Council discusses change to interfacility transfer dispatch; Cal Fire interim and hospital‑linked contractor to take over

City staff told the Ukiah City Council July 2 that the city’s interfacility transfer dispatch program, previously handled on an interim basis by Cal Fire, will move to a contracted provider that already provides dispatch services for the Adventist hospital network.

The change matters to ambulance and interfacility transfer operations because the contracted provider will perform routing and dispatching for transfers; staff said the terms of the contract allow flexibility and do not lock the city into a long‑term arrangement if needs change.

Council members asked who had been performing the interim dispatch; staff confirmed Cal Fire had provided interim coverage but that operating interfacility dispatch is outside its core service. Staff said the selected contractor has experience within the Adventist hospital arena and that using a contractor already providing those services should create a more seamless transfer coordination and lower costs compared with interim arrangements. The consent calendar item including this contract transition was approved by roll call vote.