important to note that Santa Cruz County’s population has declined by more than 5% over the past decade, underscoring that population growth is not necessarily a driver of ambulance demand,” they said, via email to Lookout.
