'It won't produce more paramedics': AMR appealing $513,000 fine from Multnomah County

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Following a fine of more than $500,000 from Multnomah County due to slow 911 response times, American Medical Response told KOIN 6 on Tuesday they intend to appeal.

Leaders at AMR have criticized the county's hefty penalty, calling it unproductive.

"It doesn't do anything to solve the response time problems and the paramedic shortage. It won't produce more paramedics," said Randy Lauer, the VP of operations at AMR Northwest.

Due to a nationwide paramedic shortage, AMR said they're currently short 55 paramedics in Multnomah County. However, there are unique aspects to Multnomah County that could be making the situation worse.

In recent years, KOIN 6 has reported on how the rising violence against paramedics in Multnomah County has caused them to leave the area, or the profession entirely.

"Our social services infrastructure is fractured here. And as a result, EMS catches everything," said Robert McDonald, AMR operations manager.

With 2020's civil unrest and pandemic challenges alongside ongoing calls to address addiction and mental health crises in Portland, burnout is extremely high.

"It's not as attractive of a career as it used to be," Lauer said.

AMR adds there are additional factors making matters worse in Multnomah County.

"We learned of the 267 business line operations that we run in the country, only one of them has a two-paramedic requirement, and it's here," McDonald said.

AMR has long suggested switching to a paramedic-EMT model, an idea the county has refused.

In Oregon, it takes six to eight months to become an EMT, and two years to become a paramedic. Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, people can become a paramedic in half the time.

"That presents its own barrier on its own, particularly when you're recruiting against the national paramedic shortage," McDonald said.

While committed to working with the county, AMR says they're at a stalemate with the county because they disagree on solutions.

"We're no longer necessarily working together per se. We're working maybe adjacent to," McDonald said.

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson previously said in a statement that "AMR has the power and responsibility to fix these unacceptable response times…Even our partner counties with different models are still seeing delays in response times. This problem was not created by a two-paramedic requirement."

Leaders at AMR will be meeting with Vega Pederson next week.