By Alicia Robinson
The Press Enterprise
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — Riverside officials may decide this week to extend a long-standing contract with ambulance provider American Medical Response that helps fund the city fire department’s paramedic program.
The contract with AMR gives the company two extra minutes to get ambulances to emergencies in the city of Riverside, and in exchange AMR pays the city about $1.3 million a year and provides city paramedics with training. Officials say it improves public safety because it allows the city to have paramedics at every fire station, and the fire department typically arrives at 911 calls before ambulances.
Riverside fire Chief Steve Earley couldn’t remember how long the city has had the contract with AMR, but the latest version was approved in 2010 and was set to expire June 30. Riverside officials waited to renew it in case there were changes to Riverside County’s exclusive contract with AMR to provide 911 service and transportation for most of the county.
County supervisors voted June 12 to extend AMR’s countywide contract for three years. Riverside’s proposed contract extension has the same term. Riverside city officials said when they consider the AMR extension Tuesday, June 19, they expect to spend time explaining that it is unconnected to a debate about non-emergency, or retail, ambulance service.
While AMR has the contract for nearly all 911 service and transportation in the county, more than two dozen companies have county permits to transport people between nursing homes, doctors’ offices and hospitals when it’s not an emergency.
The city of Riverside has been criticized for its franchise policy that allows AMR to run retail calls but has so far kept other companies out of the market. But the paramedic contract is completely separate and does not affect the retail franchise policy, which may be up for review this summer, Councilman Paul Davis said.
“People are confused. They don’t know the difference,” Davis said, adding that he got questions about ambulance issues at a community meeting Thursday, June 14.
As to the paramedic contract, Earley and Davis agreed it has been a boon for the city.
“I think it’s been extremely beneficial because it provides for our paramedic first responder service,” Earley said. He added that he has never heard anyone criticize the allowance of two additional minutes for AMR. The company would be required to arrive at Riverside calls in less than 10 minutes, but the contract stretches that to less than 12 minutes.
AMR’s countywide contract includes fines when ambulances don’t meet required response times. Earley said Riverside still gets paid when AMR misses the 12-minute deadline.
Jason Sorrick, an AMR spokesman, said partnering with the city makes sense because Riverside already has fire departments and personnel in place. With the city taking the role of first responder, “It allows us to free up resources to move to other parts of the county because we essentially have those areas (in the city) covered by the fire department,” he said. “The whole premise behind it is you have resources that are there.”
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