By Chris Paschenko
The Decatur Daily (Alabama)
Copyright 2006 The Decatur Daily
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
Nine ambulance companies have expressed interest in becoming Decatur’s sole ambulance provider, officials said Friday.
During a Friday meeting of the Emergency Medical Services Committee, Assistant City Attorney Kelly Butler said the city expects to receive applications from eight ambulance companies in Alabama and one based in Massachusetts.
Those expressing interest: Lifecare of Alabama based in Hartselle; American Medical Response of Natick, Mass.; Lifeguard Transportation of Birmingham; Rural/Metro of Alabama based in Bessemer; Care Ambulance of Montgomery; Med-Call Ambulance of Decatur; NorthStar Emergency Medical Services of Tuscaloosa; Huntsville Emergency Medical Services; and the city’s current provider, Decatur Emergency Medical Services.
Butler said deadlines for the city to receive applications is Nov. 9 at 10 a.m., and that a committee consisting of representatives from the city’s legal, finance, purchasing, police, fire and EMS committee would interview candidates separately for one hour on Nov. 14-15.
The committee will then evaluate the candidates and recommend one ambulance provider to the City Council. Council members could vote for or reject the recommendation or call for another request for proposal, Butler said.
The committee’s recommendation is weighted toward eight general requirements, including credentials, operations, personnel, quality and finances.
“The goal is to have the recommendation no later than the first of the year,” Butler said.
Butler said the reason Decatur is accepting applications through a request for proposal is to accommodate all companies seeking to do business at one time, rather than addressing individual requests.
“Over the years, the city began to want to find a way to level the playing field for those who want to compete to be the ambulance service providers on the front end,” Butler said. “It has been and remains the opinion of the EMS Committee that only one provider is needed in the Decatur market.”
The company selected could sign a five-year contract with the city, Butler said.
“In order to provide for ... open, free-market competition, we’re taking proposals, much like Florence and Lauderdale County did,” Butler said. “It will allow any and all companies to compete, and the city feels that will also afford the citizens the best opportunity to get the highest quality care.”