RFP - Advanced Life Support - Paramedic Level Emergency Ambulance Services

The Clinch County Board of Commissioners in Georgia is issuing a Request for Proposals to procure exclusive Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic-level emergency ambulance services for the unincorporated areas and municipalities within Clinch County, serving approximately 6,749 residents across 809 square miles with an estimated 1,000 emergency requests annually. The selected contractor must provide 24/7 emergency ground ambulance services with a minimum of one dedicated ALS ambulance staffed by a Georgia-licensed paramedic and an EMT or higher certification, plus one reserve unit. The contractor must meet strict response time standards requiring 90% compliance with 15 minutes for scenes within 10 miles of the EMS station, 25 minutes for distances between 10-25 miles, and 35 minutes for scenes beyond 25 miles, with monthly performance reporting and penalties ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 for non-compliance. The contractor is responsible for all operational costs including vehicle maintenance, personnel, supplies, equipment, and communications center management, while the County provides the EMS station facility, utilities, furnishings, radio infrastructure, and state ambulance license. Sealed proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM on April 1, 2026, with one signed original and five copies plus one PDF copy, including executed notarized investigative authorization forms for company ownership and key personnel; proposals will be publicly opened at 6:00 PM on April 6, 2026, at the Clinch County Commission Office in Homerville, Georgia. The initial contract term is one year beginning August 9, 2026, with the opportunity for up to four additional one-year renewal periods based on performance evaluation.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor preferences, indicating this is an open competitive procurement. The County will provide existing infrastructure including the EMS station facility and radio system that the contractor must integrate with and utilize operationally. Compensation consists of an annual subsidy amount to be determined through the RFP evaluation process, with the contractor permitted to bill and retain all patient revenues from emergency and non-emergency transports; the 2025 operational data indicates approximately 875 completed transports annually with primary destination facilities including SGMC Health and Clinch Memorial Hospital. The contractor must maintain general liability, automobile liability, and professional liability insurance at a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence, with the County named as additional insured. The specific award value or annual subsidy amount is not predetermined and will be established based on proposal evaluation, though the operational data suggests the service generates substantial patient revenue that substantially offsets County costs.