By Beau Yarbrough
San Bernardino County Sun
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� San Bernardino County residents will see American Medical Response ambulances on local streets for at least a few more weeks.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, a San Bernardino Superior Court judge put the county鈥檚 plan to switch to a new ambulance provider on hold while AMR鈥檚 legal challenge goes forward. The county had planned to switch providers on Oct. 1.
In December 2023, the county Board of Supervisors, acting in its role as Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency board members, voted unanimously to sign a five-year contract for ambulance service in much of the county with Consolidated Fire Agencies (CONFIRE), starting October 2024. CONFIRE is a joint operation of 15 fire departments.
AMR, the county鈥檚 long-time ambulance services provider, expressed surprise at the board鈥檚 decision and two months later it sued San Bernardino County in federal court. In its suit, AMR alleged the board鈥檚 decision violated state law in awarding the contract to CONFIRE, which scored fewer points in the county鈥檚 review and evaluation process, and in the process violated federal antitrust law.
On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Jay H. Robinson granted AMR鈥檚 motion for a preliminary injunction, putting the transition process on hold while its legal challenge goes forward.
Robinson made the decision, he wrote, after 鈥渆valuating American Medical Response of Inland Empire鈥檚 (鈥楢MR鈥�) likelihood of prevailing on the merits of its claims, the interim harms which AMR would suffer should the Court deny the injunction, the interim harms which County Defendants and CONFIRE would suffer should the Court grant the injunction; and after determining the injunction ultimately promotes the public interest in open and fair competitive bids.鈥�
All parties are next scheduled to meet on Oct. 8 to iron out details of how the case will proceed.
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On Friday, AMR applauded Robinson鈥檚 decision.
鈥淭his is a win for the people of San Bernardino,鈥� Mike Rice, vice president of operations for AMR, is quoted as saying in a statement issued by the company. 鈥淎lthough the litigation will continue, this decision will ensure that San Bernardino County will continue to have access to the high-quality emergency care and medical transport services in the interim that it has depended on for over 40 years through AMR.鈥�
ICEMA (and San Bernardino County ) spokesperson David Wert wrote in an email Friday that 鈥淚CEMA and the ICEMA board will consider options while ensuring emergency medical services remain available without interruption.鈥�
He declined to give a timeline for when CONFIRE might be taking over.
Dawn Rowe, chairperson of the Board of Supervisors and ICEMA governing board, wrote in a statement Friday that she "(anticipates) being briefed by counsel on the matter and developing a strategy for ensuring the best care is available to residents.鈥�
Colorado-based American Medical Response provides ambulance service in 40 states and the District of Columbia. AMR has provided ambulance service to San Bernardino County for more than 40 years, initially doing business as Advanced Life Support.
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