An I-Team investigation gets some results that could help save lives.
This Wednesday Cincinnati city council approved some changes that should improve what happens when you call 911 for an ambulance.
An I-Team investigation showed that on average, twice a day, Cincinnatians call 911 for help, only to hear there are no ambulances available.
City council formed a task force as a result of the I-Team's report, and on Wednesday passed the first of three phases of changes that should improve emergency service.
The vote was unanimous: all city council members agreeing this was an issue of public safety.
The vote asks the city manager to budget extra manhours in staffing, and to buy four new fully-equipped, advance life support SUVs that will be dispatched to severe medical emergencies.
That's in addition to the city's current fleet of 10 ambulances, which will now all offer basic life support.
Future phases call for adding four more ambulances and the EMTs to staff them, but for now, the city budget due in several weeks will reflect these immediate improvements.
All of this the work of a task force that formed after the I-Team report, that included representatives from the fire department, firefighters union, council members, business leaders and the city.
"What people are going to see, as a result of this policy change, is that when they call 911 needing an ambulance, they're going to get a quicker response in and they should not hear – as frequently as they do now, 'I'm sorry. No ambulance is available,'" said Cincinnati city council member Jeff Berding.
The task force isn't done. It's meeting next month to tackle the issue of transporting to the hospital anyone who calls 911, even with minor medical issues.
Firefighters complained to the I-Team that they've become a cab service for people who don't really need an ambulance.
