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Sutter County directs staff to negotiate five‑year renewal with Bi‑County Ambulance
Summary
After a presentation from the regional EMS authority, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to negotiate an exclusive operating area (EOA) contract renewal with Bi‑County Ambulance for up to five years, citing workforce recovery and compliance with current contract terms.
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to negotiate a new exclusive operating area agreement with Bi‑County Ambulance that could run for a maximum of five years, following a presentation from Sierra Sacramento Valley EMS executive director John Poland.
Poland told the board the local EMS agency is responsible under California law for contracting ambulance services and summarized the history of Bi‑County’s service in Sutter and Yuba counties. He said Bi‑County recovered staffing levels after reductions during the COVID‑19 pandemic and reported 25 full‑time and 15 part‑time paramedics as of the agency’s September report. Poland said Bi‑County has complied with the existing EOA terms, met minimum ALS deployment requirements and implemented clinical quality improvements.
"They've also implemented additional clinical quality improvement processes and tools to ensure that patients within the Sutter County region receive the best possible pre‑hospital EMS care," Poland said during the presentation.
Poland outlined fiscal context for ambulance operations, noting a cited ALS base rate of $3,296 and that Bi‑County collects roughly 16 cents on the dollar because of payer mix (Medi‑Cal and Medicare). He said combined net income for Bi‑County in Yuba and Sutter last year was about $300,000, and that providing ambulance services requires significant capital investment: a new ambulance can cost $250,000–$300,000 and cardiac monitors $50,000–$60,000.
Board members asked questions about performance and the contracting process. Supervisor Mann praised Poland's expertise and recommended maintaining the current provider while implementing performance metrics. Supervisor 5 moved to proceed with Bi‑County Ambulance for negotiations; the motion was seconded and passed by the board.
The board did not approve a final contract at the meeting; chair instructed staff to return with the negotiated agreement and recommended performance metrics for board review.
What happens next: staff and Sierra Sacramento Valley EMS will negotiate contract terms and proposed performance measures and present the negotiated agreement to the board for final action.
