Seattle’s mayor is interested in questions raised by a Seattle Times investigation of the city’s 911 medical system, and the City Council’s public safety chair plans to delve into how the system is working, they said this week.
Their remarks came after reporting by The Times about 911 callers routed to an out-of-state nurse line provided by Seattle’s ambulance contractor. The city has exempted nurse-ordered ambulance rides from wait-time standards and tracking, among other changes. That means patients may suffer hourslong delays without clear accountability. Experts and watchdogs have said the setup should be reviewed.
“It’s a serious issue. We need to look at it,” Councilmember Bob Kettle told reporters during a media briefing Monday before making similar comments during a Tuesday meeting of the public safety committee he chairs…