Dallas asks for national assistance to deal with ambulance shortage - Axios

Fire departments crossed Texas are having to hold longer than accustomed to update their ambulance fleets, which is driving up costs and forcing galore of them to usage outdated vehicles to support up with calls.

Why it matters: First responders request reliable, maintained ambulances without precocious mileage to guarantee accelerated effect times.

• But the ongoing microchip shortage, planetary proviso concatenation issues and slower works output person made it harder to regenerate older ambulances.

Driving the news: Fire officials crossed Texas are drafting a missive to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to impulse his section to assistance them find a solution, Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson tells Axios.

• Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson precocious wrote his ain letter to Buttigieg, asking for help. He said the delays jeopardize nationalist information successful Texas and crossed the United States.

Threat level: Garland utilized to get caller ambulances wrong 4 months of ordering them. The hold clip is up to a twelvemonth due to the fact that of proviso concatenation issues, a occurrence section spokesperson tells Axios.

• In Dallas, the hold clip betwixt placing the bid and transportation is present astatine slightest 24 months, per the mayor's letter.

Of note: Severe upwind astir North Texas successful the past twelvemonth has depleted the fleet adjacent more. Dallas mislaid much than 4 twelve exigency vehicles due to the fact that of flooding successful August.

Zoom out: Austin usually orders astir 15 caller ambulances astatine a clip to support its fleet of 80 to 90 vehicles. This year, the metropolis has had to usage older vehicles, expanding attraction costs by $3 million, Johnson wrote.

• And Houston's bid for Ford F-150s this twelvemonth has been pushed to adjacent year, which volition outgo the metropolis much due to the fact that the 2023 rates are higher.

Yes, but: Arlington isn't struggling due to the fact that the metropolis partners with a backstage ambulance institution that invested successful a caller fleet during the highest of the pandemic.

• The Arlington occurrence main inactive plans to motion the statewide missive to Buttigieg to assistance different departments marque their case.

The bottommost line: "The citizens beryllium connected america to person a moving dependable fleet, and it's a important issue. I anticipation the national authorities volition assistance america guarantee these priorities are being met," Crowson says.

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