Members of the Polk County commission’s ambulance committee are not happy with three options presented by American Medical Response (AMR) and are continuing to seek the plan they want.
Meeting in Ducktown Tuesday, June 16, the committee instructed County Executive Robby Hatcher to ask AMR for their best offer if the county agreed not to re-bid the ambulance contract.
The idea was presented by Commissioner Greg Brooks and other committee members agreed.
AMR has offered the county three options;
•A one-year contract renewal at the same $720,000 cost to the county, but with two less ambulances staffed 12 hours a day;
•A subsidy increase of between 25 and 30%; or,
•To re-bid the current contract. AMR representatives warned the county this would likely result in a cost even higher than their proposed increase, if the county demanded its current service level.
Polk County’s contract with AMR expires June 30, but AMR has agreed to operate under the current terms for 120 days while negotiations continue.
The majority of ambulance committee members have stressed they want to keep two ambulances staffed full time on both ends of the county.
The committee was set to meet again June 30.