Augusta commissioners are set to approve AmeriPro as the new Richmond County ambulance provider when they meet to vote at 1 p.m. Thursday Feb. 9, despite that company’s history of asking for increased subsidies after contract signing, says a source who asked not to be named.
According to the Procurement Department’s scoring matrix, AmeriPro received the highest score out of the three competitors. That is because Gold Cross received zero points in the “within Richmond County” section despite owning multiple properties in the county and being the service provider for many years. Had Gold Cross received the 10 points in that section, it could have been the highest scoring applicant.
Fire Chief Anthony Burden, who served as part of the evaluation committee, recommended hiring Ameripro in a letter to the Procurement Department. The letter was dated Feb. 8. AmeriPro was the service provider in Dekalb County where Burden was employed prior to coming to Augusta.
AmeriPro has experienced the same issues that Gold Cross has with other municipalities. In Thomaston, Ga. in 2022, they they asked for an increase of 20% only a month after signing the contract, according to a news article in the Upson Beacon.
The company has also had issues in Polk County, Tenn. where it asked for an increase in subsidies due to rising costs, according to a news article in the Polk County News.
The Procurement Department sent requests for proposals to 296 potential service providers; however only three responded.
