AMR in Multnomah County, Oregon Reports Progress with New Ambulance Model

American Medical Response (AMR), a division of Global Medical Response, today presented its second progress report to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, highlighting strong results following the implementation of a new ambulance deployment model. The current agreement reflects a staffing solution aimed at increasing ambulance availability and improving response times. Since the plan took effect on July 31, 2024, with the help of a dedicated team and supportive union, AMR has delivered measurable progress, demonstrating that the strategy is working as designed.

“Our promise was a more agile and efficient staffing structure to improve ambulance availability and response times—and we’re seeing that promise take shape,” said Andrew Cherry, operations manager for AMR Multnomah County. “Since adopting the deployment model with one paramedic and one EMT, we've significantly reduced instances of system strain. In fact, during the final week of March, we achieved 100% ambulance availability, with units ready to respond at all times.”

New EMS Model Allows for Increased Deployment and Improved Response Times
The new agreement established a target of 20 Advanced Life Support (ALS) units staffed with two paramedics, along with additional ALS units—each with one paramedic and one emergency medical technician (EMT)—and Basic Life Support (BLS) units as needed to meet response time standards. Since the agreement took effect, AMR has significantly expanded its workforce and increased the number of ambulances on the road by 45%. This enhanced deployment is continuously monitored and will be further adjusted as needed to ensure full compliance with all contract benchmarks.

AMR is on track to meet or exceed the following compliance measures:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) response time compliance: For calls that qualify for BLS response, the agreement requires AMR to respond within 8 minutes, 85% of the time. AMR has reached and maintained compliance in this area since the Nov. 1, 2024, benchmark date.
• Code 3 (lights & sirens) response time compliance: As ambulances are added to the system, AMR has shown a positive trajectory toward full compliance. Ultimately AMR will be expected to respond to high priority (code 3) emergencies within 8 minutes, 90% of the time. At the end of March, average urban compliance was 88.7%, with rural compliance at an average of 100%. This trend is encouraging as it provides predictive progress toward full compliance.
• Compliance by Geographic Subzones: Contract response time requirements for subzones (80% or above for averaged ALS and BLS calls) are trending upward and were met in all areas in February and March, with the most significant improvement showing in the East County response area. Historically, East County has been one of the most challenging areas to serve due to fewer units on the road. However, under the new deployment plan, we’ve significantly improved coverage in the area—boosting response time compliance by more than 20 percentage points. As of today, AMR is proud to report full compliance in East County.

“We are excited to see these positive developments and to be afforded the opportunity to take these actions to increase access to emergency care for the citizens of Multnomah County,” said Rob McDonald, regional director for AMR Oregon.

Investment in Staffing and Training
Over the past seven months, AMR has achieved an unprecedented level of hiring and onboarding EMTs and paramedics to ensure the success of the new model and related deployment:

• AMR has graduated 18 paramedics from internal scholarship programs
• An additional 75 EMT and paramedic students are scheduled to graduate from programs in 2025 and early 2026, all committed to work in Multnomah County for a minimum of two years
• AMR launched their Earn While You Learn EMT program in Multnomah County, paying students a wage while attending classes
• AMR has partnerships with four Oregon institutions for EMT and paramedic education
• AMR has hired 28 paramedics outside of these sponsorship programs - highly qualified clinicians who wanted to work in Multnomah County, in part because the new EMS system is attractive, with crews running more manageable 12-hour shifts with 5-7 calls, rather than 10-12 calls in the dual paramedic system.

AMR’s training program has expanded to twice its original size to accommodate hiring, which includes adding over 60 training officers from AMR’s paramedic ranks to support the effort and ensure trainees are provided with the tools and education necessary to work safely and effectively in the system. Since Aug. 1, 2024, the training division has educated and released 122 EMTs, 34 lead paramedics, and 28 new paramedics.

Vehicles and Resources
Increased deployments require an increase in resources. AMR has made a significant capital investment to acquire 18 additional fully equipped ambulances.

Looking Ahead
System enhancements and the update to the County EMS model have provided promising results and a positive outlook. AMR is grateful to Multnomah County EMS and the Board of Commissioners for their partnership in this transition and honored to be providing EMS services at the level the citizens of Multnomah County deserve.

“I am thankful to our paramedics, EMTs, and emergency communications team members who have adapted and embraced these changes with a shared goal to work in an advanced, sustainable and safe EMS system,” adds McDonald. “I applaud the Board of Commissioners’ commitment to the EMS system in Multnomah County and their support and communication through this process of change.”