New ambulances hit the streets to handle non-emergency transports
EUGENE, Ore. -- Two new ambulances hit Lane County streets on Sunday.
The flourescent green and white vehicles belong to Rural/Metro, a private company.
Rural/Metro has signed a three year deal with the City of Eugene to provide non-emergency transports.
Those calls, which could be taking patients between hospitals and doctors' officers or from home to a hospital, can make up one quarter of city transports a day, tying up ambulances.
Right now, there are now plans to use the private ambulances for emergencies, but that could change, said Denise Girard, Deputy Chief with the city's Fire and EMS Department
Eugene residents will pay the same rate for a transport in a Rural/Metro ambulance, but people living outside city limits will pay a different rate for a transport. Rural/Metro officials did not say how much the cost will be.
To arrange a non-emergency Rural/Metro transport, call 484-9993 or 1-800-989-9993.
To get help in an emergency, call 9-1-1.
