MISSION VIEJO : City Will Award Ambulance Contract
The City Council will award one of three competing ambulance firms a franchise to cover emergency services in a decision scheduled for today.
With less than two points separating the three companies in a rating system developed by the Orange County Fire Department, city staff has recommended the contract be given to the incumbent vendor, Southland/Lifefleet Ambulance Service.
In a report to the council, city staff said that Southland’s performance has been good and “because of the closeness of the scores that resulted from the (evaluation) process . . . staff is recommending that the City Council enter into an agreement with Southland/Lifefleet.”
Southland’s contract with the city, which allows it to bill customers directly for ambulance service, expired in December, 1992.
The company has been operating on an interim basis while the Fire Department developed and carried out the evaluation process.
Other companies applying for the franchise include Medix Ambulance Service and Doctor’s Ambulance Service.
All three ambulance firms were rated on a 1,050-point scale that included performance categories such as response time.
Medix was rated the highest, with 996 points. Doctor’s and Southland/Lifefleet each accumulated 994 points.
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