CARE Ambulance | Wikimedia Commons/Epolk
CARE Ambulance | Wikimedia Commons/Epolk
CARE Ambulance, LLC has been selected to provide emergency services for Jefferson County and the City of Fairfield.
The county along with the City of Fairfield will enter into a three-year contract with the company, effective in six months. Midwest Ambulance, the current provider, will finish its contract during that time. Midwest and the city were also considered by the county for the contract.
“It will be heads above,” County Supervisor Lee Dimmitt told the Ottumwa Courier. “They’re more interested in being a community partner, have local people from here that currently work in Iowa City, and will bring those people back. That’s a huge thing to me.”
During the meeting, Dimmitt said the service would have at least one paramedic in each ambulance and potentially bring back some of the laid off firefighters from Ottumwa. The commission did not know the compensation CARE offers its employees. In terms of cost to the county, it will have to be determined.
“As the subsidy goes up, if the valuations go up enough to cover the subsidy for the hospital levy, then our contribution will be the same,” Dimmitt said, according to the Courier. “If it only goes up $10,000 each year. If we flat-line at this point, I’m still only looking at an additional $10,000 for each entity.”
The county, city and Johnson Health Center will share CARE’s services although the hospital was not willing to take a financial risk. The county pledged to purchase three ambulances during the proposal period. Dimmitt told the Courier he did not think CARE would hold the county to the purchase. He did mention he would like to see the county at least purchase one ambulance for its inventory. It hasn’t had one in six years.
CARE offers an array of services and is privately contracted for sporting events, ground and aerial transfers. Its website indicates it provides care to nearly 10,000 patients a year. It has bases in Waterloo and Grinnell.
During the meeting, Dimmitt said the service would have at least one paramedic in each ambulance and potentially bring back some of the laid off firefighters from Ottumwa.
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