Council approves River Medical AMR agreement to provide dedicated ambulances and data sharing

The Kingman City Council approved an amended annual agreement April 15 with River Medical AMR (River Medical) to provide dedicated ambulance units within city limits, facilitate electronic data sharing between agencies, and implement joint quality-assurance procedures.

Chief Yeager described the contract as offering “specialized expertise and improved efficiency,” including dedicated response units inside Kingman, measures to manage liability, and requirements for quarterly data review meetings so city and contractor can identify performance gaps and adjust response models. River Medical representatives said the arrangement would allow strategic deployment of units to meet locally defined response-time goals and cited successful deployments in Lake Havasu City as a model.

Council asked about the certificate of necessity (CON) process and whether dedicated units depended on obtaining a CON. Chief Yeager confirmed River Medical would assist with the CON; River Medical said obtaining a CON should be straightforward with city partnership but cannot guarantee state decisions. Council noted that a competitor had withdrawn its application earlier that day; staff confirmed Priority (a competitor) pulled its application, which some council members said reduced local competitive concerns.

After discussion, a council member moved to approve the amended agreement; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The chief and River Medical representatives said the contract includes quarterly and annual reviews and data sharing to monitor response times and quality metrics.