Ken Alltucker
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 28, 2008 06:52 PM

Sirens on Rural/Metro's fleet of ambulances may just as well signal corporate distress as medical emergency. The provider of ambulance and fire-protection services has been through a rough stretch.




Reach the reporter at [url]ken.alltucker@arizonarepublic.com[/url] or 602-444-8285

Click here to view the Glendale Fire Department CCC coverage on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2008/03/12/gupta.new.cpr.method.cnn?iref=videosearch

Reported by: Deborah Stocks
Email: dstocks@abc15.com
Last Update: 1:44 pm

Corey Ash receives an award for saving the life of Mike Murtz
Glendale firefighters are working to get the word out about a new type of CPR that is saving more lives.

After Mike Murtz suffered a heart attack while driving he crashed his car on a Glendale street.

Corey Ash, a driver for UPS, stopped to help.

He pulled Murtz out of his car and began CPR.

Within minutes, Glendale paramedics arrived and began using an new form of CPR called CCC.

It stands for Continuous Chest Compressions.

Because the body has enough oxygen to stay alive in the first few minutes after a heart attack, firefighters do chest compressions in rapid succession, without giving the patient a breath.

Studies show this technique can triple a patient's survival chances.

The technique was developed in Arizona, then published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Mike Murtz survived his heart attack, and Corey Ash received an award Thursday for stopping to help save Murtz's life.

Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Click here for the original story[url]http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=ce05b9b3-91cb-460b-9542-eeb52b6425aa[/url]

Dennis Welch, Tribune

The state health department has delayed approval of Tempe’s ambulance contract with Professional Medical Transport, fearing it could touch off a sharp rise in costs for patients not just in the city but throughout the county as well.

Current ambulance service in the city won’t be affected by the delay.

However, the Department of Health Services sent PMT a letter late last month saying it wouldn’t approve the deal until it received more information.

“We want to conduct a thorough review and determine how this contract will affect costs,” said Terry Mullins, chief of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System.

In the Feb. 29 letter, the health department outlined dozens of concerns that could boost costs for patients. Additionally, the department wanted the company to explain why it needed more ambulances and employees in Tempe.

Mullins said he had received a response from PMT this week and was reviewing it. The response wasn’t immediately available to the public.

Mullins wouldn’t speculate on how long his review might take or when he might approve the agreement.

The department is responsible for setting ambulance rates throughout the state’s individual counties. The rates must be the same for every city and town within that county. If costs go up for one city, they must go up everywhere else.

“I’ve never had a contract approved by the state right away,” said Bob Ramsey, co-owner of PMT. “We’re still very early in the process.”

Southwest Ambulance has long had an exclusive contract as Tempe’s 911 response provider, but the city put the contract up for bid last year.

The council recently voted to give the new contract to PMT.

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman had wanted a draft of the contract to go before the state health department before the council voted. That, he said, “would have saved everyone a lot of time.” The Tempe mayor said he was disappointed that didn’t happen.

For PMT, this is the latest victory over its chief rival Southwest in its efforts to expand business throughout the Valley. In recent years, the two companies have brawled over local ambulance contracts with millions of dollars on the line. After losing Scottsdale’s lucrative contract in 2005, Southwest accused PMT of fraud.

The fight eventually carried over to Chandler, which instead of giving the contract to one company, split the city in two, with PMT serving one half while Southwest serves the other.
[url]http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/111500[/url]