Investigation Finds More Lengthy D.C. Ambulance Waits
• Video: How Long Will You Be Waiting For An Ambulance?
Is the 23 minutes it took to get an ambulance to a dying former New York Times reporter unusual? Mayor Tony Williams told 9 News that response times in the city have improved in recent years. Firefighters and EMS workers have told us there are still many incidents where patients are waiting a long time for ambulances and paramedic units.
9 News took to the streets Thursday afternoon investigating response times. Within 15 minutes we came across two cases of lengthy waits for paramedic ambulances to arrive at the scene.
At 12:45 PM an elderly tourist at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History had seizures and trouble breathing. A 9 News crew watched as it took 11 minutes for a fire engine with a paramedic aboard to arrive. At 1:07 PM, 22 minutes after the initial call to 911, a paramedic ambulance got to the scene. It responded from across town at 21st Street and Benning Road, Northeast. The woman was taken to the hospital as a code one, high priority patient.
At the same time as the call on the Mall, a 7-year-old girl had trouble breathing at Georgetown Day School on MacArthur Boulevard. A DC Fire and EMS spokesperson confirms that fire engine got to the school within the standard six minute goal, but it took 27 minutes for a paramedic ambulance to arrive and take the girl to the hospital.
The spokesperson say there will be an investigation into both of today's incidents.
DC's Mayor Anthony Williams confirmed again Thursday that he has asked the city's Inspector General to investigate the emergency response after former reporter David Rosenbaum was found beaten and robbed on January 6th. The mayor told 9 News it is important to put to rest all of these questions about the Rosenbaum case.
