The State Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) has introduced a new ambulance post in Jaunmārupe this summer, while another will open in Baloži in October. In addition, the service has launched a pilot project testing a new concept – “standby points”, NMPD representative Arita Freimane told the LETA news agency.
Standby points mean that existing NMPD ambulance crews will increasingly be seen anywhere – in urban areas, along highways, in rural regions, and other locations where they can be deployed depending on the operational situation.
At these points, crews remain on duty in their vehicles, without permanent premises.
The service explains that a rotation principle is in place: as soon as one team responds to a call, another arrives to take its place. The goal is to bring ambulance crews closer to residents, ensuring that patients in life-threatening situations receive help as quickly as possible. This principle has previously been used, for example, when relocating crews closer to major public events, but the current pilot project explores implementing this model in daily emergency operations.
The solution is designed to improve response times and overall readiness to handle critical emergencies. Currently, such standby points operate in two locations – in Daugavpils (Esplanāde district) and in the Riga area between Zolitūde and Imanta.
Initial results show that response times are lightning-fast.
In Daugavpils alone, ambulance crews have already responded to 752 emergency calls from the standby point since July, while in Riga, an average of five to seven calls are handled daily since the 1st of October.
Once an emergency call is received, the crew departs within 15–30 seconds and reaches the scene in an average of seven minutes – in many cases, within two to three minutes, the NMPD reports.
Over the past seven years, the service has also established 12 new ambulance station locations across Latvia, bringing emergency care closer to residents in areas where rapid arrival was previously difficult.
“Even though we have localized bases, our teams are constantly on the move
and not tied to one specific point or territory – this is precisely what allows us to improve our response capability year after year,” emphasized NMPD Director Liene Cipule.
She added that expanding the ambulance network and introducing new mobility solutions enables the NMPD to respond faster, ensuring that in life-threatening situations, medical help reaches patients in the shortest possible time.
Across the country, there are now more than 100 ambulance stations — physical facilities where crews can replenish medical supplies, train, and rest between calls. Initially, the network was expanded primarily in rural areas, where response times were hindered by distance and road conditions — for example, in Murmastiene, Sinole, Dricāni, Pāvilosta, Sabile, Lielplatone, and Jaunjelgava.
In recent years, the focus has shifted to the Riga metropolitan area and rapidly growing communities,
including Ozolnieki, Ikšķile, Iļģuciems (Riga), Jaunmārupe, and Baloži, the service noted.
According to Minister of Health Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity), when reviewing healthcare accessibility and the hospital network across Latvia, special attention is being paid to the placement of ambulance units in the regions and border areas.
“It is crucial that emergency medical assistance reaches people as quickly as possible, even in the most remote municipalities. Therefore, we are considering establishing additional ambulance units, for example, in Indra,” the minister emphasized.
The expansion of the ambulance network and the operation of standby points are being carried out using existing resources, without additional funding. The service notes that these improvements are made possible through resource diversification, including the deployment of two-person ambulance teams on certain calls.
The NMPD reminds the public to call the emergency number 113 if a person is unconscious, suffering from severe bleeding, shortness of breath, or a serious injury (for example, after a traffic accident, electrical injury, or fire).
Emergency medical help should also be called if a person experiences sudden chest pain (possible heart attack), sudden weakness on one side of the body (possible stroke), or any situation posing a threat to life that requires immediate and urgent assistance.
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