Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

[Guest guest]

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/869151/ambulance_service_to_shut_down_in_vid\

or/index.html?source=r_health

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 06:00 CDT

Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

By Dee Dixon, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

Mar. 14--VIDOR -- An ongoing dispute over not having exclusive rights to

emergency calls and no city ordinance to prevent other ambulances from answering

those calls was identified as the key reason why Priority Care plans to shut

down its operation here June 23.

In a one-hour news conference, , Priority Care Medical Transport

managing director, explained the company was losing money with other ambulances

running emergency calls in Priority Care territory. It had been taking calls in

Vidor since June 2006.

" We have been bombarded with outside agencies -- bandits, I call them, "

said. " We will no longer be able to provide medical service because of

non-exclusivity. "

In November, representatives from Priority Care notified Chief Kerwood of

the emergency services district that the ambulance company would reduce its

staff during off-peak hours from two 24-hour ambulances to one 24-hour

ambulance.

In a Nov. 13 letter to Kerwood, Jim Karras, executive vice president for the

ambulance company, said the firm was losing $364,000 in revenue from other

companies running emergency calls in Priority Care jurisdiction.

The Orange County Emergency Services District met last Thursday to hear

proposals from Liberty and Acadian ambulance services. Acadian was awarded a

contract to serve the rest of Orange County when the non-profit Orange County

Ambulance Service shut down after 27 years in the county.

This week, the board of commissioners for the district is scheduled to announce

which company will be awarded the contract to provide ambulance service in the

Vidor area.

In an attempt to stop ambulance companies from running emergency calls in Vidor,

where Priority Care was based, the county emergency services district asked the

city council to pass an exclusivity ordinance.

In January, representatives from the ambulance company, along with Kerwood,

attended a council meeting and asked that such an ordinance be passed. The issue

was tabled so that the city manager and city attorney could look into the

matter.

Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins, who was not present at that meeting, said the council's

understanding was that 9-1-1 calls were dispatched to the ambulance company and

there was no way for another ambulance company to make the calls.

" We felt like they were handling the 9-1-1 calls to begin with, " Hopkins said.

He said he was not aware of any other ambulance companies running calls in the

city.

ddixon@...

[Guest guest]

Would this be PRIORITY CARE or PRIORITY ONE MEDICAL

TRANSPORT of California? I worked for this operation

while I was in L.A. several years ago. Interesting

group.

--- Alan Lambert wrote:

>

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/869151/ambulance_service_to_shut_down_in_vid\

or/index.html?source=r_health

>

> Posted on: Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 06:00 CDT

>

> Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

>

>

> By Dee Dixon, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

>

> Mar. 14--VIDOR -- An ongoing dispute over not having

> exclusive rights to emergency calls and no city

> ordinance to prevent other ambulances from answering

> those calls was identified as the key reason why

> Priority Care plans to shut down its operation here

> June 23.

>

> In a one-hour news conference, ,

> Priority Care Medical Transport managing director,

> explained the company was losing money with other

> ambulances running emergency calls in Priority Care

> territory. It had been taking calls in Vidor since

> June 2006.

>

> " We have been bombarded with outside agencies --

> bandits, I call them, " said. " We will no

> longer be able to provide medical service because of

> non-exclusivity. "

>

> In November, representatives from Priority Care

> notified Chief Kerwood of the emergency

> services district that the ambulance company would

> reduce its staff during off-peak hours from two

> 24-hour ambulances to one 24-hour ambulance.

>

> In a Nov. 13 letter to Kerwood, Jim Karras,

> executive vice president for the ambulance company,

> said the firm was losing $364,000 in revenue from

> other companies running emergency calls in Priority

> Care jurisdiction.

>

> The Orange County Emergency Services District met

> last Thursday to hear proposals from Liberty and

> Acadian ambulance services. Acadian was awarded a

> contract to serve the rest of Orange County when the

> non-profit Orange County Ambulance Service shut down

> after 27 years in the county.

>

> This week, the board of commissioners for the

> district is scheduled to announce which company will

> be awarded the contract to provide ambulance service

> in the Vidor area.

>

> In an attempt to stop ambulance companies from

> running emergency calls in Vidor, where Priority

> Care was based, the county emergency services

> district asked the city council to pass an

> exclusivity ordinance.

>

> In January, representatives from the ambulance

> company, along with Kerwood, attended a council

> meeting and asked that such an ordinance be passed.

> The issue was tabled so that the city manager and

> city attorney could look into the matter.

>

> Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins, who was not present at that

> meeting, said the council's understanding was that

> 9-1-1 calls were dispatched to the ambulance company

> and there was no way for another ambulance company

> to make the calls.

>

> " We felt like they were handling the 9-1-1 calls to

> begin with, " Hopkins said.

>

> He said he was not aware of any other ambulance

> companies running calls in the city.

>

> ddixon@...

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

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[Guest guest]

This would be one and the same. Changed name while in Vidor because of a

Priority One already in the area. Talk to me someday about their role here

during Hurricane Rita and getting paid for it.

