Areas of central Arizona are experiencing an ambulance shortage because only one company is operating in the region. There have been 400 times in the past four months where an ambulance was not available. 

The Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority says the ambulance service, AMR, has been negligent in Prescott and the surrounding area.

Central Arizona Fire Chief Scott Freitag says his department has had to provide transportation because ambulance wait times have been up to an hour.

AMR has complained that the fire department is overstepping. 

“The most recent complaint had 15 separate incidents on it. The first of which was an 8-month-old infant, near drowning, that was in cardiac arrest. AMR’s complaint says that transport was not medically necessary," said Freitag.

AMR and the Arizona Department of Health Services both say the ambulance company’s procedures meet standards.