911 bids in 2015 (LA COUNTY)

[cspinebrah]

So the 911 bids are around the corner and ive been hearing many rumors about some companies losing/gaining 911 area.

some things ive heard are, AmeriCare will lose all 911 maybe to CARE or McCormick, Cole Schaefer will lose the Foothills to AMR and some of they're Pomona Area to CARE.

ANYONE HEARD OF ANYTHING ELES!?

 

[ITBITB13]

La city 800 rigs to Care Ambulance.

 

[socalmedic]

La city 800 rigs to Care Ambulance.

I am all for privatizing EMS in LA city, but I doubt this will happen. besides the fact that they just added 11 BLS ambulances this year and have finally reached their goal of an ambulance in every station. The union will never stand for a reduction in staffing, and the city will not transition these 300 firefighter positions to engines or trucks.

 

[Jim37F]

I am all for privatizing EMS in LA city, but I doubt this will happen. besides the fact that they just added 11 BLS ambulances this year and have finally reached their goal of an ambulance in every station. The union will never stand for a reduction in staffing, and the city will not transition these 300 firefighter positions to engines or trucks.

Especially since they're hiring an additional 300+ firefighters over the next couple years.

I've heard from AMR during a recent test that they fully expect to regain the Pomona EOA (Schaefer's one and only LA County 911 area). A buddy of mine who worked at Schaefer till he got an FD job told me he pretty much expects Schaefer to lose it as well.

Although Care does have an Irwindale station now (that's where they got their fugly Stryker vans at so I've heard, definitely seen plenty of those Care vans around town) so they might just be putting themselves into a position to bid on it (maybe even AMRs SGV area or both, but I really don't see AMR losing the SGV)

 

[mike1390]

La city 800 rigs to Care Ambulance.

Can we please stop perpetuating rumors like this? Because what happens is some gullible new EMT reads stuff like this and spreads it around like wild fire, and or makes his decision on where to apply thinking that because he read that "care was taking over LAFD BLS transport" he will be able to work on them.

So PLEASE STOP with these ridiculous rumors.

I know you think because CARE sent rigs to city hall or whatever that its gunna happen. But you need to think about the political backlash that a move like that will cause. Its not going to happen.

 

[ITBITB13]

Can we please stop perpetuating rumors like this? Because what happens is some gullible new EMT reads stuff like this and spreads it around like wild fire, and or makes his decision on where to apply thinking that because he read that "care was taking over LAFD BLS transport" he will be able to work on them.

So PLEASE STOP with these ridiculous rumors.

I know you think because CARE sent rigs to city hall or whatever that its gunna happen. But you need to think about the political backlash that a move like that will cause. Its not going to happen.

Not to be rude, but am I the only one that thinks it's pretty funny when people get mad over something pretty meaningless like a rumor? ^_^

I heard this "rumor" from what I feel is a very credible source (even though the person isn't at all affiliated with Care/Falck..) , so I'm just passing on the knowledge. Anything is a possibility with ems..

 

[ITBITB13]

some things ive heard are, AmeriCare will lose all 911 maybe to CARE, Cole Schaefer will lose the some of they're Pomona Area to Care

That would be awesome. I would love to work for Care if they got Santa Monica..^_^

 

[Jim37F]

That would be awesome. I would love to work for Care if they got Santa Monica..^_^

Well considering Santa Monica is surrounded by McCormick's area, they'd probably be more likely to pick it up than Care. Either that they'd go back to Gerber.



Sometime ago I found an online copy of the minutes from the city hall meeting from Torrance in 2011 when they voted to continue using Gerber. If I can find it again I'll post the link. But anyway it included a summary of which companies bid and their arguments and what not. Only 5 companies actually bid on Torrance: Gerber, AmeriCare, McCormick, AmbuServe, and GCTI.

Even though they're currently an IFT only company, AmbuServe IS CAAS accredited. Of the 6 current 911 ambulance companies in LA Co, only AMR, AmeriCare, and Care are also. Schaefer, McCormick, and Gerber are not.

