Former Richmond Ambulance Authority employees are speaking out about low pay and high stress conditions of the job.
Problem Solvers Investigation preview.
NATIONAL HEADLINES.A PREGNANT WOMAN HAVING TOWAIT ONE HOUR AFTER A CARACCIDENT FOR A RICHMONDAMBULANCE TO ARRIVE.SHORTLY AFTER OUR FIRST REPORTLAST MONTH...SEVERAL CURRENT AND FORMERRICHMNOD AMBULANCE AUTHORITYEMPLOYEES REACHED OUT TO OURBRENDAN KING...SAYING ETHPOOR RESPONSE TIME WAS THEPRODUCT OF A NUMBER OF ISSUES.BRENDAN JOINS US NOW WITH APREVIEW OF TONIGHT'PRS OBLEMSOLVERS INVESTIGATION.BRENDAN?ROB...LOW PAY, LOW MORALE,STAFFING SHORTAGES, AND ASOMETIMES OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OFWORK.THESE ARE JUSTSOME OF THE THINGS THAT THOSEWHO WORK OR HAVE WORKED ATHE TR-A-A SAY THE CITY'S LIFE-SAVING ORGANIZATION IS DEALINGWITH RIGHT NOW.UNLIKE PLACES LIKE HENRICO ANDCHESTERFIELD, RICHMOND'SAMBULANCE AUTHORITY ISCOMPLETELY SEPARATE FROMTHE FIRE DEPARTMENT.A CITY ORDINANCE REQUIRES THEMTO RESPOND TO 9-1-1 CALLS.BUT THE R-A-AONLY RECEIVES A FRACTION OF ITSOPERATING BUDGET FROM THECITY...SO IN ORDER TO MAKE ENOUGHMONEY TO PAY ALL THE BILLS ANDSALARIES...THEY RELONYSOMETHING CALLED 'NETS'...OR NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTS.SO WHEN R-A-A IS SPREAD THIN,WE'RE TOLD THAT SOMEONE WHOREALLY NEEDS AN AMBULANCE...LIKE THE PREGNANT WOM LASANTMONTH...MIGHT BE FORCED TO WAIT.THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OFAMBULANS CETHAT JUST SIT BECAUSETHERE'S NO ONE TO STAFF THEMWEAR E SHORT ON STAFF, ANDCALLSARE NOT DECREASING BECAUSE OFIT.TONIGHT AT SIX..
.A PROBLEM SOLVERSINVESTIGATION.WHAT CUENRRTAND FORMER EMPLOYEES SAY LED TOTHIS SITUATION...ANDWHAT HAS MADE IT WORSE.AND WHAT THE CHIEF OF THE R-A-ASAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO DO TOMAKE THINGS BETTER...AND WHOHE SAYS NEEDS TO STEP UP ANDHELP.
After our story about a pregnant woman who had to wait for an hour for an ambulance aired, more than a dozen current and former..