Laguna concerned about possible change to county ambulance provider

The Laguna Beach City Council is asking the Board of Supervisors to better explain the process of choosing ambulance services as the county considers changes in providers to cities previously served by the Orange County Fire Authority.

Laguna has its own fire department and so its relationship with Doctor’s Ambulance Service is not in jeopardy. But city officials worry that if the company no longer serves surrounding cities, including Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel and Dana Point, response times to emergencies in Laguna Beach will increase.

“If Doctor’s no longer has units in Laguna Woods, San Clemente, those units won’t be there to back us up,” Laguna Beach Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse told the council at a recent meeting.

A recent recommendation by panels of medical professionals has led county supervisors to consider switching many cities from Doctor’s to other providers. The panels recommended Doctor’s for an area that serves Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano, but rated other companies higher in two other regions.

Along with Laguna’s concern about service, the recommendation has some ambulance companies complaining about the evaluation process.

Doctor’s spokesman David Sanford told the council at its March 31 meeting that the company currently serves 12 cities but could lose 11 of those contracts if the board approves the new recommendations.

At that meeting, the council directed City Manager John Pietig to send a letter to the board asking how the panels of medical professionals rated ambulance companies and whether the county’s Health Care Agency, which conducted the bidding process in its role of promoting health and assessing community needs, did so fairly. Sanford supported Laguna in its decision to write to the county Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors will decide Tuesday whether to award new contracts.

In the past, the fire authority selected ambulance companies for areas it serves, but in late 2013 the state’s Emergency Medical Services Authority stripped it of this power and delegated the task to the county.

The county solicited bids and enlisted independent panels of nurses, physicians and first responders to rate the ambulance companies in the five regions of the county. A separate panel was assigned to each region.

Laguna has contracted with Doctor’s since 1996, and Pietig said the city is satisfied with the company’s work.

Laguna’s contract with Doctor’s is based on response times. Ambulances with flashing lights must arrive within 10 minutes of a 911 call, LaTendresse said.

Doctor’s is not required to keep any ambulances in Laguna, though the city rents the company room at one of its fire stations so an ambulance could be parked there, LaTendresse said.

In response to protests from ambulance companies, county officials brought in new panels to rate the companies, Health Care Agency spokeswoman Deanne Thompson said.