AMR Up for 3-Year Contract Extension With County

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is being asked to consider awarding a three-year contract extension to American Medical Response.

This is despite a last week that called for a one-year notice of termination to the ambulance provider and for the county to upon the contract up for a competitve bid process.

AMR is the exclusive ambulance provider in much of Riverside County, including the southwest county area.

It is likely Murrieta officials will attend Tuesday's meeting when the Board Supervisors is scheduled to vote on this issue.

The Riverside County Department of Public Health is recommending the three-year extension, which would make it the fourth amendment to the contract long-held by AMR to cover 95 percent of the county.

"AMR has consistently met or exceeded contractual performance standards throughout the current term," county health officials wrote in an agenda report.

AMR's current contract expires June 30. The extension would be effective July 1 and run through June 30, 2015.

During that three-year period, county staff is also recommending a comprehensive evaluation of the county's emergency medical servcies plan, including its contract. An outside consultant would be hired to conduct it.

The results of the study would need to be returned to the Board of Supervisors by June 30, 2014, a year prior to the end of AMR's contract extension—if approved.