By Tom Bailey Jr.
The Commercial Appeal
Copyright 2007 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Collierville fire chief enthusiastically briefed aldermen Monday about the improved ambulance service Shelby County could provide.
It’s only a draft contract, and the county is still negotiating with Rural Metro ambulance service, said Fire Chief Jerry Crawford, “But it’s a good draft.”
Crawford told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen during a work session that the draft calls for:
Twelve ambulances provided at all times, plus four more during peak hours. That compares to six ambulances that now cover all of Shelby County except Memphis and Bartlett.
There were highly publicized incidents last year in which thinly stretched ambulances took more than 30 and 40 minutes to reach medical victims.
A cost to Collierville that more than triples the $115,000 the town now pays annually for ambulance service.
Collierville’s share of the $2.8 to $2.9 million county contract would be $417,000 to $426,500.
That’s based on Collierville having generated 14.8 percent of the ambulance runs in the county contract last year.
Stout performance standards and financial penalties should Rural Metro fall short. The contract would be for five years, but a new county ambulance committee could kill the contract after any year if standards aren’t being met.
Ambulances to reach victims within 9 minutes 90 percent of the time in urban areas and 10.5 minutes in rural areas.
The current average in Collierville is 9.2 minutes.
Placing five ambulances in the north half of the county, five in the south half, and having two “float” near the center.
Prohibiting use of emergency ambulances with more than 250,000 miles on the odometer.
The county would provide a county medical director and an emergency medical services coordinator, who would be liaison between the suburbs and the ambulance company.
The County Commission is to vote on the contract at its first June meeting.
Collierville and Germantown have a Plan B if the county-based contract falls through.
The suburbs could split a $691,633 bid from Professional Medical Transport to cover the two towns with five ambulances.
But Crawford said a county contract would make it much easier for ambulances to cross town borders to help victims.
Town Administrator James Lewellen said, “The county has been very receptive to what we’re asking for.”