THE MANSFIELD EMS SWITCH AND THE GAP BETWEEN ARRIVAL AND SURVIVAL
By Bill Sosis, J.D.
The information presented here is based on a public records request I submitted to the Warren County Communications Center. This request yielded 911 Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) data, which logs every call, dispatch, and arrival.[1] The objective was straightforward: to track changes in ambulance and EMS response times following the Mansfield Township Committee’s decision to outsource local EMS service beginning January 1, 2023.
The term “response time” is often treated as a single, definitive metric. However, the data reveal two concurrent timelines that do not align.
The first timeline measures the arrival of any unit, which may include a police car, supervisor, or light vehicle. These units typically arrive more quickly. In this dataset, their average response time is approximately 10 to 12 minutes, a figure frequently cited in reports.
The second timeline tracks the arrival of the ambulance and Advanced Life Support (ALS) crew—those equipped with monitors, medications, and airway equipment who are capable of providing critical interventions. This response time is longer: ambulance arrivals range from 16 to 21 minutes, while ALS averages approximately 19 minutes and 39 seconds.
Following the Township Committee’s decision to outsource EMS in 2023, response times increased. From 2019 through 2022, the average response time was approximately 11 minutes and 34 seconds. Between 2023 and early 2026, this average rose to about 11 minutes and 54 seconds.[1] This increase is evident throughout the system.
Consider the annual data:
2019: 10 minutes, 35 seconds
2025: 12 minutes, 24 seconds
2026: 12 minutes, 48 seconds
This pattern corresponds with the policy change.
This trend should be considered alongside longstanding guidance from the American Heart Association: in cases of cardiac arrest, survival decreases by approximately 7% to 10% for every minute without effective intervention. The critical window for meaningful outcomes occurs within the initial minutes. When ALS arrives after approximately twenty minutes, the outcome is largely determined by prior events.
I often envision a late-night emergency call: the house is quiet, and someone watches the microwave clock, the only source of light. Ten minutes pass, then fifteen, as they listen for the sound of approaching vehicles.
Those minutes are decisive.
The quicker arrival of non-ALS units reduces the overall average response time. However, the delay in receiving definitive medical care remains unchanged. The reported statistics present one perspective, while the reality experienced by patients and families is markedly different.