County advances revised ambulance RFP; board asks for more time before finalizing

County staff on Dec. 17 presented a substantially revised draft request for proposals to select the county's exclusive provider of emergency ground ambulance transport and related medical services. The directors framed the document as a step toward a single, countywide contract intended to raise clinical oversight, reduce automatic exemptions and make ambulance coverage more even across communities.

The County Executive Office said the updated RFP moves the county from seven service subzones to ten and tightens the way response-time compliance is measured. Bill Bullard, a health-care consultant who helped draft the document, said the RFP shifts evaluation from a pure response-time focus to include clinical quality measures and repeated financial audits so oversight can detect problems before they threaten continuity. “Historically, ambulance contracts worried about getting there — now the RFP asks what you do once you arrive,” Bullard said at the hearing.

Why it matters: Ventura County contracts for paramedic-level ambulance services on a monopoly basis with state review and approval. The draft changes will affect how ambulances are deployed, how penalties for missed responses are applied, and how the county evaluates competing bids. Staff said tighter standards could reduce the number of “system overload” exemptions that have allowed missed responses under the current arrangement.

What the board did: Supervisors accepted the presentation and directed staff to return with a revised timetable for formal release. Several supervisors asked for more time to read the draft and to receive clearer language that confirms the Board of Supervisors will be the ultimate awarding authority. Several public commenters — including local business and taxpayer groups, and Oxnard Fire Department leadership — urged caution: commenters supported strong oversight and partnerships with fire-based first responder programs but warned against lowering bidder qualifications or creating unanticipated cost pressures for taxpayers.

Next steps: Staff said it will resubmit a revised package to the California EMS Authority for review, then publish the RFP when that state review concludes. The board asked staff to return for formal consideration of the RFP in late January or on Feb. 11, 2025. Staff also told supervisors they will bring a separate agenda item early in the year seeking a one-year extension of the current ambulance contracts to maintain service while the competition proceeds.

Context and constraints: The state Emergency Medical Services Authority requires that monopoly awards of this type follow an objective scoring process; Bullard and county procurement explained that state reviewers require the highest‑scoring bidder receive award. Members of the public urged the county to preserve the option of public–private partnerships and to keep local hiring and continuity for incumbent ambulance staff as core requirements of the new contract.

Ending: The board did not award a contract during the Dec. 17 meeting; staff will return with a final RFP and an evaluation plan in January or February for the board's consideration.