Polk ambulance options include two on East side

Polk County commissioners emerged from behind closed doors last week having agreed on the terms of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the county’s ambulance service.

Attorney Jimmy Logan directed the commissioners on how to approve their RFP agreement during the public portion of the meeting, the terms of which were provided the next day by the county executive’s office.

The county is seeking prices for three options, all providing for 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, 365-days a year service:

•Option one calls for four ambulances, all staffed with paramedics;

•Option two calls for four ambulances, two staffed with paramedics and two with advanced emergency medical technicians (EMTs); and,

•Option three calls for four ambulances, two staffed with paramedics and two with advanced EMTs. Two ambulances would operate 24 hours a day and two would operate 16 hours a day.

In options one and two, the four ambulances would be fully staffed 24 hours a day.

All options call for two ambulances on the East side of Polk County and two on the West side.

A major change from previous ambulance service agreements is the addition of a response time performance clause for the contract. That clause calls for 90% of all 911 calls within three miles of the city limits of Ducktown or Benton to be answered within eight minutes and 59 seconds. Penalties for failure to meet the requirement are $250 and $500, depending on how late an ambulance arrives on scene.

Also, the call data correction was made from the initial RFP that had caused the initial process to be stopped.

That initial RFP indicated 19.2 calls per day answered by ambulances in Polk County. The new RFP reflects a more accurate 8.14 calls per day.

The contract is being offered for three years, with options for two, one-year extensions.

Bids are scheduled to be opened October 7.

The county’s contract with the current provider, AmeriPro ambulance service, expired September 30, however, AmeriPro officials agreed to continuing serving the county through the end of October.

County commissioners are expected to decide on the ambulance service contract at their regular October 17 meeting.

The decision over the new RFP came at the irregular meeting of the commissioners Tuesday, September 24.