BS or not, its probably just their standard procedure for insurance reasons. hell, the insurance company may have even told them they have to respond that way. and you get to pay for it by funding the local ambulance.
i, being a hardman, shunned the ambulance for my recent trip to the hospital. i just called up the wife and told her to come home from work and drive me to ER. but remember that i'm cut from a different mold.