By Eric Heinz
City Council voted to seek a contract with a second ambulance service in San Clemente, as the current additional trial year is coming to an end with CARE Ambulance Service.
Council member Chris Hamm spoke about some of the changes he wanted to see, including eliminating a punitive measure that fines EMS entities for what is deemed improper responses to calls.
Hamm is a firefighter with OCFA but was able to comment on the matter because the fire authority stated it would not be seeking to bid for the service. OCFA already has one ambulance in service in San Clemente, but after the Saddleback Memorial Medical Center closed in May, city officials sought to do a trial with CARE Ambulance Service. That one-year agreement will end May 1.
Bids can now be accepted by the city, and a hearing on the proposals is expected to take place within the next two months before the CARE contract expires. The request anticipates the bids will cost the city between $500,000 and $625,000 for services.
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