Analysis: Ambulance fight shifts to politics

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 11:17 a.m.

The fight over Clark County's ambulance contract is shifting from a skirmish over health and safety issues to a political power struggle.

The two companies vying for the county's ambulance business, Southwest Ambulance and American Medical Response (AMR), are hiring some of the state's top political heavyweights to lobby for their cause.

The fruits of their efforts could surface Tuesday when Clark County commissioners are expected to decide whether to allow Southwest Ambulance to enter the market and compete with the existing franchisee AMR.

Because AMR's franchise agreement is not exclusive, the county is allowed to adjust its contract before it expires in 2003. But that fact has hardly comforted representatives of AMR.

"The franchise contract with AMR and Clark County exists," said Fred Lewis, a principal with Ballard Communications, which represents AMR. "To have that contract suddenly be brought up three years before it expires smacks of politicalism."

Southwest Ambulance began preparing for Tuesday's meeting early, loading up with local political heavyweights.

Since announcing its intent to apply for a franchise, Southwest has retained R&R Advertising, which is led by Billy Vassiliadis, who has close ties to commissioners.

Southwest has hired gaming attorney and political fund-raiser Frank Schreck, who helped raise money for Commissioner Myrna William's campaign. They also have the support of Bob Forbuss, former chief executive officer for AMR and past president of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

John Wilson, executive partner with Southwest, said Schreck was hired to defend Southwest against a lawsuit filed by AMR, which filed an injunction to prevent Wilson, a former AMR administrator, from using AMR's confidential business information for his new company.

And, Wilson said, R&R was hired to walk Southwest through the process with the Clark County Commission on Tuesday.

"We are talking about a monopoly that has been here since 1954," Wilson said of AMR. "I would be naive to think I could walk in and get the same level of attention as the incumbent monopoly in this town."

It wasn't only Southwest's political firepower that prompted AMR to gather its own consultants with clout. AMR chief executive officer Mike Williams said an elected official told him the issue had indeed become political.

"Up until a couple of weeks ago, I thought we were arguing EMS issues," said Williams, who declined to name the elected official. "That was sobering. I went out and got my own help."

AMR hired Ballard Communications about a week ago. Along with Lewis, AMR acquired the assistance of John Hanks, who was a communication director at McCarran International Airport until about two months ago.

AMR also summoned the services of former Henderson City Manager Bob Campbell and Reynaldo Martinez, former chief of staff for Sen. Harry Reid. Also working with the ambulance company is Paul Henry, former chairman of the Nevada Democratic Party.

But even representatives of AMR fear its team might not be connected enough to battle R&R Advertising.

While Southwest has continually attacked AMR, AMR has struggled to respond publicly.

Southwest Ambulance, which is operated by former AMR executives Wilson and Sharon Henry, have repeatedly criticized AMR for the increasing number of exceptions it has made for failing to meet required response times.

Exceptions are allowed if the ambulance is hindered by conditions beyond the staff's control, such as weather or traffic.

Wilson said his company finally received AMR's response times, but AMR has refused to provide the times that calls were received.

Aside from the debate over response times, the two companies also have argued over whether a community is best served by multiple ambulance providers or a single provider.

Williams has said repeatedly that multiple ambulance providers cause confusion in the field. And, he said Wednesday, Wilson agreed and echoed that theory when he fought for AMR's latest franchise agreement about five years ago.

Wilson did not question Williams' memory.

"There were no other providers," Wilson said. "I was given instructions from Laidlaw (the parent company) to see if we could not get an exclusive franchise."

Williams said Wilson and Henry have made the allegations against AMR because they are desperate for work. He added that Southwest officials wouldn't have hired political heavyweights if they believed they could prove to the county that there is a need for a second ambulance service.

"If you can't argue the facts, argue the politics," Williams said. "None of the arguments have stood up at all. At that point you have to fall back on the politics."