Augusta commissioners tried every which way from Sunday to get the owners of the city’s new ambulance service that’s coming in May to state their bid, but the presidents of Central EMS and its parent company, Priority Ambulance, refused to show their hand.
Central EMS President Gary Coker and Priority’s president, Bryan Gibson, want more data on 911 calls and current provider Gold Cross EMS’s call reports, as well as a committee of commissioners, public safety officials and a professional to analyze the data and recommend a deal that will give Central a 10 percent profit.
That’s pretty clever. That way, it would be the city’s recommendation and could come under the heading …
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
Central’s application to become Augusta’s designated zone provider stated the company would provide eight dedicated ambulances 24 hours a day and six more during peak hours, plus three quick response vehicles, but Gibson wants to strengthen Central’s hand with a tailor-made program.
Upping the ante or bait and switch?
Gibson said Central would be up and running in Augusta by May 8, even without a contract.
“We’re prepared to operate and give you the best service we can, unfunded,” Gibson said.
That’s a serious gamble to take in Augusta. Just ask Gold Cross which couldn’t get a contract because a cabal of former Mayor Hardie Davis, former Fire Chief Chris James and commissioners Sammie Sias, Ben Hasan, Dennis Williams and their followers stacked the deck against them. They tried to destroy Gold Cross because they wanted the Augusta Fire Department to control ambulance service. Sias said it would make millions. Instead, it lost millions.
Those commissioners said Gold Cross was required by law to provide the service with or without a contract or subsidy. As late as December when Gold Cross was trying to get a contract approved, then-Commissioner Ben Hasan said the city didn’t owe Gold Cross “a dime.”
At Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Alvin Mason asked whether Central was responsible for providing service to Augusta, with or without a contract.
“That’s what I was saying earlier,” Gibson said.
Mason said he just wanted to know because when commissioners were talking to Gold Cross about a contract, some said they didn’t need to pay Gold Cross anything.
“I’m just wondering if that’s going to be their thought process today,” he said.
How About a Trial Run?
Commissioner Sean Frantom asked Coker and Gibson if they would take the requests for proposals (RFPs) the city sent to ambulance companies six weeks ago and come up with a subsidy number.
“Would you be willing to give that dollar amount because I think you probably know the battle that’s happened in this community over the years,” Frantom asked. “If you’re in the four-to-five-million dollar range, just being frank, we know it’s going to be a tough sell. Frankly.”
Commissioners knew what they were getting from Gold Cross for $2 million, Frantom said.
“And my thing is, why are we going to sit here and have these discussions if there’s not a starting point or understanding what you think you can do for that amount, or not do.”
Gibson said he and Coker need data that they could sit down and study.
“There’s two things,” Gibson said. “There are the number of ambulances. And that’s one thing, but that is not all. And here’s what we think because we don’t have pure data. And we can give guestimates. We can say, ‘Here’s what eight ambulances can get you at this time of day. And here’s what we can get you with 10 ambulances. Whatever the number is to get you a response time that you pick. That you pick.”
Gibson said he’d rather have a professional look at the data and “do the analytics,” than “throw darts at something.”
He’s Rational, but Not Everybody is Playing with a Full Deck
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle asked Gibson whether Central would be providing ambulance service without a contract in place.
“We’re taking a leap of faith that we can work together,” Gibson said. “And I’m offering complete transparency. I think that ultimately for me to be successful I have to have your support as a community. I also have to have your financial support. I came down here understanding there was a lot of controversy around ambulance. I did it on the faith that I’m a rational person and I’m transparent, and I believe rational minds can work together, and that’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”
The state Department of Public Health awarded Central EMS the zone in Augusta after Gold Cross gave it up in December. Then in January commissioners voted unanimously for Augusta to pursue the zone, but interim Administrator Takiyah and General Counsel Wayne Brown didn’t do it.
And nobody has ever said why. At least publicly. Maybe they just didn’t feel like it.
Open Your Mouth and Remove All Doubt
Commissioner Tony Lewis said he understood Central was looking to make at least a 10 percent profit.
“In a perfect world, if all of your transports was paid for one calendar year,” Lewis began. “There was no non-paying transport. Then whatever contract we have with you, and you have with the city would be a contract that would say, “In case of” because, keep in mind, all of your transports would have been paid transports. And I’ll just say if the contract is $2 million then your company has earned $2 million. And I did not have to provide a service for a non-paying or indigent care person. So, what happens? Do the city get a rebate? Do we get a rebate based on the fact you did not have to provide a service for non-paying customers?”
“That’s a fair question,” Gibson said. “If I’m following right, what if we make more?”
“Absolutely!” Lewis said.
And it went on. Unfortunately.
Goodbye and Good Luck
Gold Cross Vice President Steven Vincent is leaving the company after 15 years to take another job.
“We have accomplished many great things over the years, and I am proud to have worked with every one of you,” Vincent states in a farewell message to his colleagues. “I want to especially thank Vince (Brogdon) for giving me all the opportunities over the years to be successful. I could not have asked for a better boss to work for.”
Vincent tried to negotiate a contract with the city for more than a year, but Hasan and company wanted Gold Cross gone. Gold Cross is still in Augusta, and Hasan is gone.
We wish Steven success in his new job.
Condolences
It was sad to hear that former Commissioner Andy Cheek had died. He was a memorable commissioner, a leader and an original thinker with the courage of his convictions.
He was on the commission for eight years. In his last year, 2007, some commissioners were trying to get a site and operating agreement for a trade and exhibit center, also known as a TEE Center. Commissioners then were often at odds as they are today. Imagine that. Some didn’t want a TEE Center, and one day after the anti-Tee Center commissioners torpedoed a vote to approve the site and agreement yet again, Andy said, “It’s evidence the collective IQ of this body drops when we get together.”
Also, in his last year on the commission, Andy dreamed of a canal flowing down Ellis Street, bringing tourists by the boatload to the new Venice of the South. His vision was a canal flowing under the J.B. White store bridge and shops, restaurants and tourists lining its banks the way they do at the River Walk in San Antonio.
Andy scheduled three public hearings on the idea which he called “The Ellis Street Option.” Some people loved the idea. Some didn’t. They said the cost of digging out Ellis Street and filling it with water would run $40 or $50 million dollars. And after Andy left the commission at year’s end and moved to South Carolina, there was nobody there to push his dream.
Visitation for Andy will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Chance & Hydrick Funeral Home. The funeral will be at noon Friday in the funeral home’s chapel with burial at Westview Cemetery.
