With Gold Cross’ hold on the Augusta EMS zone set to expire at midnight, city commissioners approved a finalized month-to-month contract with the provider, but questions remained.
Also in public safety, city committees OK’d the purchase of 400 tasers for the Richmond County sheriff and took the fire chief to task for two fire truck rollovers that occurred in a week’s time. Both were total losses, Chief Antonio Burden said.
The commission and Gold Cross agreed to enter the month-to-month arrangement last week. The company had resigned from the state-designated “zone” after contract negotiations failed, but agreed to stay on temporarily. Under the new contract, Augusta will pay Gold Cross $250,000 for February and $150,000 for each subsequent month until a permanent provider is found. Either party can terminate the contract by giving 30 days’ notice.
A fast-tracked search for a new provider is very much under way, Procurement Director Geri Sams said. The city overnight-mailed 153 requests for proposals to known vendors Monday, and hundreds more are going out to providers through other procurement outlets, she said.
With RFP responses due Monday and negotiations set to begin Tuesday, commissioners asked about the options they’ll have in selecting a provider. In Augusta’s procurement process, a committee selects a vendor from those submitting proposals.
“We’ll narrow the submitters down to possibly three proposers. If the first negotiation with the proposal fails, then we go to the second one or the third one,” Sams said.
The other moving part in Augusta’s pursuit of an EMS is a Feb. 10 state deadline to apply to own the zone, which is bolstered by it having a provider already on hand. Mayor Garnett Johnson said he’s calling a Feb. 9 meeting at which the commission would OK a provider.
“It’s our intent to have, if we are able to find a service provider, to submit for ownership of that zone no later than 5 o’clock on the 10th,” Johnson said.
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Crashed fire trucks a complete loss, drivers tested
With two fire trucks in rollover crashes within days of each other, Commissioners Catherine Smith McKnight and Alvin Mason each asked Burden to address the situation.
Augusta is self-insured, meaning there’s no insurance policy to cover the losses. Both will have to be replaced, Burden said.
Asked about his policy regarding those who were driving the trucks, Burden said “first and foremost” was concern for the firefighters involved in the crashes and those who responded to them.
“We are doing a complete investigation into all aspects of this event,” he said.
Finance Director Donna Williams, whose department includes Risk Management, said those involved had been tested for drugs, per the city’s post-accident policy of doing so within a 32-hour window.
At Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle’s request, Burden spoke about implementing quick-response vehicles to supplement the department’s fleet. The vehicles could respond to fire, medical, extrications from crashed vehicles and other types of calls, he said.
Nearly two-thirds of the department’s more than 26,000 calls last year were medical, he said.
Commissioners talk cuts, efficiency
In other action, the Finance committee approved having the administrator return in 120 days with cost-cutting measures. Guilfoyle requested the agenda item, saying the loss of American Rescue Plan funds from next year’s budget will create a $10 million shortfall.
Commissioner Sean Frantom said “we need to have this discussion” and involve the mayor. Mayor Garnett Johnson said he’d campaigned on creating greater efficiencies in the government.
Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse said she could present options for balancing the budget, such as raising the millage rate, eliminating positions or restructuring. But the task might be better left to “the permanent administrator,” because a new administrator might have different ideas about how to do it, she said.
The commission is expected to hold a workshop to assess the city’s needs and develop a job description for the position.
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Sheriff stocks up on Tasers
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is phasing-out its current supply of Tasers and law enforcement “will soon be required to use the Taser 7,” necessitating the purchase of 400 new Tasers, Capt. Sheila White said. The public safety committee approved spending $207,888 on the sole-source purchase from Taser manufacturer Axon Enterprises.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