Andy

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[Guest guest]

My guess is that it is a newer compnay possible made up of former OCAs people.

Vidor is not that big so I do not think any outfit would come from out of state

just to run there.

Wayne Edgin wrote: Would this be PRIORITY CARE or

PRIORITY ONE MEDICAL

TRANSPORT of California? I worked for this operation

while I was in L.A. several years ago. Interesting

group.

--- Alan Lambert wrote:

>

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/869151/ambulance_service_to_shut_down_in_vid\

or/index.html?source=r_health

>

> Posted on: Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 06:00 CDT

>

> Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

>

>

> By Dee Dixon, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

>

> Mar. 14--VIDOR -- An ongoing dispute over not having

> exclusive rights to emergency calls and no city

> ordinance to prevent other ambulances from answering

> those calls was identified as the key reason why

> Priority Care plans to shut down its operation here

> June 23.

>

> In a one-hour news conference, ,

> Priority Care Medical Transport managing director,

> explained the company was losing money with other

> ambulances running emergency calls in Priority Care

> territory. It had been taking calls in Vidor since

> June 2006.

>

> " We have been bombarded with outside agencies --

> bandits, I call them, " said. " We will no

> longer be able to provide medical service because of

> non-exclusivity. "

>

> In November, representatives from Priority Care

> notified Chief Kerwood of the emergency

> services district that the ambulance company would

> reduce its staff during off-peak hours from two

> 24-hour ambulances to one 24-hour ambulance.

>

> In a Nov. 13 letter to Kerwood, Jim Karras,

> executive vice president for the ambulance company,

> said the firm was losing $364,000 in revenue from

> other companies running emergency calls in Priority

> Care jurisdiction.

>

> The Orange County Emergency Services District met

> last Thursday to hear proposals from Liberty and

> Acadian ambulance services. Acadian was awarded a

> contract to serve the rest of Orange County when the

> non-profit Orange County Ambulance Service shut down

> after 27 years in the county.

>

> This week, the board of commissioners for the

> district is scheduled to announce which company will

> be awarded the contract to provide ambulance service

> in the Vidor area.

>

> In an attempt to stop ambulance companies from

> running emergency calls in Vidor, where Priority

> Care was based, the county emergency services

> district asked the city council to pass an

> exclusivity ordinance.

>

> In January, representatives from the ambulance

> company, along with Kerwood, attended a council

> meeting and asked that such an ordinance be passed.

> The issue was tabled so that the city manager and

> city attorney could look into the matter.

>

> Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins, who was not present at that

> meeting, said the council's understanding was that

> 9-1-1 calls were dispatched to the ambulance company

> and there was no way for another ambulance company

> to make the calls.

>

> " We felt like they were handling the 9-1-1 calls to

> begin with, " Hopkins said.

>

> He said he was not aware of any other ambulance

> companies running calls in the city.

>

> ddixon@...

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________________

Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels

in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit.

http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097

[Guest guest]

After doing research It is that operation. Check their

website www.priorityonemedical.com. Jim Karras was the

president of Emergency Ambulance in Brea, Ca. Mike

was a RESERVE deputy sheriff that came into

some money. He started this operation with a lady

named Carol Shill in 1996. They are an interesting

bunch. They are in a fight with San Joquin County

Califorina over over the same stuff that they are

leaving OC for.

--- lawrence verrett wrote:

> My guess is that it is a newer compnay possible made

> up of former OCAs people. Vidor is not that big so I

> do not think any outfit would come from out of state

> just to run there.

>

> Wayne Edgin wrote:

> Would this be PRIORITY CARE or PRIORITY ONE MEDICAL

> TRANSPORT of California? I worked for this operation

> while I was in L.A. several years ago. Interesting

> group.

>

> --- Alan Lambert wrote:

>

> >

>

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/869151/ambulance_service_to_shut_down_in_vid\

or/index.html?source=r_health

> >

> > Posted on: Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 06:00 CDT

> >

> > Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

> >

> >

> > By Dee Dixon, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

> >

> > Mar. 14--VIDOR -- An ongoing dispute over not

> having

> > exclusive rights to emergency calls and no city

> > ordinance to prevent other ambulances from

> answering

> > those calls was identified as the key reason why

> > Priority Care plans to shut down its operation

> here

> > June 23.

> >

> > In a one-hour news conference, ,

> > Priority Care Medical Transport managing director,

> > explained the company was losing money with other

> > ambulances running emergency calls in Priority

> Care

> > territory. It had been taking calls in Vidor since

> > June 2006.

> >

> > " We have been bombarded with outside agencies --

> > bandits, I call them, " said. " We will no

> > longer be able to provide medical service because

> of

> > non-exclusivity. "

> >

> > In November, representatives from Priority Care

> > notified Chief Kerwood of the emergency

> > services district that the ambulance company would

> > reduce its staff during off-peak hours from two

> > 24-hour ambulances to one 24-hour ambulance.

> >

> > In a Nov. 13 letter to Kerwood, Jim Karras,

> > executive vice president for the ambulance

> company,

> > said the firm was losing $364,000 in revenue from

> > other companies running emergency calls in

> Priority

> > Care jurisdiction.

