San Luis Obispo supervisors authorize competitive RFP for county ambulance service after months of debate

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize the Health Agency to proceed with a request for proposals for ground emergency ambulance transport services, setting in motion a competitive process that could reshape emergency medical coverage across the county.

Supporters — including mayors, city managers, multiple fire chiefs and unions — urged the board to move forward, saying the existing system has operated without open competition for decades and needs modernization. Mayor John Hammond of Paso Robles told the board the county’s ambulance system has “remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years” and called the RFP an opportunity to bring the system into the 21st century. Mayor Erica Stewart of the City of San Luis Obispo said a transparent RFP would create “incentive for ongoing improvement, including better coordination, transparency, and clear performance standards.”

Why it matters: County stakeholders described long response times in some rural areas, rising transport costs and an incumbent contract that has not been fully tested by open competition. Several city managers and multiple fire chiefs warned that the county’s ambulance model must adapt as population and housing growth drive more calls for service.

What the board decided: The Board voted to permit the Health Agency/EMS to advance the ground emergency ambulance…