Pistoresi to end local ambulance service; county approves contract changes and new provider
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Summary
Pistoresi Ambulance Service will end operations Nov. 15. The board approved amendments to existing county contracts and a five‑year agreement for a new provider, American Ambulance, to begin service Nov. 15, 2025.
The Madera County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14 approved amendments to two county ambulance contracts and a five‑year agreement for a new provider after Pistoresi Ambulance announced it will close operations on Nov. 15.
County Public Health Director Sarah Boss told the board the two existing contracts—Madera County contract nos. 12846‑24 (Ambulance Services of Madera Inc.) and 12847‑24 (Pistoresi Ambulance Service Inc.)—were being amended to change their termination dates to Nov. 15, 2025. The board also approved a new agreement for American Ambulance to assume ambulance service for the Madera and Chowchilla service areas effective Nov. 15 for five years. Boss said one of the contract documents will be corrected to reflect the supplier name Pistoresi Ambulance Service in two places before final signature.
Dan Lynch, EMS director for the Central California EMS Agency, gave the board a snapshot of local emergency medical services. He said Madera County logged 20,229 ambulance responses in 2024 (about 55 per day) and 13,530 transports (about 37 per day). Lynch described differences in service delivery across the county: Sierra-area responses (Oakhurst and eastern Madera County) average about 13 calls per day with long rural and wilderness response-time expectations; valley-area responses served by Pistoresi averaged about 42 calls per day in 2024 with metro response-time standards of nine minutes for emergency calls.
Boss and Lynch said mutual‑aid relationships and long‑standing regional partnerships helped secure a timely transition. Boss named American Ambulance executives she has worked with—owner and CEO Todd Valeri (not present), President and CEO Eric Peterson, and the American Ambulance contact Ben Wheely—and thanked Pistoresi owner Ted Pistoresi for providing notice and coordinating the handoff.
Supervisors praised Pistoresi's decades-long service. Supervisor Gary Gonzales (chair) and Supervisor Rogers each thanked the Pistoresi family for years of service; Supervisor Poitras and Supervisor McCauley said they have confidence in American Ambulance and noted the company has broader resources. McCauley asked about a CAD‑to‑CAD dispatch integration; Boss said a quote is in hand and staff expect to move forward after funding is finalized.
The board approved the contract amendments and the new five-year agreement by unanimous roll call vote.
Votes at a glance: - Amend Madera County Contract No. 12846‑24 (Ambulance Services of Madera Inc.) to change term to Nov. 15, 2025 — approved 5–0 (Supervisor Rogers; Supervisor Poitras; Supervisor Wamhof; Supervisor McCauley; Chair Gary Gonzales). Motion/second: not specified in transcript. - Amend Madera County Contract No. 12847‑24 (Pistoresi Ambulance Service Inc.) to change term to Nov. 15, 2025 — approved 5–0. - Enter agreement with American Ambulance (to assume valley ambulance service) commencing Nov. 15, 2025 for five years — approved 5–0.
What changed and what follows: Pistoresi will stop billing county service areas after Nov. 15; the county will finalize the new agreement documents and correct the vendor naming on the amended contract. Staff said they will continue to monitor response times, mutual‑aid impacts (including recent demands on Pistoresi to respond into neighboring Merced County), and the CAD‑to‑CAD project that could speed mutual‑aid dispatching. No additional funding or budget amounts for the new agreement were provided at the hearing.
The board acted as the county board of supervisors and took these steps in open session; no closed‑session reportable actions were disclosed related to ambulance service.
