In response to recent growth in Saline County, the county’s EMS Board recently entered into an exclusive contract for emergency medical services with Pafford Medical Services (Pafford).
The Saline County EMS Board was created pursuant to an interlocal agreement, authorizing an exclusive franchise for emergency medical services, entered into by the cities of Alexander, Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Haskell, and Traskwood, as well as, Saline County. The EMS Board is made up of the Saline County judge and mayors of Alexander, Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Haskell, and Traskwood. The areas served include the unincorporated areas of Saline County, and the incorporated areas of Alexander, Bauxite, Benton, Bryant, Haskell, and Traskwood, excluding Shannon Hills and Hot Springs Village.
The Board recognized that emergency medical services affect the health, safety, and welfare of the entire population of Saline County and entered into an interlocal agreement to procure emergency medical services through an exclusive franchise agreement.
Undertaking a lengthy process that had never been done before in Saline County, the Board issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for emergency medical services throughout the county. The Board considered numerous high-quality responses from many respected EMS providers and ultimately selected Pafford Medical Services, based upon their exceptional RFP response
and presentation.
Beginning in February 2022, Pafford will begin operating between six to eight ambulances, with five stations and three posting stations strategically located throughout Saline County. The service will be dispatched by the newly consolidated Saline Emergency Communications Center along with fire and police units.
“Emergency medical services are crucial for the safety of our citizens as well as continued growth,” said Saline County Office of Emergency Management Director Brandon Guillot. “We always strive to ensure that we have the best possible care for our residents and are excited by the opportunity.”
Between now and the commencement of emergency medical services in early 2022, Pafford will be engaged with the local community, gathering information on the needs of the stakeholders to inform its future plans.
“As CEO of Pafford, I speak for our entire leadership team when I say we are honored to have been chosen as the EMS provider for Saline County,” said Pafford Chief Executive Officer Jamie Pafford-Gresham. “The process set forth by Judge Arey, including all mayors, cities, and fire departments, to come together to seek out a solution for the county wide ambulance service, was a well thought out process. We believe that with our ability to be solutions driven, many of the county’s concerns over EMS coverage will be addressed. We look forward to being a part of the community.”
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