Merced County pursues new ambulance service

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- By the commencement of the caller twelvemonth Merced County could person a caller ambulance service.

Riggs Ambulance's declaration expires January 1. The region is looking astatine different provider, but Riggs enactment is hoping they tin past the vote.

Riggs has operated successful Merced County for 77 years.

The region precocious opened up the bidding process for ambulance service, arsenic they bash each 5 years.

In August, the Board of Supervisors voted to springiness American Medical Response the archetypal bid.

If the committee moves guardant with AMR, that would beryllium atrocious quality for Riggs, which lone serves Merced County.

"We would cease to exist," said Mike Swenson, Riggs ambulance operations manager.

Operations manager Mike Swenson said Riggs employs 150 EMTs and paramedics and the institution covers everything from dispatch to ambulance maintenance.

"And immoderate of those things if different institution were to travel in, those could perchance beryllium moved determination else," said Swenson.

During and aft the pandemic, Riggs came nether scrutiny for effect times to emergencies. Swenson said that was owed successful portion to galore radical leaving the industry, but they've worked hard connected recruitment successful a hard field.

"In Merced, arsenic soon arsenic that paramedic programme started astatine the assemblage we were capable to marque an concern successful our EMTs," said Swenson. "We've sent astir 20 EMTs paid for them to spell to schoolhouse truthful those homegrown folks could beryllium go paramedics and service successful this community... We could spot the effect times get shorter and our compliance get amended and we're similar OK it's working. What we said we were gonna bash we did we followed done and I judge we fixed that problem."

Riggs enactment said since March, they've stayed successful compliance with effect times mandated successful their declaration with the county.

But they said the county's claims of tardiness are misleading due to the fact that an ambulance is considered precocious adjacent if they get conscionable seconds aft the required effect time.

On Thursday, a typical from AMR said it was excessively soon for them to comment, arsenic they're moving done the connection process.

The region said this process is modular to guarantee residents get the champion imaginable work for their taxation dollars and that an autarkic extracurricular steadfast was brought successful to guarantee fairness and transparency.

They expect AMR to contiguous a declaration for information successful the coming weeks.

The committee of supervisors is acceptable to formed the last ballot connected October 7.

Riggs is asking the assemblage to amusement enactment for the institution by penning to the supervisors and showing up to the meeting.

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