A lack of ambulances created a dangerous situation Friday night in Williams when 3 medical aid calls came in to 911 within minutes of each other shortly after 9 PM. Only 1 of the 2 ambulances normally stationed in Williams was available, and it was sent to a report of a 9 month old baby choking. The baby was transported to the hospital in Flagstaff by that Lifeline ambulance.
A second call involving a woman that had fallen and hit her head ended up with the woman having to be taken by car to the hospital in Flagstaff as no ambulance was available with a response time of less than over an hour. The woman had a gash on the back of her head, generally considered a serious injury that would require transport by ambulance.
The third call was at the Ramada Hotel on Grand Canyon Blvd. involving an 86 year old man that may have been having a heart attack. He waited over an hour for a Lifeline ambulance sent from Prescott Valley to take him to the hospital in Flagstaff. A ambulance delay of an hour could prove fatal for a person having a heart attack according to medical experts.
Residents and visitors continued to be at risk after these calls as no ambulances were available within a reasonable response time, likely well over an hour or more. The lack of ambulances also meant that all the on duty Williams Police Officers were tied up assisting on these medical aid calls.
Ambulance response times have been a continuing issue not only in Williams but throughout the state. No easy solution is likely anytime soon as a shortage of EMTs and Paramedics is a systemic problem. In addition to the problems caused by a lack of ambulances at times, the ambulances we do have are often staffed by 2 Emergency Medical Technicians only, instead of the standard 1 Paramedic and 1 EMT they normally should have.
