By Jim Silva
Merced Sun-Star
MERCED COUNTY, Calif. — Merced County supervisors promised improved response times when they voted on Oct. 7 to change ambulance service companies.
The county will soon make the switch.
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American Medical Response West Inc. (AMR) will take over services from Riggs Ambulance Service at noon Dec. 31, according to a post on the county’s website.
Riggs served the county for about 80 years, but Merced County officials said the company had met contracted response times only six months out of the past five years.
On its website, the county said emergency medical response would remain uninterrupted on Dec. 31.
“Our foremost responsibility is the safety and well-being of our residents,” said Merced County Board of Supervisors Chairman Josh Pedrozo. “This carefully planned transition ensures uninterrupted emergency medical services, and residents can be confident that help will be there when they need it most.”
The bidding process to replace Riggs began in May.
“The department chose to go out to bid because (Riggs) has such poor response times that they were putting residents’ lives at risk,” Merced County Public Health Director Kristynn Sullivan said at the Oct. 7 Merced County supervisors meeting.
An AMR representative told the board at the meeting that the company planned to offer jobs to “all eligible incumbent field employees” of Riggs.
According to the county, response times are the time elapsed between when the call for service was received at the EMS Dispatch Center until a ground ambulance arrives at the scene.
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