RIVERSIDE, Calif. (October 23, 2024) — In a groundbreaking achievement, the AMR-Morongo Air Ground Tribal Alliance — a pioneering partnership between American Medical Response (AMR) of Riverside County and the Morongo Reservation Fire Department, on behalf of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians — has been honored with the 2024 California Ambulance Association Service Excellence Award for Innovation.
This partnership, the first of its kind between a tribe and an EMS provider in the U.S., has reduced response times by an impressive 60%, dramatically improving access to emergency care for tribal members and the surrounding community.
Morongo’s Chief Administrative Officer Jason Carrizosa initiated the collaboration to address the challenges of providing EMS coverage in the rural Morongo Reservation. “This partnership has been instrumental in ensuring our community receives faster, more efficient emergency care,” Carrizosa said. “By bringing together the expertise of the Morongo Fire Department and AMR, we’ve developed a model that can transform EMS response in underserved regions.”…