The Villages Public Safety Department handled 189 calls in the first 72 hours after taking over the emergency transport service Oct. 1 in The Villages section of Sumter County.

Chief Edmund Cain provided a report on the status of the new ambulance service Wednesday afternoon before the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors.

Of those first 189 calls:

  • 73 resulted in patient transport to UF Health-The Villages Hospital
  • 11 resulted in patient transport to UF Health-The Villages Brownwood Freestanding ER
  • 36 resulted in patient transport to UF Health-Leesburg Hospital
  • 5 resulted in patient transport to Ocala Health Trailwinds Freestanding ER
  • 4 resulted in patient transport to Ocala Regional Medical Center
  • 1 resulted in patient transport to Ocala Health Summerfield Freestanding ER
  • 59 resulted in no patient transport

Residents of The Villages had been alarmed by dangerously long wait times under the county’s contracted ambulance service, American Medical Response. Villagers sent a powerful message that they preferred their ambulance service be operated by The Villages Public Safety Department.