El Paso County asking municipalities to help fund ambulance services

El Paso County will renew its annual $407,000 ambulance contract for three more years.

Life Ambulance Services has worked for the county since 1984. But that was before areas like Socorro and Horizon incorporated. And during a recent sample — more than half of the county’s ambulance runs went to those two cities. Now the county wants municipalities to start chipping in.

In coming months, commissioners will meet with municipalities to figure out which cost model works best.

“Municipalities throughout the state,” said county contract analyst Mike Martinez, “try and work with the larger county entity to provide some type of cost-benefit where they’re paying that their share is.”

Incorporated areas could pay based on their portion of total ambulance runs, based on population, or using a weighted-rate model. The county would pay the remainder.

“There is a clause in there that requires that, if there’s growth in the county, that they have the right, and so do we have the right, to come back and renegotiate,” said Life spokeswoman Rachel Harracksingh.

Harracksingh said year-to-year contracts make it more difficult to pop for big capital investments, such as replacing ambulances. She said the three-year deal allows Life to provide a better service.

Joaquin Graham of American Medical Response, one of Life’s competitors, said the county hasn’t engaged in a competitive bid process for the ambulance services in “a very long time.”

“Provide the residents of El Paso County with the best possible service,” Graham said. “We feel like that can only be done, at this point, through a competitive bid process.”

But between October 2011 and July 2013, Life met all of its response-time obligations. It bills individuals about $400 for the average run.

“We’re going to maximize our opportunity and minimize cost to the taxpayers,” said Precinct Three Commissioner Sergio Lewis.

Mayor candidate Maya Sanchez, of newly incorporated San Elizario, said she wants to keep taxes down. But she said for San Elizario to provide ambulance services, it needs to take on these types of costs.

Socorro city officials weren’t available for comment Monday.