The City of Riverside has entered into a partnership to bring direct emergency medical services (EMS) to the city.
For years, the city had a contract with the Kansas City Fire Department to provide EMS services. According to City Administrator Brian Koral, the city was notified earlier this year that Kansas City would no longer be able to offer contractual services, so the city began the search for another partnership. American Medical Response (AMR) was on the short list of providers.
“AMR already provides service in the Northland and so the AMR / Riverside partnership was a logical step for both parties,” Koral said.
AMR crews have been running 12-hour shifts out of the Riverside Fire Department since the beginning of the month, with 24-hour coverage beginning in November. In the next few months, a new Riverside-branded ambulance will join the city’s fleet, manned by AMR crews and operating out of the Riverside Fire Station.
“The main difference residents and community members will see immediately is that, with the ambulance service housed with the RFD, ambulance crews will oftentimes be arriving at the same time as the fire crews – since both will typically be originating from the same point,” Koral said. “The ambulance crews, even though employed by AMR, will be embedded with our fire department crews – working similar rotations and building that familiarity and comradery that will continue to provide seamless patient care.”
The Riverside Board of Aldermen approved the agreement between AMR and the city at their Tuesday, Sept. 23 meeting.