Fla. commissioners to decide if FD can establish ambulance service

Bonita Springs Fire District would establish its own ambulance service and strip from Lee County the responsibility to provide service to the city

October 25, 2011 05:04 AM

By Ben Wolford
Naples Daily News

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee County Commissioners are expected to decide this morning whether the Bonita Springs Fire District can establish its own ambulance service and strip from the county the responsibility to provide service to the city.

Dozens of members of the Lee County EMS staff arrived early to the meeting in protest of the proposal from Bonita Springs fire officials. They huddled downtown this morning, wearing blue shirts in solidarity, before marching into county commission chambers.

“We feel that we do an excellent service for the money that is involved,” said Eric Ennis, a paramedic with the Lee County EMS.

He says if Bonita Springs has its own ambulance service, it will cost county jobs.

Advocates for the Bonita Springs proposal say the city can support the operating costs of municipal EMS service and can reach emergency scenes faster than the county can.

Fire-EMS