Hinds County, City of Jackson gear up for possible legal fight over ambulance contracts

Just hours after the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted to hire an attorney for the matter, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba addressed recent conflict between the City and County regarding ambulance contracts at a bridge ribbon cutting in South Jackson on Monday.

Earlier this month, the City issued a request for proposals, the beginning of a bidding process for a public contract, for ambulance operators to service the city.

The County, meanwhile, has an existing contract with American Medical Response, or AMR, which grants it exclusive rights to operate in Hinds County, and all municipalities within, including Jackson. Jackson's decision to seek its own contract could put Hinds County in violation of the existing agreement with AMR.

The City issued its RFP a few weeks after WLBT reported a man died while waiting 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, according to his ex-wife, who discovered him after his stroke and called 911.

The RFP stipulates that a new operator have a so-called “helping hands clause," which would allow other operators to respond in the event of understaffing or lack of available equipment in the area. The RFP also includes potential fines for response times of more than eight minutes.

District Two Supervisor David Archie reportedly told WLBT on Monday that the RFP is a "power takeover," and said the City has been incapable of properly addressing crime, broken red lights, potholes, cleaning communities, cleaning parks and operating its zoo. He also mentioned slow response times by the Jackson Police Department.

“What they need to do is fix some of the things they already have,” Archie said, according to WLBT. “We need to tell the city of Jackson to mind their own business.”

At the ribbon cutting later Monday, Lumumba said that despite the timing of the RFP coming after media reports, there have been discussions between the City and County about Jackson finding its own operator for years.

"Even before we launched our RFP we'd been in discussions with County leadership for the better part of three years about this effort that we're taking," Lumumba said. "We're not trying to be antagonistic to the county. We're simply trying to meet the needs of our residents. Our residents have been very clear that there is more to be desired in terms of ambulatory services."

Lumumba said that Jackson having its own contract would take some of the pressure off of the County.

"Our hope is that as we move forward with this RFP we will be able to continue our discussions with the County, so that we are not adversarial, but we're able to meet our needs as a city and they're able to meet their needs in terms of the population that they serve outside of Jackson," Lumumba said.

Water Crisis anniversary

At the same news conference, Lumumba announced a number of events that will take place next week to mark the one year anniversary of the beginning of the city's water crisis.

"We've been working with our community partners and philanthropic groups to honor those individuals that stepped up during this crisis," Lumumba said.

That includes reaching out to each member of the City Council in an attempt to hold service projects in each ward. The details of those projects will be up to each council member, Lumumba said.

There will also be a citywide day of service on Monday, which will focus on the Percy V. Simpson area. Lumumba said they are working with Jackson Public Schools, Dawson Elementary and Capital City Alternative Schools to allow students to volunteer in cleanup efforts. City employees will also be able to participate in lieu of their normal workday, "as long as they are really cleaning up," Lumumba said with a laugh. The cleanup will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Then, on Aug. 29, the City will hold a "community champions" award ceremony and reception at the Jackson Convention Complex at 6 p.m. "to honor the unsung heroes of the water crisis," Lumumba said. Each council member was asked to select someone from their ward, the mayor said.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Supervisor David Archie fight on ambulances