State officials have confirmed they will endorse Central EMS to be Augusta’s new zone provider, Mayor Garnett Johnson said.
“They came to see me on Friday and verbally notified me their intent was to adopt the recommendation of the subcommittee and the committee,” Johnson said.
The Region 6 EMS and Trauma Council, made up of representatives from 13 Georgia counties, selected Central for the license in a recent procurement process. The council reopened the zone for bids after current provider Gold Cross surrendered its license.
The Department of Public Health officials who brought word from state Commissioner of Public Health Kathleen Toomey said they found no fault in the council’s award to Central, according to Johnson.
“Central scored the highest, and based on that, the commissioner did not see any reasoning for not following the recommendations of the subcommittee and the committee,” he said. “They suggested we try to move forward.”
The news could bring closure to the ongoing conflict between commissioners over the choice of Augusta’s EMS provider. Half the body has voiced support for retaining Gold Cross, which is currently on a month-to-month contract with the city. The Martinez company bid to reclaim the zone but scored lowest in a subcommittee’s rankings. It has also filed a bid protest in a city EMS procurement that didn’t result in a provider.
MORE: Selected EMS provider Central praised; charges less in Forsyth County
Central is headquartered in Roswell but is part of a larger 13-state network of EMS providers owned by Priority Ambulance.
Johnson said he requested a Thursday work session to begin discussions with Central about the service, including the amount of local subsidy the company will require. The workshop is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Augusta Commission chamber.
“In my opinion, it’s just going to be an information-gathering session to better understand what they need from us,” Johnson said. “They can request from us what data they need to come to a subsidy amount.”
