Emergency Medical Services

collage of paramedic uniform patches

Multnomah County Emergency Medical Services provides medical oversight and overall coordination of the EMS system in Multnomah County.

Multnomah County’s EMS system is made up of a variety of agencies and providers, including a franchised private ambulance company and local fire departments. Our EMS system providers work together to:

  • Receive calls through 9-1-1
  • Dispatch responders
  • Provide care
  • Transport patients to a hospital or other place of care

In Oregon, counties are responsible for regulating, monitoring and coordinating local EMS systems. Each agency operates independently, under the supervision of the Multnomah County EMS program’s medical director.

First Response

Emergency response is provided by fire agencies and private ambulance. Both are dispatched at the same time. Medical care is started by the team that arrives first. Patients are transported to the hospital by ambulance.

All first responders offer advanced life support. Ambulance teams consist of 2 paramedics.

Where We Are

Multnomah County covers 465 square miles and has 766,000 residents. It’s the smallest Oregon county and also the most populated. Portland is the main city and is divided east-west by the Willamette River, which is crossed by nearly a dozen bridges.

Large hills border the western edge of the county. Although the county is primarily urban, an eastern portion of the county is forested and unsettled, and has limited road access.

The county is bordered by Washington, Clackamas, Hood River and Columbia counties. To the north, across the Columbia River, is Washington state.

Program Functions

  • Medical supervision of fire and ambulance paramedics includes setting consistent standards and objectives for emergency care. This includes duties such as reviewing emergency medical protocols for paramedics and providing medical oversight and guidance.
  • Pre-hospital system regulation includes monitoring and enforcing ambulance response times, maintaining contracts for county first responder services, and responding to concerns from the public regarding paramedic care and ambulance transports.
  • Joint training organized and supervised by Multnomah County EMS, to help fire and ambulance paramedics apply medical protocols consistently.
  • Training coordinated by EMS is aimed at producing a higher level of standardization and an enhanced practice knowledge for all professionals providing emergency medical services.
  • Tri-County 911 Service Coordination Program (TC911). Licensed clinical social workers help connect clients who have frequent contact with ambulance and/or fire agencies to mental health and social services. Serves Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.

Ambulance Contract Compliance

Response Time Performance

Ambulance services are one part of our emergency medical services (EMS) system. A single franchised provider—American Medical Response, Inc. (AMR)—provides all of Multnomah County's ambulance services.

Response time goals are set in their ambulance service contract. These goals are one of many contract requirements and are one way we measure contract compliance.

911 Ambulance Contract Response Time Performance Report: Oct 2018 - June 2024 (11.4 MB)

Ambulance Response Data Reports

Please see pages 3 and 4 of the 911 Ambulance Contract Response Time Performance Report linked above for how to read the response time performance graphs. 

EMS Rules, Code & Ambulance Service Plan

These provide the framework for our EMS system and the services we provide to people who call 9-1-1 with a medical emergency.

EMS Administrative Rules (v. January 2022) (251.69 KB)
EMS Rule Change Definition and FAQs (December 2021) (200.63 KB)

Ambulance Service Plan (4.66 MB)
Chapter 21: Health (774.99 KB) - Multnomah County Ambulance Code §21.400 (2018)

Ambulance Inspection Forms

Basic Life Support (253.16 KB)
Advanced Life Support (390.13 KB)

Special Event Coverage

Standby/Special Event Notification Form (161.68 KB)

EMS System Assessment and Planning 2024

We are currently evaluating our current EMS system in response to ambulance performance to assess its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We will then consider the best path forward to provide emergency medical services and ambulance services to Multnomah County.

Fall 2024 Update

The assessment and planning process is now underway.

We have contracted with Healthcare Strategists, Inc. to provide consulting services for the EMS system assessment project. EMS program staff have been working with them to create an inclusive process for recommending improvements to our EMS system.

  • August 8, 2024 - Healthcare Strategists, Inc selected as the consultant
  • August 20, 2024 - Contracting process started
  • September 11, 2024 - Preliminary contract agreed on
  • October 9, 2024 - County completes internal contract review
  • October 12, 2024 - Signed contract in place
  • November 4, 2024 - Assessment and planning process begins

The first meetings with EMS community members will begin mid-December. We’ll continue to share updates and engagement opportunities here.

Project Questions

Contact ems-project-questions@multco.us

EMS Planning and Procurement: 2015-2018

In 2015, we began a public process to update our ambulance service plan, EMS code §21.400 and administrative rules. We contracted a national consultant to engage diverse stakeholders on system design and improvements, and assist with updating key documents. As a result, our ambulance service plan was updated and changes to EMS code and administrative rules followed.

Before the franchise contract expired on August 31, 2018, we initiated a request for proposal process to select a future 911 emergency ambulance provider.

Multnomah County Ambulance Code - Amendment Ordinance (336.27 KB)
Report on Public Comment (124.21 KB)
EMS Project - Presentation Slides (307.1 KB)

Partner Agencies

Licensed Ambulance Providers

Other Fire Departments & EMS

Regional 911

Staff

How to make a public records request»

Medical Director

Jon Jui, MD, MPH, FACEP
jonathan.jui@multco.us

Associate Medical Directors

SunHee Chung, MD
Matthew Neth MD
Mike Murray MD, FACEP

Managers

Aaron Monnig, Health Officer Operations Manager
aaron.monnig@multco.us

Mark Prinzmetal, EMS Program Supervisor
mark.prinzmetal@multco.us

Administration

Jan Acebo, EMS Coordinator
jan.acebo@multco.us

Cesilee Fidler, Administrative Executive
cesilee.fidler@multco.us

Jahmela Leitner, Communications Quality Assurance Liaison
jahmela.leitner@multco.us

Charles Miller, EMS System Design Coordinator
charles.miller@multco.us

Jasmin O’Neill, Data Analyst
Claire Smith, Research and Evaluation Analyst

Tri-County 911 Service Coordination Program (TC911)

Jerrod Meireis, Lead Social Worker
jerrod.meireis@multco.us

Contact Us

Emergency Medical Services
619 NW 6th Ave, 6th Floor
Portland, Oregon 97209

503-988-3220
503-988-4017 fax