Cocke County committee forwards proposed five-year extension of Priority Ambulance contract to county legislative body

The Cocke County Public Safety Committee voted March 11, 2025, to forward to the county legislative body (CLB) a recommendation to extend Priority Ambulance Service's contract for five years, after hearing testimony from hospitals, volunteer rescue squads and fire and law-enforcement officials.

Committee chair Rick Vassar opened the discussion by summarizing prior meetings and community input and said the committee had held three meetings on the subject. He said hospital leaders, the county emergency management director and local elected officials had recommended staying with Priority Ambulance Service.

Why it matters: The contract governs ambulance coverage and staffing in Cocke County; committee members and local response agencies said continuity matters for emergency response while several witnesses urged stronger steps to reduce so-called "level 0" periods when no county ambulance is available.

Hospital and public-safety officials praised Priority. Rob Williams, representing Priority Ambulance Service, told the committee the company supports an extension and that it routinely moves resources from larger nearby bases to keep Cocke County ambulances available. "Yes, sir. I do," Williams said when asked whether he felt the current contract can meet county needs. He added, "we are totally fine extending our current contract" and said the company is not seeking additional compensation for planned local staffing increases.

Volunteer and local chiefs reported generally positive working relationships with Priority but raised operational concerns. Pudd Ballantyne, captain of the Newport Rescue Squad, said the relationship "has gotten better over the last couple of years" but said he had not reviewed the written contract and requested a copy. Walt Krause, captain of Creasy Fork Volunteer Fire Department, told the committee the two clearest issues are radio/dispatch communications and staffing that can lead to level 0. "Many times, they cannot communicate to their dispatch. And that causes a problem," Krause said, adding that periods with no available ambulances are a nationwide problem.

Priority and county staff described steps under way to reduce level 0 events. Williams said the company is adding weekend staff and a scheduled "day truck" to handle routine transports and dialysis runs without removing 24-hour emergency units from service; he said Priority has shifted ambulances from Knoxville on many nights to maintain local coverage. County EMS director Lindsay Ellison confirmed discussions about adding an ambulance to the local rotation and about staffing changes to cover high-volume days.

The committee also discussed related operational issues, including deputy coroner coverage: Lindsay Ellison has served as deputy coroner under an arrangement the committee described as paid and limited in scope, and members said the county needs a second coroner/back-up to avoid service gaps.

Final action and next steps: Member Miss Pfau moved, and Mr. Eslinger seconded, that the committee forward the five-year extension proposal to the Cocke County CLB for a decision. The committee then took a roll-call vote; all recorded members voted yes and the motion carried. The CLB will consider final approval; no final contract terms or dollar amounts were presented at the committee meeting.

What remained unresolved: Committee members asked for a copy of the proposed contract and clearer staffing and response-time metrics before CLB action. Multiple witnesses urged improved dispatch radio coverage in remote areas. No specific new funding request was presented by Priority at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The committee recorded an immediate roll-call vote to forward the extension recommendation to the CLB; the motion passed with all members present voting yes.