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York County council approves conditional assignment of Fort Mill EMS agreement to Atrium Health affiliate, 5-2
Summary
After public comment and extended council debate, York County approved an ordinance amendment to assign Fort Mill Rescue’s EMS agreement to Atrium Health Fort Mill EMS Inc., conditioned on a new contract meeting state EMS regulation 61-7 and county dispatch, staffing and insurance requirements.
York County Council voted 5-2 on April 7 to approve an amendment authorizing assignment of the existing agreement between York County and Fort Mill Rescue to Atrium Health Fort Mill EMS Inc., conditioned on Atrium meeting state emergency medical services standards and on a new agreement with the county that specifies dispatch, staffing, insurance and response-time requirements.
The vote follows public comment from Fort Mill EMS volunteers and several Atrium Health representatives. Ray Blue, a Fort Mill EMS volunteer and board member, said he has served for decades and supported the pending transfer because it would allow employees to receive better pay and benefits. "I've been with Fort Mill Rescue Fort Mill EMS for 21 years. All those years as a volunteer," Blue said, later adding the change would "help our employees" and "help York County as well."
Atrium Health officials told council they plan to support education and staffing for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Alicia Campbell, Atrium Health Pineville, said: "I am confident together Atrium Health and Fort Mill EMS can help reduce response times and improve turnaround times to keep ambulances on the road in the county and ready to help the next patient." Jonathan Collier, vice president of mobile medicine at Atrium Health, said funds from any arrangement would be used to expand paramedic and EMT education in the region.
Council members debated whether the county should reassign the agreement because Fort Mill EMS is being acquired by a hospital system. Supporters said the vote preserves local EMS capacity and places binding county standards on any provider assigned assets used in the county 9-1-1 system. Opponents and other speakers raised concerns about patient choice and the role of hospital systems in local EMS. Multiple speakers praised Piedmont Medical Center’s past service to the community while also acknowledging the providers’ shared goal of keeping ambulances available. The council held an executive session for legal advice before returning to take the final vote; no action was reported from the executive session itself.
The ordinance amendment approved by council requires that Atrium Health Fort Mill EMS Inc. meet state regulation 61-7 regarding emergency medical services and that a new agreement defining dispatch response and drive-time standards, minimum staffing for units, and insurance coverage be reached and presented to council along with the ordinance for final approval. The council’s action dispensed with immediate assignment of the existing agreement and instead authorized third reading approval contingent on the parties presenting the new agreement for council consideration.
Council will receive the new agreement and the county’s legal review before the assignment takes effect. No effective date was specified in the council motion; implementation is conditioned on the county’s acceptance of a finalized contract that meets the listed regulatory and county requirements.
Votes and outcome: Motion approved 5 in favor, 2 opposed.
