Judge Rules in City-County EMS Lawsuit

A county judge has ruled that the city of Stockton (Calif.) must comply with the county’s EMS policies on handling emergency medical incidents that send all related 911 calls to AMR’s comm center for dispatch. San Joaquin changed the procedures in 2006, but the city refused to follow them, saying they wanted local control and handling of EMS incidents within the city. Both sides went to court when an agreement couldn’t be reached. In the ruling by a judge in adjacent Stanislaus County, Stockton police dispatchers who field 911 calls related to medical incidents must transfer them to the Lifecom center, who will then notify the Stockton fire department for their response. Under the old procedures, the police dispatcher would transfer medical calls to Stockton fire, and Lifecom would be notified by a direct computer connection. Several other cities in the county had similar disputes with the county EMS agency, but settled their differences and now route 911 medical calls to Lifecom. The city is considering an appeal. Read more about the situation here, and download (pdf) a copy of the lawsuit decision here.