Struggling Alameda County 911 ambulance provider will pay county to staff two of its vehicles

Berkeley eyes slave reparations; Alameda elected official has new day job

COUNTY NEWS

—COUNTY FIRE MOU—Falck, Alameda County’s embattled emergency ambulance provider, is back in compliance after its response times repeatedly fell below acceptable numbers last year. Falck was deemed in compliance in January and February of this year, said Lauri McFadden, Alameda County’s EMS director. Alameda County Board of Supervisors, though, quizzed staff on Tuesday before approving a plan that includes Falck paying the Alameda County Fire Department to staff two of its ambulances.

—On Tuesday, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding between Falck and the Alameda County Fire Department. The three-month, $655,200 MOU includes EMS workers at the Alameda County Fire Department providing additional staffing for two Falck ambulances.

—“We are building surge capacity and resilience,” McFadden said on Tuesday. The additional staffing will be focused on Castro Valley and San Leandro, Alameda County Fire Chief William McDonald said. Alameda County Fire provides services for unincorporated Alameda County and several cities, including San Leandro. County Fire will staff two credentialed EMS workers for each ambulance 24 hours a day during the length of the MOU, according to a staff report.

—But the county’s recent troubles with Falck still weighed on some county supervisors. Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle questioned whether the intent of the MOU is to serve as a backstop in case Falck falls back into non-compliance. McFadded said the MOU provides added certainty as the pandemic continues. “The reality is with the cap and all the things Falck had to put in place for the corrective action plan, Falck is not going to slip.” McFadden added.

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