Remond EMS remains the provider for Polk County
Renewal agreement approved by County Commission will keep ambulance service in place through 2029
CORRECTION: Due to a system error, the rest of this story wasn’t included after its beginning on Page A1 of the Standard Journal’s December 11, 2019 edition. In order to give our readers a chance to see the entire story, we have decided to reprint the full contents in this week’s edition. — KM
A renewed agreement approved by the Polk County Commission will keep Redmond EMS as the sole provider of local ambulance service for the next 10 years.
Commissioners voted unanimously minus an abstention from Chuck Thaxton to approve the new contract between Redmond EMS and the county during their December session and continue the service through 2029.
Redmond EMS Service Director Marty Robinson said the organization was thankful for continuing the service agreement.
“We are ecstatic to continue our service in Polk County,” he said. “Our crews have enjoyed being there for the past 10 years, and they look forward to continue to serving the community.”
Only minor changes were required to the agreement first drafted in 2009 to turn over the countyrun service to Redmond
EMS. Robinson said that included language that moved personnel from the county to Redmond, and minor changes like the start date of the new agreement moving up to December rather than the fiscal year’s start in July.
Redmond EMS in the past years have upgraded stations, increased the amount of services provided by personnel like their Mobile Integrated Health Program to help those with chronic illnesses avoid trips to the emergency room with regular checkups from staff, and increased technology inside of ambulances that help patients receive immediate treatment during cardiac events.
Polk County has a trio of 24 hour stations in Cedartown, next door to the Polk County Jail and in Rockmart with five ambulance crews providing service to the community by Redmond EMS currently. They additionally have another 12-hour station and crew to help during busy hours of the day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Fish Creek Fire Station.
Redmond EMS has also in past years increased their involvement in community relations, making donations of AEDs for Polk County facilities and taking part in mentoring programs in local schools, as well as getting involved in training efforts for public safety as well.
“We’re honored the county chose to trust us with their EMS service for the future,” Robinson said. “We’ll continue to provide good service and continue our relationship with Polk County.”
Commissioners briefly discussed the renewal agreement before they approved it during their December 3 session. County Attorney Brad McFall did note that a confidentiality clause within the contract was unenforceable, since it can be subject to an Open Records request.