Carmel by the Sea Contracting EMS Services from Monterey Fire

Carmel by the Sea decided to contract Ambulance services from the Monterey Fire Department at their city council meeting on Tuesday night. The contract set to last 5 years, ensuring that the city's ambulance will be able to run year round without worries of short staffing and reduced overtime.

The contract will allow Monterey's Fire Department to staff the city's ambulance with 2 firefighters per shift. A staff report shows that the city's ambulance was out of service for 30 days out of the last year, something that won't be an issue with the help of Monterey Fire. The city had 6 approved employees for their ambulance services before, but have suffered from prolonged staffing issues for years, leading to the shutdown of the city's ambulance until it can be staffed.

The city has already been contracting support from Monterey Fire for fire services, some city council members saying that the new contract for ambulance services is only a natural continuation of that partnership.

While the new deal with Monterey Fire is more costly than the city's previous EMS services, but ensures that the city retains its 201 rights, which is what allows the city to staff and run its own ambulance services, and provides a better service to the community.