Founded 1979 | ||
Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust ("MAST") is a former non-profit EMS agency that was the sole ambulance provider for Kansas City, Missouri. On April 25, 2010, MAST was merged into the Kansas City Fire Department to operate as one municipal services department. There are now 21 Statically Deployed ALS transport ambulances deployed from 19 different Fire Stations, with additional Dynamically deployed ALS transport ambulances scheduled throughout each day, totalling 33 dynamic shifts.
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About MAST
MAST originated in 1979 with the city of Kansas City purchasing all private ambulance services operating within the City limits of Kansas City, Missouri. Since that time MAST has been the sole provider of prehospital emergency and non-emergency transport services in Kansas City, Missouri. The MAST Board of Trustees is appointed by the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and provides oversight of the MAST System.
Until July, 2003 the MAST System operated as a Public Utility Model with MAST, the City Health Department, and the Emergency Physicians Advisory Board (EPAB) providing system structure, while a private EMS Contractor operated the system.
Beginning July, 2003 - the MAST Board elected not to contract services with a private ambulance company, but instead decided to operate the MAST Ambulance Service solely through the City of Kansas City, MO. Today, all components of the MAST System are directed by the MAST Board of Trustees, the City Health Department, and the Emergency Physicians Advisory Board. Operations of the system occur within the city structure and there are no private ambulance contractors operating within the city of Kansas City, MO. MAST operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Physician oversight is provided by EPAB and the Kansas City, Missouri Department of Health.
Since 1979, MAST has been the sole provider of Emergency Medical Services for Kansas City, Missouri. Today, MAST's primary service area includes Kansas City, Missouri, and the communities of Parkville, Ferrellview, Farley, Weatherby Lake, Lake Waukomis, Platte Woods, Houston Lake, Riverside, Northmoor, Oaks, Oakwood, Oakwood Park, Oakview, Avondale, and portions of Unincorporated Platte County. MAST also provides non-emergency services throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The field, communications, supply, and maintenance personnel working for MAST are members of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 42 of Greater Kansas City, Missouri.
Facts about MAST
MAST covers over 420 square miles (1,100 km2), with a population of about 588,000. System resources are managed by a GPS-based vehicle location service called MARVLIS. Using system status management, ambulances are stationed throughout the city based on predicted call need that changes hour by hour. A system status controller in the MAST offices monitors each vehicle's location on a real-time map of the coverage area. To ensure rapid response times, ambulances are continuously positioned at post locations throughout the city by a system status controller (SSC).
When a 911 call comes into the dispatch center, the call taker establishes a nature of the call, and passes along this information to the SSC who dispatches the closest ambulance. To fill the hole created by the responding unit, other ambulances are routed to provide a changing matrix of coverage. Hour by hour, as the city population moves, ambulances are continually repositioned to provide 911 call coverage. As of March 2008, MAST had met its response time requirements for 38 consecutive months. MAST's response time requirements are some of the strictest in the nation.
Statistics
MAST Statistics for 2008:
Sport Event Coverage
MAST is tasked with the safety of covering major sporting events, as well as high school football, rodeo, and local parades. They also cover the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals professional arenas.