By Bill Carey
EMS1
EDMOND, Okla. — The Edmond City Council has moved to negotiate an agreement with American Medical Response (AMR) as the new ambulance service, ending a troubled partnership between the city and the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) for over 30 years.
Officials look to close the deal within 60 days and have AMR operating before the end of the year, The Oklahoman reported.
An evaluation committee unanimously recommended changing ambulance services after EMSA reportedly failed to meet promised response times since 2020.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that our citizens are getting the best product that they deserve at the best price that they can get it for,” Deputy Fire Chief Chris Denton told News9.
Three ambulance services submitted proposals to the committee, including EMSA, which wanted to renegotiate its contract. AMR was selected for having the lowest transport fees for residents and the best membership subscription benefits.
EMSA Chief Public Affairs Officer Adam Paluka told The Journal Record that the decision will not result in any layoffs.
“EMSA values our 33-year relationship with the city of Edmond and will work to make the transition to a new EMS provider as seamless as possible,” Paluka said. “Our focus remains on providing the highest-quality, cost-effective clinical care to our beneficiary city, Oklahoma City, and other Western Division members of the EMSA system.”