Home / Health / Denver Ambulances Fail Response Times 7,865 Times
Denver Ambulances Fail Response Times 7,865 Times
18 Sep
Summary
- Denver Health ambulances exceeded nine minutes for 7,865 emergency calls.
- Over 200 calls experienced ambulance waits exceeding 20 minutes.
- Firefighters independently tracked and reported numerous delayed ambulance responses.
Denver Health ambulances significantly missed the nine-minute response benchmark, with 7,865 emergency calls experiencing delays between January and July 2026. Out of these, 202 instances involved waits longer than 20 minutes for critical medical emergencies.
These lengthy response times have prompted independent documentation by Denver firefighters, who have logged numerous instances of delayed ambulance arrivals. Records indicate firefighters observed critical delays, including a 27-minute wait for a chest-pain call and a 37-minute wait for a lift-assist.
Denver officials and Denver Health acknowledge these issues and are working on modernizing the emergency medical response system. A new proposed model, the Denver Dynamic Response Model, aims to better match resources to patient needs.
Leaders stated that addressing response times and improving coordination are high priorities. They anticipate additional solutions will be implemented over the next year to enhance the system's effectiveness and patient care.
