Edmond officially moving away from EMSA for ambulance service

Jack Money, The Oklahoman
·3 min read
Residents in Edmond soon will have a new ambulance provider. American Medical Response will replace EMSA as the city's medical emergency response provider.
Residents in Edmond soon will have a new ambulance provider. American Medical Response will replace EMSA as the city's medical emergency response provider.

EDMOND — Residents can expect to receive daily, around-the-clock and special event ambulance services from a new provider soon.

This week, the Edmond City Council authorized its staff to negotiate an agreement with American Medical Response to provide ambulance services, effectively ending an uneasy partnership between Edmond and the Emergency Medical Services Authority that lasted more than 30 years.

Officials hope to negotiate a final deal within 60 days and switch service providers before the end of this year.

Beyond AMR's capabilities to provide ambulance coverage exclusive to Edmond (something EMSA couldn't do), an evaluation committee unanimously recommended pursuing a deal after EMSA consistently failed to meet promised response times since mid-2020.

It also selected the new provider because its annual subsidy costs and the transport fees it charges patients were lowest, its annual membership subscription benefits were the best and because its size, experience and resources plus compatibility between its equipment and software and the city's would allow for a smooth transition.

The seven-person committee, which included Edmond emergency services workers, a council member and two outside financial and healthcare experts, considered proposals from three firms.

More: Slow response times have Edmond looking for new ambulance provider

Deal includes enforceable contract

Edmond has decided to part ways with EMSA, who has served as the city's ambulance provider for more than 30 years.
Edmond has decided to part ways with EMSA, who has served as the city's ambulance provider for more than 30 years.

Chris Goodwin, Edmond's fire chief, said Edmond will negotiate a contract with AMR for one year, with an option to renew annually for up to five years.

The contract will require ambulances to be stationed in Edmond around the clock, require AMR to provide ambulances for special events, prohibit automatic exclusions for late calls and include contingency provisions allowing for disruptions that might be caused by future pandemics.

AMR also will accept patients enrolled in the city's ambulance services membership program, where enrolled residents pay a $3 monthly fee on their utility bills. Enrolled residents, and members of their household, get emergency ambulance service with no out-of-pocket expenses.

AMR ambulances operating in Edmond will be branded with both AMR and city of Edmond logos.

COVID-19 worsened EMSA's services in Edmond

Fire officials asked the council earlier this year to seek alternatives to EMSA service because of problems it has experienced providing reliable services to people inside of Edmond.

EMSA organized as a trust serving the Tulsa area in 1977, then expanded into the Oklahoma City area in 1990. Edmond joined the system about the same time and eventually had a seat on the board governing the system's operation.

As EMSA expanded its coverage area, however, its ability to make money became challenged, and it began requiring Edmond and other communities to pay it an annual subsidy to support its services. Edmond, which began paying EMSA subsidies in 1999, paid it about $660,000 for services during Fiscal Year 2023.

Officials said that despite that long relationship, EMSA never offered Edmond a contract that would have dedicated full-time ambulances to the community or set minimum response requirements that could be enforced by the city.

Currently, EMSA only stations ambulances inside of Edmond if they are available and since May 2020, has failed to meet promised monthly response times for 90% of Priority 1 or Priority 2 calls.

EMSA promised it would try to respond to Priority 1 calls in less than 10 minutes and 59 seconds and to Priority 2 calls in less than 24 minutes and 59 seconds.

EMSA categorizes Priority 1 calls as ones involving patients in critical, life-threatening situations, such as ones who have suffered heart attacks or strokes. Priority 2 calls are ones involving patients who have been hurt and need help but are in non-life threatening situations.

Who is American Medical Response?

AMR operates in all 50 states and serves other communities in Oklahoma, including Weatherford.

Global Medical Response, parent company for AMR and its other subsidiaries, states on its website its employees worked with 15.3 million patients globally in 2022, performing a critical intervention every 90 seconds.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond chooses American Medical Response to provide ambulance services