So... it's entirely possible that AmbuServe can pick up a zone. Especially considering that I've heard the county will want CAAS accreditation in 2015. Although personally I just don't see McCormick losing two whole zones to an IFT Co over a sticker on the back of the rigs lol

 

[ITBITB13]

Only 5 companies actually bid on Torrance: Gerber, AmeriCare, McCormick, AMBUSERVE, and GCTI.

Even though they're currently an IFT only company, AmbuServe IS CAAS accredited. Of the 6 current 911 ambulance companies in LA Co, only AMR, AmeriCare, and Care are also. Schaefer, McCormick, and Gerber are not.

So... it's entirely possible that AmbuServe can pick up a zone. Especially considering that I've heard the county will want CAAS accreditation in 2015. Although personally I just don't see McCormick losing two whole zones to an IFT Co over a sticker on the back of the rigs lol

I WOULD LOSE ALL FAITH IN EMS IF AMBUSERVE GETS ANY FIRE CONTRACT.

Don't get me started on that company. I gave up a year of my life there. How they have been able to get and keep that CAAS accreditation brainf***s me every time I think about it.

Lord have mercy on all of Torrance's citizens if they get that contract.

 

[PotatoMedic]

You could report them to CAAS...

 

[Chris07]

Considering we have two years till we know for sure, I don't see the point in mulling over this so early. A lot can happen in two years' time. I say we kick this back up in 2015 a month before the bid. At that time, we can start pouring out the rumors.
I'm not even going to dignify the LA City rumor with a big response. All I'll say is that rumor is several years old and has moved nowhere.

As a side note:
Has anyone heard that LA Co. Fire is requiring that contractors use "mod" ambulances instead of "vanbulances" for the 2016 contract? Or is that yet another one from the rumor mill?

 

[Uclabruin103]

I'd guess LA City would go an ambulance operator eoute way before totally going private.

 

[Mike S]

The fire contracts for LA County Fire come up in 2015.

The faces and ownership of many of the companies have changed. Off shore oil owns Care now (Falck), Geber sold to Falck, McCormick was in the process of selling to Falck and it was set off course. Schaefer is solid in their areas and have never considered selling. AmeriCare will not sell and is family owned and operated and one of the few left with conglomerates gobbling up companies. I started it from scratch in 1995/6 and we have been operating ever since. We broke into 911 in 1998 rather quickly and have continued to grow 911 service and non-emergency services ever since. Falck is now expanding heavily into non-emergency now that Care sold to them so they are spreading resources thin to compete in the non-emergency world . . . which is the life source of private ambulance (not the 911).

There is nothing for us to lose as we do not run any of these areas that are bidding. Santa Monica and Torrance bid spate to the county. Downey/Compton put out a bid but no ambulance companies bid on it (with a compliant bid) so the area is non-contracted and their center can call anyone on their list (Both Compton and Downey have their own BLS rigs and maintain their 201 rights). Liberty is in the City and gets the majority of calls when they have a rig available. Care will back them up too. We (AmeriCare) will not respond from out of the city anymore so we take the calls only if we have a unit in the city. We run all of Santa Monica and the Torrance bid is coming up. We will be bidding on Torrance as it was a short term contract and Gerber sold the company after they had it awarded.

You may hear rumors but now all bids must be put in RFP form, submitted to the state for approval, the RFP will be published, and the compliant companies (generally with 3 years plus of 911 and CAAS) can bid on the areas. The bids are done by panels that apply the state mandated and accepted grading system. The highest graded bidders that are compliant get the contract. Should "rumors" sway a county counsel member and they vote in an alternative company the "exclusive" rights to the 911 EOA would not be passed to the company so they would risk a non-201 award (in other words it could end up on a rotation with all licensed companies) so I doubt rumors would sway the bidding process. The panels grade the companies on their ability to provide the service, past 911 compliance (we have been 100% on all 911 contracts for over a decade now), sometimes CAAS gets you higher levels, your radio systems (we have two towers and our own repeater), you ability to operate in a disaster (we have been to all FEMA responses since 2005 and sent a strike team of 15 units for over 30 days to Hurricane Rita among other FEMA responses), and your stations . . . sometimes there are some other grading criteria. Non licensed companies can generally not bid as well as 911 experience is generally a prequalifying factor.

