With a third ambulance service now operating in the county, the Randolph County 911 board has agreed to bid out ambulance services. The board approved the action at the monthly meeting last week.
According to 911 Director Kelly Edwards, an in-depth request for proposals (bid package) will be sent out to ambulance services in the county and some possibly out of the county. The package will include in depth information about the services, response times, equipment list and other information about the services including financial reports.
At the end of the bid period, the proposals will be judged and scored in order to award the bid. The county is currently divided into halves for the purposes of emergency ambulance response. The north is served by Southern Ambulance Transport and Saving Grace EMS when requested. The southern half is served by Emergency Medical Transport. That system will remain in place until the bid process is completed.
The new service, Saving Grace, is wanting to have an equal share of pie, and the bid process is seen as the fairest way to give them that opportunity.
Surrounding counties including Calhoun, Chilton, Talladega, Cherokee and St. Clair, have recently gone to the bid system.
According to Alabama Department of Health, the ambulances have to be state certified with equipment, personnel and response times and would basically be controlled by the 911 board if placed on rotation. The bid system would also include some type of a subsidy paid to the bidder selected.
In Cherokee, the subsidy is paid by the healthcare authority, but in Randolph County it is not known who would pay the subsidy. The bid process was presented to the county commission at their workshop meeting last week.
In other business, the board heard from the director that:
- New dispatch consoles and furniture have been installed.
- The GIS vehicle has been delivered.
- A number of dispatchers attended training in Birmingham and Shelby County during April, May and June and will also attend training at Anniston Fire Department later this month.
- Heard the dispatch center received 3,915 calls in the month of June. The dispatch staff has an average of 97.6 percent quality assurance.
- Heard the director has obtained $175,000 in grants.
- Heard a reporter with The Leader received a threatening letter to stay out of 911’s business or else. The letter was found on the reporter’s front porch mat, rolled into a ball on July 12. The board denied any involvement.
