Lodi News-Sentinel
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� The CENCAL Fire and EMS Authority Board of Directors has approved a contract with San Joaquin County to provide emergency ambulance response and transport within the cities of Stockton, Lodi, Mountain House and Tracy, as well as surrounding unincorporated communities.
Pending final approval by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, the new system is expected to launch May 1.
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CENCAL Fire and EMS Authority is a regional public agency formed through a partnership between the City of Stockton, the City of Lodi and the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority. Under the approved agreement, CENCAL will oversee system governance, compliance, and coordination. It has contracted with American Medical Response to operate ambulances in accordance with county performance standards.
The public-private partnership is designed to improve overall emergency medical system performance through enhanced joint dispatch coordination, additional ambulance deployment and stronger on-scene integration between fire agencies and ambulance providers.
鈥淭his is a major milestone for emergency medical care in San Joaquin County,鈥� said Randall Bradley, Fire Chief of the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority. 鈥淎fter years of collaboration, this model places local fire agencies in a direct governance role while leveraging the operational experience of a proven ambulance provider.鈥�
During the board meeting, City of Lodi Fire Chief Ken Johnson noted that the approval culminates more than four years of coordinated effort among the member agencies, labor groups, and county stakeholders.
Chief Bryan Carr, Fire Chief of the City of Stockton provided the board with an update on the status of the dispatch transition, outlining ongoing coordination efforts to ensure seamless integration between emergency call-taking, dispatch operations and field response prior to system launch.
The contract will next be considered by the county Board of Supervisors within the next 30 to 60 days. Pending final approval, CENCAL and its subcontractor plan to assume responsibility for regional ambulance operations beginning May 1.
漏 2026 the Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, Calif.).
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