By Heath Urie
Daily Camera
BOULDER, Colo. — Two companies have entered bids to be the city of Boulder’s exclusive provider of ambulance services, city officials announced today.
Pridemark Paramedic Services and American Medical Response each responded to the city’s request for proposals by Tuesday’s deadline.
Sarah Huntley, a city spokeswoman, said the details of the proposals would not be made public until the city has the chance to review and score them -- a process that will begin later this week.
Pridemark is Boulder and Boulder County’s current ambulance provider, while AMR services the Longmont area.
Earlier this year, City Manager Jane Brautigam decided to put the city’s expiring contract with Pridemark out for bid for the first time in years. Brautigam said she wants to find out if the city can get faster response times and better overall service by putting out a contract that would not include joint service with Boulder County.
That has Boulder County officials very nervous, because having the city as a partner has long enabled rural parts of the county to receive ambulance service at an affordable rate. Without the city, some county officials say taxpayers might have to subsidize the service to make it profitable enough to lure a provider.
Under the new contract, Boulder likely would not allow its dedicated ambulances to leave city limits unless there was a request for emergency mutual aid from a neighboring community.
County officials have said that it likely won’t be clear how Boulder County will continue to provide ambulance service until after the city makes its selection later this summer.