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Hot Springs board rejects ordinance awarding exclusive ambulance franchise; LifeNet to remain while officials sort next steps
Summary
After more than three hours of public comment and presentations from providers and local doctors, the Hot Springs Board of Directors declined to adopt an ordinance awarding an exclusive franchise to Survival Flight EMS LLC. The motion failed and the board signaled staff will continue working with existing providers while reviewing process issues.
The Hot Springs Board of Directors voted not to adopt an ordinance that would have awarded an exclusive ambulance franchise to Survival Flight EMS LLC, ending a months-long procurement review without replacing the city's current primary provider.
The decision follows a staff-initiated request for proposals, a four-member review panel that ranked Survival Flight first, extensive public comment, and a contentious evening of presentations from company representatives, local physicians and hospital leaders. City staff had placed a draft franchise ordinance on the agenda and recommended awarding the contract to Survival Flight based on the committee scores.
Why it matters: the city issued an RFP for ambulance services last autumn after the existing franchise period lapsed. Emergency medical transport is a core public safety function that affects response times, hospital workflows and billing practices for uninsured patients. Changing providers would have required an operational handoff while preserving service levels through the tourist season.
The review committee —…
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