The Enid Mayor and Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 4 to direct city staff to begin a formal investigation into an application from Centurion Health Systems, doing business as Mercy Regional of Oklahoma, seeking a new ambulance-company license.

Mayor Mason introduced the agenda item and invited staff to summarize the ordinance. City staff read the relevant ordinance language from Title 3, Article A, section 3-8a-3, saying the investigation must consider “the character and reputation of the applicant as a law abiding citizen, the ability of the applicant to render safe and comfortable transportation service, the ability of the applicant to maintain or replace the equipment for such service, [and] the financial responsibility of the applicant to maintain insurance for the payment of personal injury, death, and property damage claims.”

Commissioner Speaker 14 moved to cause the investigation to be made and to direct city staff to investigate issuing the new ambulance license; Speaker 6 seconded the motion. The commission voted 7-0 to approve the motion.

City staff said the investigation will likely involve the city manager's office, the chief (public safety), city legal staff and other departments as needed, and may review state records such as complaints to the state EMS office. Mayor Mason and other commissioners said they expect staff to check the applicant's character, operational capacity, equipment maintenance plans and insurance limits as outlined in the ordinance.

The motion does not grant or deny a license; it initiates the statutorily required investigation that staff will compile and present to the commission for a subsequent licensing decision. The ordinance text read into the record frames the scope of the review and will guide staff's inquiry.

Next steps: staff will begin the ordinance-specified investigation and report findings to the commission for further action.