Grant County commissioners on Dec. 1 authorized emergency medical services to pursue new cellular, tablet and vehicle-tracking services through AT&T/FirstNet and approved staff to add the services to the county account pending counsel review.

An EMS representative presented a written quote from AT&T and explained that moving from Verizon to AT&T would cover ambulance cell phones, tablets used for charting and signature capture, and an upgraded tracking system. "If I get this wish list with the higher end tracking, it's $40 more per month for everything," the EMS representative said, and the company offered about a $1,500 credit on existing phones to be spread over two years.

The proposal includes devices that can act as push-to-talk radios and provide driver behavior alerts (hard stops, fast turns) along with maintenance reminders and better data controls for county-owned tablets. The presenter said AT&T's coverage in the county is generally superior, particularly on the west side, and that the plan could provide unlimited data for ambulance iPads and improved device management.

Commissioners asked that county counsel review the proposed agreement. The board then voted to authorize EMS to proceed with AT&T and to give Mister Harper authority to approve any required agreements or paperwork. Commissioners noted the arrangement would be added to the county's existing account and that AT&T would assist with the transition.

Next steps: EMS will submit the AT&T agreement for counsel review and work with staff to add devices to the county account and implement the device-management setup.