RIVERSIDE, CA – 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 percent, 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,” said Carrizosa. “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.”
The alliance features a ground ambulance stationed on the reservation and staffed by Morongo Fire Department employees. It works alongside Morongo’s first responders, significantly enhancing the speed and quality of care. The partnership also includes an air ambulance dedicated to serving the San Gorgonio Pass region, with plans to relocate it onto tribal land for even greater impact.
Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin emphasized the lifesaving benefits of the collaboration. “The historic partnership between Morongo and AMR is saving lives on our reservation and across the San Gorgonio Pass by delivering immediate emergency medical care to the injured and ill,” said Martin. “We are humbled that the California Ambulance Association has recognized this collaboration, which we believe can serve as a nationwide model for future partnerships between tribes and forward-thinking EMS providers like AMR.”
