EMS
District #2
Before 1992, the area known as Clark County
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) District #2 was served
by multiple ambulance providers, and patients in the community
had no guarantee of quality, response times or cost controls.
Retail competition between ambulance services was shown
to be ineffective. For example, those calling for a medical
emergency don’t have an inclination to comparison shop
when help is needed. In addition, the primary cost of
providing ambulance service is the cost of providing coverage
to ensure timely response. This cost is only increased
when multiple firms compete within the same area.
Wisely,
Clark County and the Cities of Battle Ground, La Center,
Ridgefield, and Vancouver recognized these problems, and
created a system that establishes the standards for ambulance
service up front and oversees the quality and cost of
service provided by contracting for ambulance service.
Hence, the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency’s
(CRESA’s) EMS Program was established to provide administration
and staff support needed to oversee the performance of
the ambulance contractor and administration of the 9-1-1
emergency medical dispatch. One hundred percent of the
program’s funding comes from the contractor to pay for
ambulance contract administration, 9-1-1 medical call
taking services, and medical oversight
Advantages
of managed competition
Through
periodic managed competition, the community of EMS District
#2 is provided:
- The
best possible ambulance service at the best possible
price, with rates externally determined and monitored.
Ambulance service that is funded entirely by user fees,
with no support from taxpayers or other subsidies.
- A
volunteer citizens oversight board with expertise in
health care, business, finance, and law that monitors
and ambulance contractor’s 139 performance obligations
including: clinical and response time performance, dispatch
and vehicle maintenance operations, billing practices,
and customer service.
- An
all-Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance system, staffed
and equipped at the paramedic level to ensure all patients
receive the highest standard of skill, knowledge, and
no delay in care.
- Some
of the most stringent response time standards in the
nation, that are externally monitored and have fines
for non-compliance.
- Protection
from service deterioration, or loss through performance
security that provides for immediate finances, should
takeover of the contract be necessary.
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Map of EMS districts in PDF format (Use Adobe
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MORE INFORMATION:
EMS
Program
Ambulance contractor
Emergency medical dispatch
Public Safety Educators Coalition
EMS FAQs
Governance and funding
ADDITIONAL
LINKS:
Ambulance
and hospital services
American
Medical Response
North
Country EMS
Camas Fire Dept.
Southwest Washington
Medical Center
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