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Rural Metro called out on response times

Rural Metro

Two Buffalo Common Council members are calling on Rural Metro to explain itself, after an ambulance was late to the scene of a Kail Street house fire Tuesday. The North District's Joseph Golombek and South District's Christopher Scanlon complain that, again, they are getting late reports where during an emergency, timing is crucial. “We deserve to know why there was a delay and what Rural Metro is doing to fix this reoccurring problem,” said Golombek.

They say the city's contracted ambulance service needs to explain what it is doing to fix the reoccurring problem. “It is extremely unfortunate to hear of another incident involving delayed response times from our EMS provider,” said Scanlon.

“We have seen issues like this in the past and have attempted to address them with Rural Metro. Sadly, it appears as though response times have regressed in recent months, and it is unacceptable for this trend to continue," said Scanlon. "It is time that we, the Common Council, and the Emergency Medical Services Board ensure the safety of our residents and hold Rural Metro accountable to the parameters of their contract.”

The fire in question involved a man and his dog being injured and needing medical care. Golombek and Scanlon are also calling on Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Emergency Medical Services Board to look into the matter.