> >

> > The Orange County Emergency Services District met

> > last Thursday to hear proposals from Liberty and

> > Acadian ambulance services. Acadian was awarded a

> > contract to serve the rest of Orange County when

> the

> > non-profit Orange County Ambulance Service shut

> down

> > after 27 years in the county.

> >

> > This week, the board of commissioners for the

> > district is scheduled to announce which company

> will

> > be awarded the contract to provide ambulance

> service

> > in the Vidor area.

> >

> > In an attempt to stop ambulance companies from

> > running emergency calls in Vidor, where Priority

> > Care was based, the county emergency services

> > district asked the city council to pass an

> > exclusivity ordinance.

> >

> > In January, representatives from the ambulance

> > company, along with Kerwood, attended a council

> > meeting and asked that such an ordinance be

> passed.

> > The issue was tabled so that the city manager and

> > city attorney could look into the matter.

> >

> > Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins, who was not present at

> that

> > meeting, said the council's understanding was that

> > 9-1-1 calls were dispatched to the ambulance

> company

> > and there was no way for another ambulance company

> > to make the calls.

> >

> > " We felt like they were handling the 9-1-1 calls

> to

> > begin with, " Hopkins said.

> >

> > He said he was not aware of any other ambulance

> > companies running calls in the city.

> >

> > ddixon@...

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> > removed]

> >

> >

>

>

__________________________________________________________

> Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000

> hotels

> in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your

> fit.

> http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

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[Guest guest]

I bet threatened to sue everyone

--- rachfoote@... wrote:

> This would be one and the same. Changed name while

> in Vidor because of a

> Priority One already in the area. Talk to me

> someday about their role here

> during Hurricane Rita and getting paid for it.

>

> Andy

>

>

>

> ************************************** AOL now

> offers free email to everyone.

> Find out more about what's free from AOL at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

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[Guest guest]

Actually they are out of Cal. There are very few if any OCAS employees working

for them. Most of the OCAS employees are employeed at Acadian

lawrence verrett wrote: My guess is that it is a

newer compnay possible made up of former OCAs people. Vidor is not that big so I

do not think any outfit would come from out of state just to run there.

Wayne Edgin wrote: Would this be PRIORITY CARE or PRIORITY

ONE MEDICAL

TRANSPORT of California? I worked for this operation

while I was in L.A. several years ago. Interesting

group.

--- Alan Lambert wrote:

>

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/869151/ambulance_service_to_shut_down_in_vid\

or/index.html?source=r_health

>

> Posted on: Wednesday, 14 March 2007, 06:00 CDT

>

> Ambulance Service to Shut Down in Vidor

>

>

> By Dee Dixon, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

>

> Mar. 14--VIDOR -- An ongoing dispute over not having

> exclusive rights to emergency calls and no city

> ordinance to prevent other ambulances from answering

> those calls was identified as the key reason why

> Priority Care plans to shut down its operation here

> June 23.

>

> In a one-hour news conference, ,

> Priority Care Medical Transport managing director,

> explained the company was losing money with other

> ambulances running emergency calls in Priority Care

> territory. It had been taking calls in Vidor since

> June 2006.

>

> " We have been bombarded with outside agencies --

> bandits, I call them, " said. " We will no

> longer be able to provide medical service because of

> non-exclusivity. "

>

> In November, representatives from Priority Care

> notified Chief Kerwood of the emergency

> services district that the ambulance company would

> reduce its staff during off-peak hours from two

> 24-hour ambulances to one 24-hour ambulance.

>

> In a Nov. 13 letter to Kerwood, Jim Karras,

> executive vice president for the ambulance company,

> said the firm was losing $364,000 in revenue from

> other companies running emergency calls in Priority

> Care jurisdiction.

>

> The Orange County Emergency Services District met

> last Thursday to hear proposals from Liberty and

> Acadian ambulance services. Acadian was awarded a

> contract to serve the rest of Orange County when the

> non-profit Orange County Ambulance Service shut down

> after 27 years in the county.

>

> This week, the board of commissioners for the

> district is scheduled to announce which company will

> be awarded the contract to provide ambulance service

> in the Vidor area.

>

> In an attempt to stop ambulance companies from

> running emergency calls in Vidor, where Priority

> Care was based, the county emergency services

> district asked the city council to pass an

> exclusivity ordinance.

>

> In January, representatives from the ambulance

> company, along with Kerwood, attended a council

> meeting and asked that such an ordinance be passed.

> The issue was tabled so that the city manager and

> city attorney could look into the matter.

>

> Vidor Mayor Joe Hopkins, who was not present at that

> meeting, said the council's understanding was that

> 9-1-1 calls were dispatched to the ambulance company

> and there was no way for another ambulance company

> to make the calls.

>

> " We felt like they were handling the 9-1-1 calls to

> begin with, " Hopkins said.

>

> He said he was not aware of any other ambulance

> companies running calls in the city.

>

> ddixon@...

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________________

Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels

in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit.

http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097