Commissioners terminate county backup agreement with AmeriPro; Columbia EMS performance and contract language to be renegotiated
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Summary
After monthly performance reviews and staff recommendations, the board voted to terminate a standby/backup agreement with AmeriPro and directed staff to negotiate contract clarifications and performance thresholds with Columbia EMS.
The board voted to terminate a standby backup agreement with AmeriPro and asked county staff to renegotiate contract language with Columbia EMS to clarify performance expectations and mutual-aid obligations.
Columbia EMS chief Toby Witt and county emergency-services staff briefed commissioners on the first year of operation under the county’s new emergency-medical-services model. Toby said the company started operations in October 2024, hired roughly 50 employees and placed four units in service, adding a fifth station since then. He reported an average response time of roughly 13 minutes — he noted that national rural averages are near 14 minutes — and said Columbia EMS does not balance-bill county residents, a policy the company estimates has reduced resident bills by about $1.1 million to date.
County EMS oversight staff said Columbia EMS has improved but that certain contract performance metrics and auditing criteria need clarification: which calls should be excluded from a response-time audit, how mutual aid is counted and whether equipment or station availability should be measured differently. Commissioners praised Columbia EMS for staffing levels and local hiring but asked for firmer contract language that reflects real-world operational exceptions and hospital offload delays.
Separately, commissioners voted (motion passed) to terminate a standby contract with AmeriPro that had provided a paid on‑call backup (the agreement included a monthly retainer). Staff and commissioners said AmeriPro’s standby arrangement could be renegotiated if the company that receives compensation agrees to more substantive operational commitments; the board asked staff to proceed and return recommended contract language for approval.
Action: Motion to terminate the AmeriPro standby contract carried. Staff will work with Columbia EMS and county counsel on contract amendments that define audited exclusions, mutual aid counting, and contingency provisions and will return those to the board for consideration.