San Benito County’s Office of Emergency Services has signed a
contract with Hollister Hills to provide a third ambulance for the
county.
San Benito County’s Office of Emergency Services has signed a contract with Hollister Hills to provide a third ambulance for the county.
The contract, approved by the Board of Supervisors, would have the State Vehicular Recreation Area fund the establishment of a third ambulance to serve the county during peak hours on the weekends and holidays.
“I’m positive this is a step in the right direction,” Hollister Hills District Superintendent Dan Dungee said.
Currently, the county contracts with American Medical Response for two ambulances to provide emergency medical service to the county on a 24-hour basis.
During the past few years, attendance and the number of accidents have increased and a need for ambulance service at the off-road park has been called for.
Officials with Hollister Hills and county government became concerned that while an ambulance is helping an accident victim at the off-road park there is only one other ambulance available to cover the entire county.
During fiscal year 2001-02 there were 152 ground transport emergency medical responses made to the park, accounting for 7.6 percent of the 2000 emergency medical calls made during the year.
In some instances, the county had to request mutual aid from Prunedale to help cover the county.
“On the weekends there are times when we may have as many as two ambulances up here,” Dungee said.
It was Dungee and Deputy Director Dave Widdell who approached county officials with the idea of adding a third ambulance, particularly during peak hours of the park’s usage, so that there would be ample coverage for both the SVRA and the county in the event of an emergency.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years and how to do this,” Dungee said.
County Emergency Services Director Margie Riopel applauded the plan and said it was park officials who approached the county.
“We felt it was important for us to step forward on this,” Dungee said. “We didn’t want to wait until there was a tragedy.”
Riopel said an agreement still has to be reached with AMR before the third ambulance can be put into place.
On Nov. 6, 1990, a ballot measure to create and fund a Paramedic Emergency Medical Services Program in the county was approved by the voters. The Board, by resolution, created County Service Area 36.
The cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista also approved the formation of the service area and a paramedic services program.
The CSA pays for the paramedic services program. The program is administered by the San Benito County EMS Agency.
The EMS also oversees the ambulance provider contracts, ambulance ordinance, licensing of ambulances and certification process.
