[polldaddy poll=8044315]
Selected Decatur County and Seminole officials will meet after Decatur County Commissioners’ Tuesday morning meeting ends with the goal of making a final reccomendation on a proposed private EMS service to cover both counties.
They will review the specifications of bids from 3 private ambulance services and weigh the bids against the cost of keeping the existing EMS services maintained separately by each county.
After approximately a year and a half of discussing private EMS, commissioners from both counties both said Tuesday they are ready to nail down a deal if possible. Seminole County is anxious to have a new arrangement in place before it’s new fiscal year begins in June.
The three companies are Mid-Georgia of Macon, Grady EMS of Atlanta, and Gold Star of Albany.
Seminole County commissioners had already voted their preference for Mid South’s bid, however Grady EMS (associated with Atlanta’s Grady Hospital) came into the picture after that vote with a significantly lower cost bid. Cost is but one of several factors being considered, including equipment upgrades, the number of employees and vehicles needed to run the new service where ambulances would be stationed.
Decatur County commissioners reviewed two charts put together by an EMS study committee. One details bids for a joint ambulance service between Decatur and Seminole counties, while the other details bids for a Decatur County-only service.
Seminole County commissioner Roger Lane said Decatur County “was in the driver’s seat” because according to him, some of the larger EMS companies weren’t interested in running the Seminole EMS because of its smaller size.
Lane and Seminole County Manager Paula Granger are representing Seminole County in person. Seminole County Commission chairman Chuck Orris is being consulted by phone. Representing Decatur County are commission chairman Frank Loeffler, county administrator Gary Breedlove, and County Attorney Brown Moseley.
The county commission meeting is currently in a recess to allow for the discussion to take place. Loeffler said he hopes to be able to make a final reccomendation today.
Be the first to comment