Supervisor Gore seeking colleague’s support for compromises
A proposal that will be heard this week by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors that seeks to consolidate several ambulance service areas poses a threat of closure to Bell’s Ambulance, a Healdsburg-based, family-owned business that has been serving the north county’s ambulance and advanced life support needs since 1956. This marks at least the fourth such county-originated proposal to replace the private company with a government agency since 1991.
The current proposal is supported by county staff and an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ad hoc group of stakeholders that has been meeting since early 2018. The EMS ad hoc group supports the consolidation, stating “it will create the most consistent service delivery between the areas, and have the largest economy of scale effect” and requires “the expanded area is under a performance-based contract.”
North county supervisor James Gore this week said he is offering “full-throated support for Bell’s to continue” its independent operations.
“Why risk breaking something that currently is working so well,” he also said.
The Occidental area of west county also would be drawn into a new Exclusive Operating Area (EOA) after losing its private ambulance service, Flack Ambulance, a few years ago. The rest of the county is served by ambulance services provided by city and county fire agencies, the Cloverdale Health Care District, Bell’s and another private ambulance company. All the entities are part of a “mutual aid” agreement and routinely provide backup or emergency responses.
If the supervisors vote this week to consolidate all the areas and launch a Request For Proposal (RFP) process to award a future exclusive five-year contract, it could be the first step toward the demise of Bell’s Ambulance.
”We would not be interested in extending our services into those other areas,” said Pam Bell Simmons, daughter of the company’s founders. “Things could get beyond our control. We have continued confidence we can continue to serve our area (north county). Extending our area has never been our concern.”
She urged north county residents to stay informed on the proposed ambulance service changes. “If you still want us and not some unknown (ambulance team) response, please contact your supervisors.”
Most of the ambulance and emergency response agencies only provide EMS level of services, such as responses to 9-1-1 calls, urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilization. Bell’s, Cloverdale and some government fire and ambulance units also provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) services, or paramedics.
For instance, Healdsburg Fire Department does not employ paramedics, instead relying on paramedic support from Bell’s Ambulance. Healdsburg Fire Chief Jason Boaz is supporting the continued operation of Bell’s Ambulance and the possible creation of a new north county Exclusive Operating Area, allowing Bell’s to be “grandfathered” into a new five-year franchise agreement.
Bell’s has never operated under a contract with the county or other government. It is a fee-for-service operation that is primarily paid by private users and other insurance reimbursements from patients. The company enjoys wide community support, partly based on a high volume of unsolicited positive patient testimonials.
The current county staff and EMS ad hoc proposal strongly endorses a countywide ambulance zone, but does include an alternative that would carve out a north county zone that Bell’s could continue to serve. This is specifically allowed under state law which grandfathers “existing ALS providers operating within a local EMS area in the manner and scope in which the services have been provided without interruption since Jan. 1, 1981.”
Family owners of Bell’s Ambulance have twice approached the county in 2008 and again in 2018 seeking a more formal and exclusive contract. In 2008, according to staff county reports, negotiations reached an “impasse” when Bell’s “failed to commit to the requirements of a performance-based ambulance EAO Agreements.” Simmons said Bell’s has demonstrated that “we meet or exceed” all performance requirement, but as a private company without a contract has not maintained all the data and statistics the new EAO proposal would require.
In 2018, similar talks were halted when county supervisor Lynda Hopkins forced the county’s EMS agency, Coastal Valleys Emergency Medical Services Agency (CVEMSA) to halt the process until more stakeholders were included in the EMS ordinance update talks.
Following almost three years of those stakeholder and EMS ad hoc sessions, Bell’s Ambulance finds itself back in the same place with a very uncertain future. Bell’s was founded by Simmons’ parents, Lea and Inez Bell when they took over operation and ownership of an ambulance that was being run by the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce.
“Dad saw a need for more consistent and expanded services,” she said. Her mother was one of the very first female EMS licensed technicians. At the time, he also was working nearby at the Fred Young Mortuary. Over the many years, Bell’s Ambulance has expanded from a single ambulance. The company now has five ambulances and a staff of 25-35 full-and part-time licensed caregivers, support staff and office assistants.
“It’s a great team,” said Simmons, “We’re lucky to have them.”
