Polk County commissioners heard that CareMed is still not living up to the terms of its contract with the county when they met at the Copper Basin Community Center Thursday, February 18.
Commissioners heard CareMed spokesman Chris Boggs say the ambulance service is currently running three 24-hour ambulances in the county.
Boggs said by doing so CareMed provides the service hours described in the contract.
Commissioner John Pippenger reminded Boggs the contract calls for two 24-hour ambulances and two 12-hour ambulances. It also calls for a total of four ambulances to be in service in the county.
Boggs admitted there are only three ambulances in service with no backup.
Boggs said CareMed is still waiting for the state to certify two new ambulances it has received, and once that is done, a backup will be available.
At a January 21 meeting of the commission’s ambulance committee, members were assured the ambulances would be certified within the next two weeks, but when Pippenger presented this assurance in the regular commission meeting that followed, CareMed representatives echoed from the audience, “should be.”
Pippenger, who chairs the ambulance committee, asked CareMed representatives in January about concerns he heard that ambulances were not equipped with the necessary drugs.
Boggs, and CareMed’s Stan Alford, assured the commission the ambulances had what they needed and would be working to get additional drugs.
But Thursday night, when Pippenger followed up on his drug concern, Boggs admitted the ambulances are still not stocked with certain narcotics or intubation drugs, indicating the service still doesn’t have all the drugs required by various state and federal regulations.
Polk County awarded the ambulance service contract to CareMed in September and the new service took over October 1 at a rate of $60,000 per month – $720,000 a year.
In January, Alford told ambulance committee members, “The most of the time, we’re there now,” in regard to living up to contract terms.
Pippenger responded then, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
Thursday night Pippenger gave Boggs an ultimatum that he expected CareMed to be meeting the contract terms by the regular March commission meeting.