HFD asks city to add ambulances to its fleet

  

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- In an effort to increase public safety, the Houston Fire Department is working with city leaders to add ambulances to its fleet.

In 2010, seven EMS units were taken offline because of budget cuts. As part of the change, HFD implemented a new policy called All-Hazard Deployment. Under that policy, only a fire engine with an EMT respond to low-level calls for help. They assess the situation and then call for an ambulance, if one is needed.

In October of last year, the policy came under fire. A Kingwood mother, who accidently drove over her daughter, blamed the policy for her daughter's death. She said that if an ambulance had responded first, instead of a fire engine and police officers, her daughter may be alive today. After the four-year-old's death, at least one city council member called for an investigation into the All-Hazard Deployment policy.

Because the city is on track to have an increase in revenue, HFD is looking for money in next year's budget to bring back three of the eliminated ambulances. The goal is to eventually return all seven of the ambulances to the fleet.

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