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Columbia County approves one-year Gold Cross ambulance contract with larger county subsidy, service changes
Summary
The county approved a one-year contract with Gold Cross that raises the annual subsidy to $1,543,750, adds one 24-hour ALS ambulance and a part‑time BLS unit, and changes response-unit mix and billing limits; the contract is effective June 1.
Columbia County commissioners approved a one-year contract with Gold Cross for emergency and nonemergency ambulance services that raises the county subsidy to $1,543,750 annually and takes effect June 1.
County staff presented the contract to commissioners, saying the agreement will add “an additional 24 hour ALS ambulance, so we'll have a total of 8 in the county,” and will also add a BLS ambulance 12 hours a day Monday through Friday. The contract reduces quick-response vehicles (QRVs) from three to one and adjusts billing limits for insured patients, staff said.
The change increases the annual subsidy from the figure staff described as previously around $850,000 to $1,543,750. A county presenter said staff recommends approval and that the subsidy increases are covered in part by current fiscal-year savings in the EMS budget and are budgeted for FY 2026.
Commissioners asked about how performance will be measured. A county presenter said the key performance indicator (KPI) is that Gold Cross maintain the required number of ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He also said the county monitors response times quarterly and requires Gold Cross to report any response time exceeding 30 minutes. He added that Gold Cross meets traditional contractual response-time targets more than 90% of the time.
A Gold Cross representative told the board, “We feel confident that we can do this, otherwise we wouldn't agree to it,” and said staffing challenges are a nationwide issue but that Gold Cross expects to maintain the contracted staffing levels.
The contract was moved, seconded and approved as part of the meeting’s consent/debate items.
The vote record for the motion was not read into the transcript; the transcript shows the motion was moved and seconded and the chair announced the item as carried.
