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Columbia County approves multi-year Gold Cross EMS contract, adds field blood-product capability
Summary
The Columbia County Community Emergency Services Committee approved a renewable contract with Gold Cross EMS covering services through June 30, 2027, added a 12-hour ambulance and recommended a companion agreement to let crews carry blood products; staff said the first-year county cost rises by about $500,000 but resident billing caps remain unchanged.
Columbia County’s Community Emergency Services Committee approved a multi-year contract with Gold Cross EMS and recommended a related agreement to allow field blood products, moves county staff said are intended to improve emergency response as call volume grows.
The committee heard from the county’s fire and emergency services representative (S6), who presented a new renewable contract covering July 1 through June 30, 2027, with total contract payments summarized as $2,350,000 for the term. The presentation said the contract adds a 12-hour basic life support ambulance to meet demand and keeps the maximum billing level charged to patients at the same rates set under prior terms.
County manager (S4) described the contract as a significant increase compared with prior years and said the county is paying closer to market rates after a period of comparatively low payments. ‘‘It is just under $500,000 increase on the first year,’’ S6 said when asked about the change in cost. County staff told the committee they have compared the contract to benchmark counties and believe the county still pays less than some neighbors for the level of service provided.
Committee members asked whether the county had analyzed bringing EMS in-house. County manager (S4) said a prior estimate to start an in-house service was on the order of $14–15 million, a figure staff described as possibly stale but indicative of substantial startup costs. Staff said the county continues to monitor options but that the contract, combined with added ambulance capacity and closer coordination with the provider, offers an immediate way to reduce times when no ambulances are available.
S6 also presented a recommended agreement with Shepherd Community Blood Center to allow Gold Cross crews to carry blood products in the field (plasma and platelets). Staff estimated the fiscal impact of the blood-products arrangement at about $8,000 annually but said it could be less. Commissioner (S2) responded to the proposal by stating, "This will save lives." The committee moved the EMS contract and the blood-products agreement through the consent process during the meeting record.
The committee’s action keeps the county’s patient-billing cap in place for the contract term. Staff and commissioners said they will continue to meet monthly with Gold Cross leadership to monitor performance. The meeting record did not include a roll-call vote tally; approval was recorded in the minutes by voice motion.
