Rural Metro addressed the Loudon County Commission earlier
this week, disagreeing with allegations made in a 60-day
notice of default delivered in August.
Rural Metro Community Relations Director Tom Milton on
Monday presented the commission with a letter that addressed
the allegations specifically.
“Rural Metro understands that the County may have concerns
resulting from isolated events, and although we agree that
these incidents have to be addressed, they do not constitute
default,” the letter said.
The letter also took exception with the allegation that
Rural Metro is not meeting industry standards. The company
is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of
Ambulance Services, Milton said.
At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Dave Meers questioned
Milton about delays in the installation of GPS equipment.
Milton said the GPS is being set up and should be working by
November.
Among the recommendations in the letter, Rural Metro asked
for regular meetings with the commission to discuss any
issues that might arise. Rural Metro has served Loudon
County well for more than a decade without major complaints,
Milton said in an earlier interview. The problems began
shortly after rival Priority Ambulance entered the market
this year, he said.
Priority has an agreement to provide services to the city of
Loudon and Lenoir City; areas that were previously assigned
to Rural Metro under a county wide contract that through
December 2015.
Population in Loudon County is concentrated in the two
largest cities, Loudon and Lenoir City, he said. Most calls
in the county come from these areas.
The mutual aid agreement, which allows the E-911 dispatchers
to select the closest ambulance to the incident, results
more often than not in the assignment of Priority, according
to Rural Metro’s management. “It’s a formula to undercut the
contract,” Milton said.
Call volume for Rural Metro ambulance service in Loudon County has dropped off considerably since an informal mutual aid agreement was reached with rival Priority Ambulance a few months ago, Milton said in an earlier interview. “On days when we would get 30 to 40 calls we are now getting five calls,” he said.
Milton said Rural Metro is prepared to compete against any
other ambulance service during the contract bidding process,
but he believes that once an exclusive contract has been
signed, the competition should end. “Right now it’s whoever
gets there first gets the call,” he said.
He said the current situation makes him wonder “whether the contract means anything.”
That the situation between the county and Rural Metro should get to such a point surprises Milton. He said that the company usually works out complaints with its customers through private discussions, not news conferences.
Priority is serious about expanding its footprint in Tennessee, said Rob Webb, Priority’s vice president of operations. Should Priority be asked to fill a larger role in Loudon or surrounding counties, the company has adequate resources for expansion, Webb said.
Priority has paid bonuses to recruit new employees,
including those from Rural Metro. Using bonuses to recruit
from competitors is a standard practice in the industry, he
said.
Jerry Harnish, Rural Metro’s Tennessee regional director,
has suggested that the Priority bonus program could create a
conflict of interest because some of the Loudon E-911
dispatchers also work for Priority.
Loudon County E-911 Director Jennifer Estes said that she
and several dispatchers work part time for Priority to keep
their EMT certifications valid.
She said she has not been paid any bonus to sign on with
Priority. Some Loudon E-911 dispatchers also work for Rural
Metro, she said.
County Mayor Buddy Bradshaw said he has been meeting with
Rural Metro to discuss some of the problems. Any further
action on the contract will be based on the decision of the
commission, he said. “They’re going to do what’s best for
the citizens of Loudon County,” Bradshaw said.