NAPE says there’s been no real improvement in the frequency of Red Alerts—or periods of time when an ambulance is not available to take a call—even though the term Red Alert is no longer being used.

Union President Jerry Earle says emergency responders have been directed not to use the term anymore.

“Even though that’s an industry standard across the country,” says Earle.

NAPE used to provide regular updates on the number of Red Alerts, and Earle says incidents when an ambulance is not available to respond are still a common occurrence.

He says the issue doesn’t fall on the parademics, who are gravely concerned about the impact on the public and the stress that causes to staff.