The author's conclusion is that the mayor's boast is a "serious misrepresentation" because the "reduction" boasted of was produced by redefining the term "top priority." If "top priority" emergencies used to include gunshot wounds and electrocutions, and 50% of last year's top priority emergencies were gunshot wounds and electrocutions (the most time-consuming of all emergencies), then obviously redefining the term "top priority" to exclude gunshot wounds and electrocutions would reduce the average ambulance turnaround time.
Think of it this way. What if, out of 10,000 "top priority" emergencies last year, only 5 were gunshot wounds or electrocutions? In that case, a redefinition of "top priority" emergencies to exclude gunshot wounds or electrocutions should not change the average ambulance turnaround time either way. If, by contrast, 5,000 (50%) of the "top priority" emergencies last year were gunshot wounds or electrocutions, which are the most time consuming emergencies, then redefining "top priority" emergencies to exclude gunshot wounds or electrocutions would indeed decrease the average ambulance turnaround time this year.
Hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
halleraeMarch 6, 2018
Wouldn't answer choice A follow that same logic? A decrease in heart attacks and strokes also achieves a reduction in turnaround time.
MehranMarch 8, 2018
@hallerae why would you assume that?
Remember, we are discussing average turnaround time so it is not about the NUMBER of these cases.
It is about the turnaround time on average for each case, i.e. each "top priority" emergency.
CeciOctober 11, 2018
I was stuck between c and e. why is the answer e? I thought C made sense as well...
MehranOctober 13, 2018
Hi @Ceci. The reason answer choice (E) is correct is laid out in detail above on this thread ("Think of it this way . . "). Answer choice (C) is irrelevant. The issue is not whether experts agree or disagree with the mayor's definition of "top-priority emergency." Rather, the question is whether ambulance turnaround time has been artificially lowered by changing the definition of "top-priority emergency." To figure that out, you'd need to assess the actual underlying emergencies (which is what answer choice E addresses).
