Scott County supervisors debate Medic/EMS rebranding; safety and employee input cited as concerns

Scott County's Medic EMS presented two proposed rebranding concepts on Dec. 2, prompting supervisors to weigh public-visibility and cost concerns before a planned vote.

Paul, who led Medic's rebranding presentation, said the vendor Fuel Branding developed two concepts after a discovery process that defined core values and a brand promise: "trusted care when it matters most." He described a darker, higher-contrast concept and a more traditional blue-and-green option and said the vendor incorporated county colors and reflective chevrons recommended by federal guidance. Paul also said the organization sampled staff and estimated roughly "85 to 90%" of the people they polled preferred the darker concept.

Supervisor Maria expressed concerns about vehicle visibility and public recognition: "I really worry about the visibility of those of those dark colors, and I also worry about I have concerns that the public will not see those as emergency vehicles," she said. Maria asked for more prominent Scott County labeling on proposals, additional low-cost options and evidence the darker colors meet safety expectations.

Paul responded that the vendor incorporated federal emergency-vehicle reflectivity recommendations and that chevrons and reflective materials are built into the designs; he provided preliminary wrap cost estimates of $10,000 to $15,000 for a full reflective wrap and said striping currently costs about $8,000. Paul said wrapping would be phased in as vehicles are replaced; two new ambulances coming in January would get the new concept.

Board members debated whether more employee input and public comparisons with nearby services would be desirable. Chair Mahesh said the item will be pulled from the consent agenda and brought back for a formal vote on Thursday to allow time for further input and integration planning. No final decision was recorded in the provided segments.