Alba council declines Survival Flight ground-EMS contract after public debate on local service

The Alba City Council voted unanimously to decline a proposed contract with Survival Flight for ground emergency medical services, a decision that followed public comments from EMS staff, local residents and advocates urging the city to keep EMS operations local and improve billing and staffing practices.

The motion to not approve the Survival Flight ground EMS contract was recorded by the clerk; Parsons moved to decline the contract and a second was recorded. The roll call vote was recorded as all members voting yes.

The topic drew multiple public speakers during the meeting’s public-comment period. Bridget Craig, identified in the meeting as the city EMS director, told the council the department has taken steps to strengthen operations and finances: “Since August 2, we have had a paramedic on duty 6 to 7 days a week with 2 on calls covering 24/7. ... We're improving billing and collections. We're investing in training more paramedics.”

Local residents and EMS personnel urged transparency and continuity. Blake Jordan, a resident who spoke in opposition to outsourcing, told the council that nondisclosure agreements do not bar elected officials from discussing outsourcing in public: “NDAs might cover private info about individual employees ... but they don't stop anyone from discussing the department as a whole or whether we should outsource EMS.”

Rebecca Davidson, who identified herself as a longtime Alba resident, framed the debate in human terms, saying staff have made sacrifices and improvements and asking the council not to keep deferring a final decision: “We need to stop tabling this. ... We need to vote and we need it, like, now.” Alicia Taylor, identified as assistant director with Alba Events, described steps taken to strengthen staffing, partnerships and training, saying the locality’s knowledge of roads and landmarks supports faster, more effective care.

A resident who gave her name as Bridal Farris also urged keeping EMS local, referencing the origin of paramedic programs and arguing local crews know the community’s needs: “...they make great points. You have your community is the most important. Those people know everybody in the community.”

On the dais, council members discussed whether the contract with Survival Flight had been reviewed by legal and whether discussions about contractor performance had been handled in executive session; the city attorney and staff advised the council that the contract itself had not been reviewed in executive session, though personnel performance had been discussed earlier in closed session. Council members cited the absence of a final, reviewed contract and recommended tabling in one exchange, but the motion on the floor to decline the Survival Flight ground-EMS services contract was carried.

The council did not adopt an alternative contracting agreement at the meeting; staff and the mayor said further work would continue on EMS operations, billing and staffing.

The vote concludes the council's deliberations on the specific Survival Flight ground-EMS proposal recorded on the agenda, but public commenters and staff repeatedly called for the council to provide clear, public direction about the long-term structure and funding of local EMS.

Looking ahead, EMS leaders said they plan to continue work on billing company options, paramedic training that will increase in-house certification, and operational changes intended to reduce overtime costs and improve collection rates.