Right now all areas for OCFA in Orange County are up for bid and the panels are being assembled.

We look forward for the opportunity to bid and be considered for every 911 contract that comes up in Sothern California.

 

[lukgiel]

I am all for privatizing EMS in LA city, but I doubt this will happen. besides the fact that they just added 11 BLS ambulances this year and have finally reached their goal of an ambulance in every station. The union will never stand for a reduction in staffing, and the city will not transition these 300 firefighter positions to engines or trucks.

Why do you want EMS to be privatized? If EMS is kept either 3rd tier standalone or part of a FD, you can get better pay and benefits. Working for a private, you're just earning money for someone, granted you're still saving people, but you're someone's pawn to get rich. I'd rather ems remain public

 

[usalsfyre]

Why do you want EMS to be privatized? If EMS is kept either 3rd tier standalone or part of a FD, you can get better pay and benefits. Working for a private, you're just earning money for someone, granted you're still saving people, but you're someone's pawn to get rich. I'd rather ems remain public

:rofl::rofl:

As opposed to helping union officers get rich in an FD system?

So young and naive....

 

[lukgiel]

:rofl::rofl:

As opposed to helping union officers get rich in an FD system?

So young and naive....

Not sure what you mean? Let me give you a comparison of NYC, an emt-b working privates makes $11 an hour, even if you do 911 through a private you make the same. Working for a hospital you make around $18, and working fdny you make around $15-$16 but you have job stability and benefits and a 25 yr pension. Working for a private, I can only retire at 66 and that's if thet don't fire me for someone new so they can pay them less. It takes no skill to do transport

 

[Uclabruin103]

We look forward for the opportunity to bid and be considered for every 911 contract that comes up in Sothern California.

Be glad they don't consider employee moral during their process, otherwise you'd be totally out of luck. I've never seen a company with less employee moral, or with employees with more negative things to say about a company.

 

[Jim37F]

Mike S, every time I've worked with a former AmeriCare EMT they've never had any good things to say about the company. Just saying if you do an "undercover boss" type thing you may ( most likely) will find things aren't so rosy as they seem..

Gerber has been bought out by Falck and is slowly being 100% folded into Care Ambulance, I.e. once the merger is complete, there will be no more Gerber Ambulance. My understanding is that the only thing holding it up is the Torrance contract and once that's sorted out, Gerber will be bye-bye. Whether that's Care taking over transports temporarily until a new bid, or McCormick or Gerber will continue along until a new bid, I don't know. But for any company looking to take over, TFD has been "approved to purchase two (2) 2015 Horton 623 rescue ambulances....This will begin to replace the paramedic [rescue] squads and soon they will begin transporting their own patients to hospitals" Source: www.code2high.com

 

[usalsfyre]

Not sure what you mean? Let me give you a comparison of NYC, an emt-b working privates makes $11 an hour, even if you do 911 through a private you make the same. Working for a hospital you make around $18, and working fdny you make around $15-$16 but you have job stability and benefits and a 25 yr pension. Working for a private, I can only retire at 66 and that's if thet don't fire me for someone new so they can pay them less. It takes no skill to do transport

As opposed to the skill it takes to do BLS 911 or dare I say it, most urban ALS 911?

I'm saying this. Job stability for FDs very well may not be what people think it is (granted FDNY may be an exception) as I know A LOT of smaller FDs that have furloughed people. And if you think FDs are in EMS for some altruistic notion of "helping people" you're sadly mistaken. Look at Kansas City, DCFEMS or even FDNY. It's about call volume to justify staffing. Chiefs get bigger departments and union presidents get more members.

There's good and bad of EVERY kind of department. I'm fairly certain a private could do a far better job than DCFEMS or Dallas Fire Rescue whether someone's making money or not. To claim public departments are all about "helping" is buying into their BS and very, very mistaken.

From the standpoint of the patient, I don't give a crap about how much you make or how good the retirement is. I care that you know what you're doing and aren't hamstrung by protocols from last century. But most is EMS forget to look at that side of it.

 

[Carlos Danger]

It takes no skill to do transport

With that single six-word sentence, you pretty much told us all we need to know about your EMS experience.......and thus how much attention we should give what you write on here.