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Tunica County hears ambulance provider on long hospital handoffs, board authorizes RFPs for ambulance service
Summary
PAPRIS representatives told the Tunica County Board of Supervisors extended hospital “wall times,” staffing pressures and mutual‑aid deployment are lengthening ambulance turnaround. The board voted to move forward with requests for proposals (RFPs) to clarify ambulance staffing and stationing.
Ken Simpson, introduced by Miss Murray of PAPRIS, told the Tunica County Board of Supervisors that ambulance crews in Tunica responded to 2,867 calls in 2024 and have faced extended “wall times” at hospitals, sometimes up to three hours.
PAPRIS said hold times vary with hospital staffing and local bed availability, and that crews sometimes bypass nearer but busier hospitals for major trauma centers. "We met with Dr. Willis about a week or so, maybe 2 weeks ago, and just kinda was expressing some of the challenges that we're having, as far as the hospital delay, bed delay, and things of that nature," Simpson said. He also described using lower‑acuity hospitals when clinically appropriate to shorten turnaround.
Board members questioned whether Tunica ambulances are permanently stationed in the county or commonly reassigned to neighboring counties under mutual‑aid agreements. Simpson described a system‑status management model in which ambulances are shifted across county lines to maintain coverage: "If Tunica is what we consider to be the busiest place today, nobody ever goes without an ambulance. We'll pull 1 of the Tate County resources over to the county line so that they're ready to respond to a call on the Tunica side of the house." The board pressed for clarity on whether two ambulances are held in Tunica full time and how a third, optional unit is used during high‑demand events such as weekend casino traffic or sporting events.
Supervisors said they want specific requirements written into any future contract so the county can rely on baseline ambulance availability during predictable demand (for example, weekends and major events). The board agreed by motion to ask staff and the county attorney to prepare RFPs for ambulance services and to include performance/stationing specifications; the motion was seconded and carried.
The presentation also touched on staffing challenges in the EMS profession generally; PAPRIS said it uses travel personnel and part‑time staff and that local partnerships with EMT training programs can help recruitment and retention. Simpson said the provider had been operating in Tunica for about three and a half months and had not experienced major staffing shortfalls during that period.
The board directed staff to return with detailed RFP language that would allow the county to require minimum on‑duty units, special event coverage plans and reporting on hospital offload times so supervisors can assess vendor performance.
Ending: The board did not set specific numeric staffing minimums at this meeting; it approved preparing RFPs so the county can specify stationing and performance standards in forthcoming contracts.
