County awards ambulance contract to Mercy Medical Transport with plan to retain incumbent staff

Tuolumne County approved a new ambulance services agreement with Mercy Medical Transport to operate the county’s 9‑1‑1 ambulance system beginning July 1 under a base contract of $6,556,467 and additional performance‑based compensation.

County staff said the RFP produced three proposals and a five‑member review panel recommended Mercy based on the evaluation criteria. The new operating plan will include five 24‑hour ambulances strategically located across the county (Groveland, Soulsbyville, Tuolumne, Sonora, Columbia/Jamestown) plus two 12‑hour advanced life support units and a 10‑hour basic life support unit to manage surge periods. The county emphasized dynamic deployment and move‑up plans to balance coverage and reduce workforce fatigue.

Mercy representatives said they will prioritize hiring the incumbent workforce; Mercy’s chief operating manager said onboarding materials and applications were distributed to current employees and the company is matching comparable pay and benefits. “All the employees will be offered a position,” Mercy’s representative said.

Speakers at the meeting asked whether user costs or insurance coverage would change; staff responded that ambulance rates are set by a separate resolution and not changed by the contract award. Residents and competing bidders questioned procurement details and scoring; county staff said there was an established protest period and that scoring sheets could be released now that negotiations are finalized.

The board voted to approve the contract by unanimous vote; staff said they expect Mercy to proceed with onboarding and that the new configuration aims to improve response reliability while managing cost and workforce challenges.

The county will monitor performance through the contract’s incentive metrics and scheduled oversight reviews.