City calls for action against slow EMS response

By Logan C. Ritchie

Brookhaven City Manager Christian Sigman is calling for the takeover of emergency medical services (EMS) from DeKalb County.

At the June 13 City Council meeting, Sigman suggested that DeKalb allow Brookhaven to either establish its own EMS or enforce performance standards.

DeKalb County is in a five-year contract with American Medical Response (AMR) to provide emergency services to residents across the county. The contract expires in 2024.

“We cannot wait any longer for the county to act,” said Sigman, who has seen no change in response times since a meeting in August 2022 with county leadership.

This is not the first attempt the city has made to remove AMR, a multi-billiondollar for-profit company with operations in 39 states.

In 2019, Brookhaven built out an ambulance station after years of debate between North DeKalb County cities and the county. The year prior, DeKalb County hit AMR with a $1.9 million fine due to poor service.

Brookhaven Police Chief Brandon Gurley relayed examples of ambulances arriving on the scene up to 50 minutes after police officers.

However, the state of Georgia regulates emergency medical services, so Brookhaven is precluded from starting its own department.

In a written response, AMR Georgia Southeast Regional Director Chris Valentin said the company is actively engaged with DeKalb County leadership and the communities it serves to strengthen the EMS system.

“AMR values our longstanding relationship with DeKalb County and the communities we serve, including Brookhaven. DeKalb is one of the nation’s fastest-growing communities, and emergency services remain under immense pressure from growing demand coupled with a lack of resources due to recent hospital closures and significant staffing shortages caused by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts are being felt in a profound way throughout the entire healthcare and public safety industries,” said Valentin.