Around the country, government entities responsible for the provision of ambulance services have turned to competitive procurement processes to correct shortcomings in their EMS system. To undertake a bidding process for advanced life support [9-1-1] ambulance services is expensive and should only be conducted when the level of service is unacceptable and all good faith avenues to correct the issues with the incumbent provider have failed.The complexity and thoroughness required by State law in the Request for Proposal [RFP] process for ambulance services contribute to the high cost of continually putting the service out to bid. There are many cost drivers associated with conducting an RFP: comprehensive cost analyses, data collection and analysis, hiring external consultants to ensure the integrity of the process, documenting compliance with state and local regulations, extensive documentation of all meetings, correspondence, memos, and more. Complex evaluation processes and long-term planning are required to grant a multi-year ambulance contract.In Del Norte County, the conditions that might warrant an RFP are simply not present. Del Norte Ambulance service records meet all scrutiny measures. System stakeholders, such as hospital administrators, government regulators, and the public give high marks to Del Norte Ambulance for quality of care, timely response, integration with system providers, and customer satisfaction.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');A county that engages an outside provider to come into the region to take over EMS responsibility risks a variety of unanticipated and negative outcomes that can be avoided by collaborating with the company that has been your provider for more than 40 years.Del Norte Ambulance is singularly dedicated to serving our county. We are not distracted by the issues facing other service areas for which we might be responsible. We are not beholden to owners or shareholders unfamiliar with the challenges of providing quality services here.When an ambulance provider is imported from elsewhere, earning trust starts over on day one. Accountability, responsiveness, adaptability, and dedication levels are unknown. A literature search on this reveals a number of EMS systems that did not get what they thought they were getting from a new provider. Confusion, budget overruns, quality complaints, and system disruption take a heavy toll—regulatory and compliance staff are overwhelmed with complicated problems, dissatisfied hospital administrators become vocal, responder agencies falter, and constituents become angry when the EMS system is compromised. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });