THOMASVILLE — Thomas County commissioners are preparing to consider proposals received for contracting Thomas County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operational services.

County Manager Mike Stephenson said four proposals were submitted.

“As part of an ongoing effort to control the cost of local government, the emergency services committee of the board of commissioners sent out a request for proposals to consider the costs and benefits of contracting with a private company to provide emergency medical service,” Stephenson said. 

The net cost of proposals follows: 

• Community Ambulance (Macon), five years at $695,000/year

• Grady EMS (Atlanta), five years at $500,000/year

• Gold Star (Thomasville), five years at $0/year

• Thomas County EMS, fiscal year 2018 at $892,765

Thomas County EMS averages about $1.5 million net cost of operations per year, the county manager said.

Two alternate proposals were received for contracting emergency medical billing services only. The two proposals for only providing billing services and projected revenue increase follow:

• Emergency Medical Billing (Commerce), $700,000

• Community (Macon), $142,692

The proposals will be taken under advisement by the emergency services committee, with recommendations to the board of commissioners.

“Commissioners will consider an alternate proposal to merge Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services. While there is no deadline for a decision to be made, the process is expected to take about a couple of months,” Stephenson said.

For the most part, he said, bid amounts are what were expected.

In response to questions about no charge by Blue Star, Stephenson said. “They will take it over, and they won’t charge anything.”

He referred other questions to the company.

Hal Pullen, Blue Star EMS chief operating officer, Thomasville region, told the Times-Enterprise Friday he could not at this time discuss specifics of his company’s proposal.

The emergency services committee will look at proposals in a couple of weeks. Companies making proposals will present them to the committee, “and the board will take it from there,” Stephenson said.

A consultant’s proposal on merging Fire/Rescue/EMS is expected next week.

Vested employees would not lose retirement benefits if services are contracted, the county manager said, adding that to participate in the retirement program and become vested, one must have been employed by the county for 10 years.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820