Oklahoma City, OK — For the first time in three and a half years, EMSA has achieved 90% Priority 1 response time compliance in Oklahoma City. 90% response time compliance is the standard EMSA is required to reach by the City of Oklahoma City’s EMS Ordinance. 9-1-1 calls are prioritized by acuity, and Priority 1 calls are the most time sensitive calls – 10:59 is the response time standard for Priority 1 calls in EMSA’s beneficiary cities – Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
“I am extremely proud of our entire EMSA Team – Paramedics, EMTs, Dispatchers, Support and Administrative Staff, and Field Operations Supervisors who have worked tremendously hard over the last two years to achieve this goal,” EMSA President and CEO Johna Easley said. “While response time compliance is a key performance indicator, it’s not the only metric that shows the success and efficiency of the EMSA system. We continue to exceed clinical benchmarks and provide the best possible patient care at the lowest cost to Oklahoma City residents. As the City’s EMS service, the EMSA team is honored to serve Oklahoma City.”
Easley credits innovative staffing plans, in-house education programs like EMSA Advantage, EMSA’s no-fee training program that has produced more than 50 EMTs in Oklahoma City in the last year, and Field Supervisors working extremely hard to efficiently run the EMSA system, and the hard work and dedication of our 300 front line team members as key drivers for this upward trend.
EMSA reached the compliance standard despite record breaking response and transport volume increases for calendar year 2023. Through October 31st, 2023 response and transport volume in EMSA’s Western Division (which includes Oklahoma City) is 13% higher than calendar year 2022.
“Each person who wears an EMSA uniform from our frontline providers to our support staff played a part in getting us here. This is a win for our team and the OKC community, and we are extremely proud to meet the 90% compliance goal. Our continued efforts will focus on sustaining these results,” EMSA Western Division Operations Director Michael Parrish said.
About EMSA
EMSA has provided advanced life support ambulance service in Oklahoma since 1978. The authority was established as a public utility model and independent trust authority of the city of Tulsa. EMSA expanded in 1990 to the city of Oklahoma City, at which time Tulsa and Oklahoma City became joint beneficiaries of the trust. Today, EMSA serves more than 1.1 million residents in Central and Northeast Oklahoma. Service areas include Oklahoma City, Edmond, Nichols Hills, The Village, Lake Aluma, Arcadia, Valley Brook, Tulsa, Sand Springs, Bixby, and Jenks. EMSA is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services – receiving a perfect score on its most recent reaccreditation submission and site visit in 2022/2023. EMSA’s 9-1-1 Communications Centers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa are Accredited Centers of Excellence through the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch.
Media Contact: Adam Paluka, 918.345.0081 – palukaa@emsa.net