CLERMONT, Fla. – The ongoing discussion over ambulance service in Clermont continues.
While the city and county both agree that shorter response times are a priority, they’re at a standstill when it comes to figuring out the best way to bring in more units in order to lower those response times.
During an October Lake County Commission meeting, Clermont requested Ambulance Municipal Tax Service funds from the county to allow the city to provide ambulance services next year to lower response times.
While the commission understood the importance of lowering response times, the proposal was met with some pushback.
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“You’re working all the numbers from the side of here’s where we need to go in order to have our own ambulances as opposed to shouldn’t be working the numbers, how do we get those response times where you want them?” said Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione.
Clermont Fire conducted a study to analyze ambulance coverage. Fire Chief David Ezell said six additional ambulances could lower response times from 17 minutes to 10 minutes.
“Our goal is to have our first unit on the scene inside of 6 minutes and have the ambulance on scene inside of 10 minutes,” Ezell said. “These are pretty much universally accepted best practices across the industry. And, you know, we feel that our community needs that and we’re going to keep moving forward until we’re able to achieve it.”
On Tuesday, Ezell told News 6 the city is looking at options — apart from the county — in order to get the ambulances it needs.
“If the county wants to come back and partner, we’re open to that,” Ezell said. “If they’re not, then we’re going to keep moving forward with becoming an independent agency.”
Ezell told News 6 that should the agency become independent, to acquire the first two ambulances, equipment and personnel, it would cost around $3 million. After that, he said the personnel ongoing would be about $1.8 million per year.
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However, Ezell said, because they are able to bill for transport services, there would be some revenue to offset the costs.
According to a Nov. 14 letter to the city of Clermont from Campione, two ambulances are scheduled to go into service in Clermont by April 2026.
Campione also outlines her concerns over Clermont separating from the countywide system.
In the letter, Campione states in part, the move would likely not provide cost savings, lower response times, or improve efficiency.
Clermont Fire Union President Tom Bennett said if Clermont goes in this direction, it’s an opportunity for growth within the department.
“It’s also more work. And we believe that our community is worth that,” Bennett said.
As part of its strategic planning process, the Clermont Fire Department held a community stakeholder meeting on Monday, Dec. 8.
According to information given to News 6 by the fire department, emergency medical services were the second-highest priority behind fire suppression.
“It’s a big-ticket item with our community right now, specifically with our Clermont community that I interact with quite often,” Bennett said.
News 6 reached out to Lake County for a statement, and they told us:
“Lake County understands the community’s concerns about emergency response times. Commissioner Campione’s letter accurately reflects Lake County’s position and outlines the most effective path forward to ensure reliable, countywide EMS service. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the City to support the safety and well-being of Clermont residents.”
To read Commissioner Campione’s full letter to the city, see below.