Rural Metro's response times in the city of Buffalo, according to Mayor Byron Brown, are "are absolutely a concern." In response, the ambulance company says that it is focused on improving its performance.
Brown acknowledges that Rural Metro is in the midst of being purchased by another company.
"We know that there is a transition period between the two companies. We understand that, but there is no way a situation of insufficient response times persist," Brown told reporters during a Tuesday gathering in his City Hall office.
According to Brown, response times have improved recently, but he is firm that "we will require nothing less than the response times that have been indicated will be provided in the contract that we've established."
The contract with the city apparently contains a number of penalties if the ambulance service cannot reach specified standards. The Ambulance Board is reviewing the situation.
"We will be pushing to make sure that the response times are up where they should be," Brown promised.
In a written response Rural Metro said: "We are taking aggressive actions and nearing full compliance, and we are laser-focused on improving our performance."