HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-29; Temporary Ambulance Update (Districts - All); Calderwood, MichaelTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date IJ'2°112b CA V CC ../
CM _0cM ~DCM (3) JL.
January 29, 2026
Council Memorandum
To:
From:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Geoff Patnoe, City Manager ~. Via:
Re: Temporary Ambulance Upda~istricts -All)
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2026001
This memorandum provides information regarding the temporary ambulance unit implemented
last month to mitigate the negative impacts associated with a reduction in emergency medical
services (EMS) transport resources within the City of Oceanside Fire Department.
Background
On December 1, 2025, Oceanside Fire Chief David Parsons notified the City of Carlsbad that the
City of Oceanside will open Fire Station 9 in the northeastern portion of Oceanside on
December 13, 2025. Concurrently, Oceanside staff advised Carlsbad staff they would suspend
operations of the paramedic ambulance at Oceanside Fire Station 2, in southwest Oceanside, due
to an unforeseen budget issue. The City of Oceanside advised personnel previously assigned to
the Fire Station 2 ambulance would be reassigned to partially staff the new fire station and
operate Patrol 219 (PT219), a non-transport capable pick-up truck.
The City of Oceanside further communicated this operational adjustment is anticipated to remain
in effect until at least July 2026, pending Oceanside City Council authorization of additional
firefighter positions. If approved, a multi-month recruitment process would be required prior to
restoring previous paramedic ambulance staffing levels.
Given the limited two-week implementation notice, and the potential impacts to regional EMS
delivery and ambulance transport resources, Carlsbad Fire Department leadership and the City
Manager promptly evaluated operational options to mitigate potential impacts should the
City of Oceanside proceed with their plan.
As announced, the City of Oceanside's suspension of their Fire Station 2 paramedic ambulance
became effective on December 13, 2025.
In response, the Carlsbad Fire Department rapidly adapted and implemented a temporary
mitigation strategy, effective December 17, 2025. Consistent with actions approved by the
City Manager, the City of Carlsbad increased part-time EMT staffing to deploy an additional
ambulance. The objective of adding this unit was to reduce operational strain on existing
ambulance resources while maintaining the number of paramedic transport capable ambulances
Fire Department
2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 442-339-2141 t
Council Memo -Temporary Ambulance Update (Districts -All)
January 29, 2026
Page 2
serving the City of Carlsbad and the City of Oceanside border, thereby preventing potential delays
in ambulance service and response.
Discussion
Outlined below is a one-month analysis of outcomes between December 17, 2025, and
January 17, 2026, following implementation of the City of Carlsbad's Fire Department temporary
mitigation strategy to deploy an additional transport-capable ambulance (RA 105) effective
December 17, 2025.
City of Carlsbad/City of Oceanside -Unit for Unit Comparison
Service demand and patient transport activity for the City of Carlsbad's additional ambulance
(RA 105) is compared to the City of Oceanside's replacement Patrol (PT219).
Carlsbad Additional Ambulance Activity (RA 105)
In Carlsbad In Oceanside Total
Incidents 104 79 183
Transports 67 25 92
• Carlsbad's Additional Ambulance (RA 105) responded to 183 incidents, with 92 resulting
in patient transport. Of those, 79 incidents were in the City of Oceanside, with
25 incidents resulting in transport to the hospital.
• Oceanside's replacement Patrol (PT219) responded to 39 incidents, with O patients
transported.
Total Carlsbad Ambulance Activity in Oceanside (by date range)
Impact Nov. 15 -Dec. 16 Dec.17-Jan.17 Change %Change
Incidents 79 187 +108 +137%
Transports 29 77 +48 +166%
• Carlsbad's ambulances more than doubled their operational involvement in Oceanside.
• Carlsbad's transport workload in Oceanside increased by 166%, confirming Carlsbad's
units absorbed a large share of transport-capable EMS demand that was previously met
by Oceanside's resources.
System-Wide Impacts on Carlsbad Ambulance Operations
A review of EMS transport system incidents and transports between December 17, 2025, and
January 17, 2026, with Carlsbad's additional ambulance (RA 105) in service, as compared to an
equal period of time prior to the deployment of Carlsbad's additional ambulance (RA 105).
Carlsbad Operational Demand (by date range)
Ambulance Average Nov. 15 -Dec. 16 Dec. 17 -Jan. 17 Change %Change
Incidents/day 22.9 27.5 +4.6 +20.1%
Transports/day 14.7 17.1 +2.4 +16.3%
Council Memo -Temporary Ambulance Update (Districts -All)
January 29, 2026
Page 3
• The Carlsbad EMS transport system experienced a substantial workload increase immediately
following the Oceanside ambulance reduction and Carlsbad's mitigation deployment.
• A rise of 4.6 incidents per day represents a significant shift in response demand for
Carlsbad.
• 2.4 additional transports per day confirms the increased call volume was not limited to
non-transport activity.
Cost Recovery Comparison Periods for Total Carlsbad Ambulances (Equal Duration)
Equal Duration (# of days) Estimated Cost Recovery
Nov. 15 -Dec. 16 (pre-RA 105) $564,480
Dec. 17 -Jan. 17 (post-RA 105) $656,640
• Estimated Carlsbad system-wide net increase in ambulance transport cost recovery
during the study period: $92,160.
• Approximately $1,200 per transport reflects average net collected annual reimbursement
payments divided by total count of transported patients.
Recommendation
Although based on a limited sample size, preliminary data indicates the additional ambulance is
improving transport unit availability while reducing operational strain as anticipated.
Additionally, the cost recovery associated with the added ambulance currently covers the
personnel costs required for its deployment.
The City of Carlsbad Fire Department recommends continuing to staff the additional ambulance
while monitoring both the individual unit and system wide impacts to ambulance delivery. To
ensure there are no potential shortfalls at the end of the fiscal year, additional appropriations
necessary to fund this effort will likely be requested as part of the fiscal year 2025-26
Mid-Year Budget Report in February 2026.
Next Steps
The City of Oceanside's decision to suspend its paramedic ambulance presented immediate and
substantial operational challenges for the City of Carlsbad's EMS system. Continuing to deploy an
additional ambulance will temporarily mitigate the increase in workload associated with the
City of Oceanside's reduction in paramedic level transport capability. The City Manager and the
Fire Chief will continue evaluating the situation, including monitoring actions by the City of
Oceanside, and will determine the most appropriate course of action. If the City Manager
determines the best path forward requires City Council authority, he will present the matter to
the City Council for consideration.
Council Memo -Temporary Ambulance Update (Districts -All)
January 29, 2026
Page 4
cc: Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Zach Korach, Finance Director
Nick Ordille, Assistant Fire Chief