Overreliance on 911 has led to a $20 million annual shortfall in the Memphis Fire Department's EMS budget. It's a problem many departments are facing.
Memphis Division Chief Andrew Hart says the number of ambulance rides increased 24 percent to more than 124,000 trips each year from where it was five years ago.
Also, while the city's population has stayed at 650,000 since the 1970s, the distance EMS travels has vastly increased. The city has doubled in size from 170 to 350 square miles. This has contributed to there being times when ambulances are not available for service calls.
The high 911 call volume in Memphis is very complex, says Masharn Austin, a workforce strategist on the city's IBM team. A lack of readily accessible transportation is one reason why, he says.
"Calling 911 is purely a function of not being able to get to basic care," says Austin.
For others, it's upfront cost. By 2014, the poverty rate in Memphis was 30 percent.
"We recognize our answer for the past 50 years is if you call 911, we will give you a ride to the hospital," Hart says, adding that in Memphis, there are two options — call 911 and pay nothing up front, or find a ride and pay to see a doctor. "It almost leads people to call 911."