Sustained Echo

... paying attention to the ferryman

The Nostalgic Echo

Salvador Dalí

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In one of my first posts, I commented on my recollection that around the spring of 2021, I started to notice a constant sound of sirens. At the end of that post, I speculated that it would be interesting to hear what the drivers of those ambulances might be able to tell us. Well having a chat with all those folks would take me some time. So, I did the next best thing.

I did a public records request for the total dispatches in the county where I live.

It actually was a much easier thing to do than I had thought. Here is the email I sent:

“Dear custodian of records,

Under the Oregon Public Records Law, §192.410 et seq., I am requesting to obtain copies of public records that pertain to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) within Multnomah County for the calendar years 2015 through 2023. Specifically, I would like the total number of all EMS dispatches (through fire agencies and private ambulances) within Multnomah County for each month in each calendar year 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $25. However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of how the EMS functioned before and after the coronavirus pandemic. This information is not being sought for commercial purposes. If you expect a significant delay in responding to or in fulfilling this request, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies of the data.

Thank you for considering my request.”

And here is the ultimate response (they did try to just give me yearly instead of monthly stats to begin with):

“… Actually wasn't too hard to gather those stats. Included below:

July 2016 7960

August 2016 8181

September 2016 7694

October 2016 8023 

November 2016 7643

December 2016 8332

January 2017 9132

February 2017 7192

March 2017 7901

April 2017 7455

May 2017 8245

June 2017 8176

July 2017 8475

August 2017 8748

September 2017 8348

October 2017 8115

November 2017 7839

December 2017 8618

January 2018 8379

February 2018 7579

March 2018 8300

April 2018 8129

May 2018 8389

June 2018 8341

July 2018 9086

August 2018 8796

September 2018 8284

October 2018 8568

November 2018 8086

December 2018 8432

January 2019 8496

February 2019 8109

March 2019 9221

April 2019 8264

May 2019 8943

June 2019 9049

July 2019 9452

August 2019 9082

September 2019 8695

October 2019 8964

November 2019 8457

December 2019 8959

January 2020 9031

February 2020 8488

March 2020 8466

April 2020 7119

May 2020 7914

June 2020 7728

July 2020 8571

August 2020 8586

September 2020 8461

October 2020 8181

November 2020 8318

December 2020 8587

January 2021 8743

February 2021 8101

March 2021 8634

April 2021 8858

May 2021 9579

June 2021 10420

July 2021 10521

August 2021 10175

September 2021 9579

October 2021 9603

November 2021 9186

December 2021 9527

January 2022 10079

February 2022 8512

March 2022 9577

April 2022 9267

May 2022 10041

June 2022 10227

July 2022 10704

August 2022 10522

September 2022 9730

October 2022 10242

November 2022 10253

December 2022 11324

January 2023 10186

February 2023 9647

March 2023 10465

April 2023 10081

May 2023 10646

June 2023 10207

July 2023 10262

August 2023 10993

September 2023 10057

October 2023 10531

November 2023 9928

December 2023 10512

January 2024 11603

February 2024 9217”

You know that I love to put data into a chart, so here it is:

I was, apparently, not imagining it.

It looks to me that the upward trend to over 10,000 dispatches a month started around March of 2021 and that trajectory continued on after that point. I also see that that there is a regular horizontal trend over time, well under the 10,000 mark, up through the first pandemic year of 2020. It does look like there is a steep climb past 10,000 right at the beginning of 2021.

What happened at the end of 2020?

I guess it is still a trend …

… happening

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* I do not have paid subscriptions. But if you want to help me out, please consider contributing to a crowd fund I have to pay for a FOIA (public records request). Thank you.

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