A city subcommittee is entering contract negotiations with new provider Central EMS.
The report prompted the subcommittee to cancel a Tuesday public meeting. Contract negotiations will be “closed to the public,” while the subcommittee will present a proposed contract to the Augusta Commission, according to a news release.
The full commission meets Wednesday in its annual Masters Week meeting, which it reschedules each year to the week prior to the tournament.
The subcommittee has met twice with Central officials to discuss the details of the new EMS program. Each time, the officials have complained a lack of existing call response data hampered its ability to estimate its expenses.
The announcement comes as two commissioners, both supporters of former designated provider Gold Cross, say they are reluctant to support certain demands if Central makes them.
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle questioned the purchase of emergency management dispatch software, which 911 Director Daniel Dunlap said the 911 center would need to dispatch emergency medical calls.
Currently, all 911 medical calls are received at the center then rolled over to a second dispatch center run by Gold Cross.
Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight said she wouldn’t agree to pay Central any more than $1.9 million to subsidize 911 calls for which Central can’t collect payment. That’s the amount she and four other commissioners agreed to pay Gold Cross.
The process is on an abbreviated schedule. Last week, Gold Cross terminated its month-to-month contract with the city, leaving a week-long window until Central planned to start. The new provider agreed to start a week earlier, on April 22.
Central CEO Gary Caker said at last week’s subcommittee meeting that using Augusta 911 to dispatch ambulances, as well as housing them at Augusta fire stations, would likely save the company money.
Serving on the subcommittee are five city employees – the deputy administrator, fire chief, 911 director, procurement director and general counsel – as well as representatives of three Augusta hospitals, who are serving in an advisory capacity.
