SAN DIEGO — As the primary ambulance provider for the city of San Diego, paramedics with Falck respond to a high volume of calls daily.
Paramedic supervisor, Abid Nader, and the rest of the men and women at Falck provide life-saving treatment to San Diegans, tourists, and in some cases, migrants.
“We cover the border and we deal with a lot of stuff that's going on with the border with migrants being stuck between the fence," said Nader.
Nader says it’s a high-risk job that can be physically strenuous and at times, often involving life-or-death situations.
Falck and other ambulance providers across the nation are facing an EMT and paramedic shortage.
Earlier this month, Falck’s managing director told CBS 8 they’ve made progress in hiring. The ambulance provider has hired 38 new paramedics since November.
It comes as the city wants to make changes to Falck’s contract as a result of long wait times. The average response for priority 1 calls takes about 8:50.
Under the city’s plan, Falck would be required to subcontract with another ambulance provider to increase unit hours for paramedics. The city’s Public Safety Committee is expected to hold a special meeting sometime next month to agree on the changes.
"It’s been tough, but I know Falck has been doing what it can to try to catch up and make sure they serve the city of San Diego," adds Nader.
Despite the efforts to cut back on wait times, one major challenge paramedics continue to face is the nearly 15 percent increase in call volume over the past year, which amounts to about 450 calls a day.
“It taxes the system, gets us to move into all these different calls,” he says.
Nader says staffing issues at area hospitals only add to the time it takes for crews to make it to other calls, “it's hard to get back out there and you know, get moving to calls and take care of patients when they're stuck on the wall for a bed.”
He anticipates the summer months will be just as, if not more, busy.
Falck is working to boost recruitment, offering a $50,000 sign-on bonus to paramedics, that's paid over three years and comes with no requirement to stay.
The ambulance provider is also working with schools to have EMT's promoted to paramedics.
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