D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells, of Ward 6, expressed concerns about the city’s emergency response capabilities after visiting the district’s 911-call center. The D.C. EMS and fire department on the other hand believe Wells is blowing things out of context and only making such claims to benefit his mayoral aspirations.
During his visit to the call center on Monday, Wells learned that only three medical transport vehicles were available at that moment but in their defense, the fire department stated that at the time of Wells’ visit, 36 ambulances were either transporting patients or in route to return to service.
“What (Wells) saw were three units that were not in the business of transporting or treating patients at that time,” says fire chief Kenneth Ellerbe”. He also stated that in addition to those units, other units may respond in the event of an emergency.
Wells, however, views his visit as a problem plaguing the department as a whole and leads to gaps in accountability on the part of the EMS and fire departments.
