Richmond Greenlights ALS Paramedic Rollout, Launches Community Process for $550M Chevron Settlement Spending

Richmond's long-awaited upgrade to citywide paramedic services took a major step forward Tuesday as the City Council unanimously directed staff to develop funding options for a phased Advanced Life Support program — while a separate, more contentious vote set in motion an inclusive community engagement process to decide how to spend hundreds of millions in Chevron settlement dollars.

• Council directs City Manager to return with revenue and financing options for ALS first responder services and fire station upgrades.

• Five-year ALS implementation projected at $20.46 million, with ongoing costs of roughly $8.5 million annually once fully operational.

• Consultant engagement approved (5-1-1) to design community input process for Polluters Pay settlement spending; funds will earn interest during deliberations.

• 2025 Richmond Women of the Year honored alongside Congressional recognition from Rep. John Garamendi.

• Two-year liaison appointment cycle and sewer line rehabilitation contract approved.

The basics: Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances carry paramedics who can perform critical interventions like administering medications, inserting breathing tubes, and providing cardiac care. Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances have EMTs trained in essential care like CPR and bandaging, but lack authority for advanced procedures that can stabilize patients before hospital arrival.