Commissioners direct staff to draft ordinance naming Medex as preferred EMS franchise vendor after contested public hearing

At its Oct. 20, 2025 meeting, the Lee County Board of Commissioners voted to direct staff to prepare a first-reading ordinance naming Medex as the county's preferred emergency medical services (EMS) franchise vendor, following a second public hearing that featured competing bids from Medex and First Health and extensive public comment.

The public hearing brought presentations from Medex and First Health, questions from commissioners and more than a dozen residents, health-care and industry representatives. Medex chief executive Dylan Lowe told commissioners his company’s proposal included two options he said would meet the county’s request-for-proposal standards and reduce response delays in rural areas; he described Option 1 as a $1.5 million proposal in year one with 5% annual increases and said an alternative option would begin at $1.3 million with the same annual…