County holding off on EMS RFPs

SANDPOINT — Bonner County is applying the brakes to a plan to seek proposals from agencies interested in providing emergency medical services.

The county was poised to put out requests for proposals for EMS, but Commissioner Dan McDonald said the county may not seek such proposals for more than a year.

“We’re going to hold off on this,” McDonald said on Thursday.

McDonald said the county is delaying its request for proposals due to a series of policy and procedural improvements implemented by the county EMS Chief Jeff Lindsey, whom McDonald is praising for his organizational efforts over the last few months.

“We want to finish rebuilding,” McDonald said.

The development could be welcome news for Bonner EMS paramedics and emergency medical technicians, who worried whether their department would exist after commissioners began mulling the idea of contracting with an outside agency for EMS late last year. McDonald argued that such a move would drive down costs and improve service.

North Valley Ambulance, which is operated by Lindsey, appeared to be the prime contender for the contract, although the county subsequently decided to entertain proposals from additional agencies.

The county, meanwhile, is advancing plans to construct a new EMS station on county property off Kootenai Cutoff Road in Ponderay. McDonald said the county would continue to rent its station in downtown Sandpoint, but would eventually relocate that facility to a county-owned building across from the Bonner County Administration Building on S. Division Avenue.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.