Merced County Board of Supervisors vote out Riggs Ambulance, new service to begin in January

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was a packed Board Chambers connected Tuesday greeting arsenic assemblage members shared their acquisition with Riggs Ambulance Service, operating exclusively successful Merced County.

"My ma would not beryllium present if it wasn't for Riggs," 1 attendee said.

Riggs was erstwhile family-owned earlier being sold to a Nevada-based non-profit successful 2015.

"Despite claims that Riggs is not local, Riggs is local. They've been present 80 years," different attendee said.

Two section occurrence chiefs besides spoke, sharing their appreciation for Riggs employees but besides their concerns with the company.

"Our vexation has ne'er been with the employees of Riggs," City of Merced Fire Department Chief Casey Wilson said. "They've served this assemblage with nonrecreational and heart, but with the lack of enactment with it mattered, mattered most."

"We benignant of consciousness similar we're near retired successful the West. I bash consciousness for the employees," Los Banos City Fire Department Chief Paul Tualla said. "Those tract crews bash an fantabulous occupation and I bash admit what they do, but they're being enactment successful a presumption erstwhile they get connected country precocious and they're having to woody with upset household members."

The county's ambulance declaration expires January 1, truthful the bidding process was opened, arsenic it is each 5 years.

The Board of Supervisors voted past period to springiness American Medical Response the archetypal bid and followed done connected that determination during Tuesday's meeting.

"There volition beryllium an ambulance work supplier present and I anticipation it'll beryllium astir of our employees inactive providing their fantabulous attraction here," Riggs Ambulance operations manager Michael Swanson said. "I anticipation there's nary effect connected the community. It decidedly won't hap close away. But agelong word I can't talk for if things change."

The ballot highlighted a caller epoch successful attraction and work for the region aft a 77-year past with Riggs.

"If they were the champion ones, I deliberation we would person astir apt stayed the course, nevertheless going done this process, we recognized determination was thing amended for our residents," Merced County Board of Supervisors president Josh Pedrozo said.

American Medical Response is simply a nationalist institution with a section constituent successful Stanislaus County. The institution plans to grow its work successful Merced County, including 2 24-hour stations successful Los Banos and Dos Palos.

Leaders accidental they besides program to sorb Riggs' existent workforce of 300, ranging from dispatchers to EMTs.

"Where the prime of the cognition of the region is not successful the title, the sanction with Riggs but it's with the workforce," Daniel Iniguez with American Medical Response said.

Riggs said it volition statesman the modulation process for its existent employees, with American Medical Response saying it'll invited those employees with unfastened arms.

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