COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — The Coweta County Board of Commissioners rejected two ambulance bids that came in nearly $700,000 more than what the same providers offered – and what the county accepted – in 2011.
The commissioners are now looking at moving EMS services in house, the Times Herald reports. The bid is for the “supplement” that the county pays an EMS provider. The companies also bill patients for services.
Vital Care submitted a bid of $989,000 and American Medical Response, the current provider, submitted a bid for $990,000.
Vital Care had been the county’s provider for many years until 2011, when the company submitted a bid for $295,000, and Vital Care submitted one for $435,000, then lowered it to $335,000. The county went with AMR.
In this latest round, five companies responded to the request for proposal, but Vital Care and AMR were the only two that submitted compliant bids, said County Administrator Michael Fouts.
The county will try to negotiate with the two companies, and is considering moving EMS service under the Coweta County Fire Department.