Ambulance Operations

Notice of Privacy Practice (NPP) (PDF)

On July 1, 2000 ambulance service for the City and County of Muscatine became the responsibility of the Muscatine Fire Department. The contract of the previous provider, Muscatine Ambulance Service, was not renewed after an independent study revealed that the City would be better served by running the ambulance out of the Fire Department. Fitch and Associates of Platte City, Missouri, was contracted to help the local EMS Review Team establish medical standards and make the final choice. Their findings showed that when the factors of quality service and pricing were combined, the Fire Department scored 94% of all possible points, while Muscatine Ambulance Service scored 67%. The study pointed out that Muscatine needed a higher level of service than it had received in the past, and that the Fire Department was best qualified to provide that higher level.

In the past, medical emergencies within the City were covered by both the Fire Department and the Muscatine Ambulance Service. This overlapping of services was not always in the best interest of the patients or the City. Therefore, based on the recommendation of the EMS Review Team, on February 3, 2000 the Muscatine Fire Department was awarded a 5 year contract to provide ambulance services. The department has 5 ambulances, plus all the equipment necessary to provide a modern, first rate service. 5 more firefighters were also added to the department.

In 2002 and 2012 the Muscatine Fire Department was also named Iowa Emergency Medical Services Association (IEMSA) EMS service of the year. On top of that in 2002 Assistant Chief Jerry Ewers was named paramedic of the year by the IEMSA marking the first time in IEMSA history that 2 awards were given to the same service in the same year. In 2006 Darren Brooke was named paramedic of the year by IEMSA and 2009 Andy Summit was named paramedic of the year making awards for the department since 2002. The Muscatine Fire Department continues to upgrade it's training for EMS to provide better quality services to our public this includes refresher training in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, neonatal resuscitation, pre-hospital trauma life support, and advanced medical life support. We also have certified additional critical care paramedics.