Some cities complain that Pinellas gave the current provider an early warning that the lucrative contract would be open for bids.
By MICHAEL SANDLER
Published March 25, 2004
CLEARWATER - A political fight is brewing over Pinellas County's search for a company to run the county's ambulance service.
Representatives from several of Pinellas' largest cities - including St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo - are complaining that county officials gave the current provider advance notice that a contract was going to be advertised for bids.
AMR has managed the county's Sunstar service since December 1987, when Pinellas first went to a countywide system. But in November 2003, company officials said they needed as much as $6-million more to meet the rising cost of insurance and wages.
The terms of the contract, which is worth about $19-million this year, do not allow for a price increase, so county officials said they were forced to open the lucrative contract so others could bid. The ambulance contract was advertised on Feb. 27 with an April 2 deadline for receiving bids. But six of the largest Pinellas cities and two large fire districts complained and asked the county to extend the deadline by 30 to 60 days.
The county answered by extending it 28 days, to April 30.
Now, city officials allege that AMR has an unfair advantage.
The city of Largo, which is competing for the contract, demanded records of correspondence between AMR and the county. They found that AMR was notified on Jan. 14 - more than six weeks before anybody else.
"I think you sort of send a message out with that short of a time frame - maybe the competition is not as open as what is implied," said Tish Elston, deputy mayor for the city of St. Petersburg.
"It would have been good for the cities to know in January," said Largo City Manager Steven Stanton.
Largo is one of 14 agencies and companies to inquire about the contract. County officials say more may be interested, noting that the deadline is weeks away and the request for proposal can be downloaded from the county's Web site.
Chuck Kearns, the county's EMS director, said the tight deadline is necessary for a seamless transition on Sept. 30, the final day of AMR's contract.
Whoever takes over must put together a fleet of ambulances and a staff of nearly 400 paramedics and technicians. The provider also must have its emergency communication system set up on site a month in advance so the county's EMS personnel can test for glitches.
"I can't move fast enough on this," Kearns said. "To stretch the time out really causes a dilemma in the startup."
County Administrator Steve Spratt said the county agreed to extend the deadline by nearly a month to accommodate the cities.
Assistant County Administrator Gay Lancaster said she told city officials about the impending bid process on Feb. 6.
Spratt questions why city officials, who routinely review contract proposals, need more time than private companies.
"The major players in the business have no problem with the deadline," Spratt said. "The municipal fire departments felt they needed more time. We've accommodated their request. If anything, the private vendor community can say, "You tilted it toward your local fire departments.' "
In Pinellas, the local fire department and the countywide ambulance service respond to most emergency calls. Under the contract, that arrangement would not change.
Sunstar AMR operates 54 ambulances in Pinellas County and employs 388 emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Pinellas bills the patients and sets standards.
The five-year contract has an option for two three-year extensions, as long as the company meets performance standards and agrees to terms and prices established in the contract.
In 1999, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo spent months investigating whether they could provide the county's emergency transport service cheaper than a private company. But Clearwater and St. Petersburg ultimately pulled out.
AMR underbid Largo and other contractors for the service.
City officials say they have the means to provide the service cheaper and want to compete.
"Everybody who thinks they can do the service ought to have a shot at it," said Clearwater City Manager Bill Horne, who signed the letter.
Spratt said the county has the power to extend the deadline further.
"I don't think we are inclined to do that," Spratt said. "AMR's contract is slated to expire at the end of the fiscal year. That has got to be our point of reference."
