Sugar Land rolls out new EMS units

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Sugar Land's new EMS units just started rolling out for their first full day today. They're already seeing plenty of work.

The city purchased five brand new state-of-the-art ambulances. They are now strategically positioned across the city of Sugar Land. The impetus for this was a push to decrease response time. Till now Fort Bend County had been handling EMS duties for Sugar Land but the city says the county wasn't able to respond, on average, in less than eight minutes for 90 percent of its calls.

So now, instead of two county ambulances stationed in Sugar Land and sometimes used in the county, Sugar Land will have three ambulances full-time in city limits. Another will be used during peak periods. They've also added 13 paramedics and 10 existing firefighters have been paramedic-certified.

Sugar Land Fire Battalion Chief Cindy King said, "Minutes count , seconds count so the quicker we can get people there the quicker we can get people on the road. Their safety is paramount within that."

Each of the rigs ran the city approximately $200,000. It includes special point harnesses that help protect paramedics riding in the back. Other ambulances apparently do not have this. They are also able to lock down equipment which previously would sit loose and could become a projectile in a crash. A special Wi-Fi setup even allows patient cardiac info to be sent directly to the hospital while en route.