Proposition 11: Responders on call
Yes: Every minute counts when ambulance crews react to crisis
California’s emergency health care system is heavily dependent on the quick work of our first responders. For the past 50 years, private emergency medical technicians and paramedics have been paid to be reachable during their work breaks in case there is a nearby emergency. It is the same way that other essential public safety personnel operate, including police officers, firefighters and public EMTs and paramedics. It is the heart of emergency response.
But trial attorneys are trying to end this long-standing practice and require private, but not public, EMTs and paramedics to be completely unreachable during work breaks, putting patient care at risk. If successful, dispatchers wouldn’t be allowed to reach ambulance crews while they are on break, even if they were a block away from the emergency or the only ambulance available. The result could be devastating to California’s health care system, as private EMTs and paramedics respond to more than 75 percent of the state’s 911 calls.
That is why I support Proposition 11, a statewide measure on the November ballot that ensures when a patient calls 911, the closest ambulance can respond. Without it, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst predicts Californians could see longer wait times when they need an ambulance.
Prop. 11 also includes critical workplace protections for private ambulance crews by ensuring extra pay if they miss a break and can’t reschedule, and by requiring their employers to space out meal breaks so they receive rest when they need it most. And, it requires ambulance companies to provide high enough staffing levels to ensure there is coverage for breaks.
Additionally, the measure guarantees every private EMT and paramedic receives employer-paid training that meets FEMA standards for responding to natural disaster and active shooter incidents.
Finally, Prop. 11 requires private ambulance companies to provide EMTs and paramedics with mental health benefits and yearly wellness training. While some ambulance companies already provide mental health benefits, others do not give their employees the support they need. It is the nature of the job to witness tragic incidents, and Prop. 11 recognizes that.
Studies show that in situations like a cardiac arrest, for every minute that passes without CPR or a defibrillator, your chances of survival decrease by 7 to 10 percent.
On Nov. 6, vote “yes” on Prop. 11 to ensure an ambulance will be there when you or your loved one needs it.
Dr. Adam Dougherty is an emergency physician.