New ambulance service Falck is taking over as San Diego's provider November 27th. It's promising faster response times. But one of it's paramedics in Alameda county says don't count on it.
Alameda County — Pressure on Falck Northern California, the provider of emergency ambulance service for much of Alameda County, appears to be building in the wake of increasing emergency medical
Alameda County — Pressure on Falck Northern California, the provider of emergency ambulance service for much of Alameda County, appears to be building in the wake of increasing emergency medical
Council committee wants to study potential new provider’s financial projections, track record with labor unions
Critics say Falck, the largest ambulance operator in the world, has a long history of trying to cut pay, overwork employees and discourage unionization. They say the company’s approach leads to low morale and poor patient care.
Officials from Falck, which has ambulance contracts in Alameda and Orange counties, say they are committed to paying their employees a living wage and giving them annual cost-of-living adjustments.
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A consultant also criticized Falck’s business plan for San Diego ambulance service as potentially too optimistic regarding revenues, which could create a crisis where Falck must either raise ambulance rates or slash service.