PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANIES: NEDERLAND LIVES CAN'T WAIT FOR AN UNTIMELY RESPONSE
- Jeff Darby
- Feb 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 2
Please read the attached, slightly long, article. Most important things cannot be said in a few words.
I am requesting you to tell me your story (or that of a loved one) who had to wait more than 8 minutes for an ambulance within the Nederland city limits.
The team of DOJ (Darby, Ortiz, and Jones) is concerned about long response times and/or high prices that you incurred when you called 911 from the private-sector ambulance company who has a City Council-granted monopoly in Nederland.
This is NOT an attack on the Nederland Fire and Rescue nor on the employees of the private ambulance company.
If elected, the team of DOJ will study the ambulance situation within the Nederland city limits and see if other options for 911 service will be better for the people of our city.
Many Nederland citizens have expressed concerns to me about prolonged ambulance response times in our city. One citizen recently shared their experience of waiting for an ambulance for over 40 minutes during a “Priority 1” medical emergency for their loved one. The nearest available ambulance was responding from Orange County to Nederland.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident—there have been other cases where ambulances were dispatched from as far as Lumberton to Nederland. These delays put lives at risk.
Let’s remember that our Nederland Fire Department is ALWAYS on scene quickly, providing professional and compassionate care. Nederland’s Central Dispatch also works tirelessly behind the scenes to coordinate responses. These hometown heroes deserve recognition for their dedication.
The issue lies with a private ambulance company that does not have dedicated resources, exclusively, to Nederland. If elected, I will hold private ambulance companies accountable to Chapter 38 of the City of Nederland Code of Ordinances, which outlines the maximum response times permitted and penalties for non-compliance.
Our community deserves better, and I am committed to holding private ambulance companies accountable to ensure timely and reliable emergency medical care.
If you’ve experienced delayed ambulance response times in Nederland, then I welcome you to reach out and share your story.
Political Advertising Paid for by the Jeff Darby for Nederland Mayor Campaign
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