Emergency call

Erin Neff

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

Southwest Ambulance cleared another hurdle in the path of its proposed medical transport business Wednesday, but the company didn't exactly win the race for the financial gold it's seeking.

The Las Vegas City Council agreed instead to direct the city staff to negotiate a franchise agreement with Southwest for nonemergency transports only. The company had sought to get a piece of the full ambulance service now being provided by the city's only franchisee, American Medical Response.

The move keeps Southwest's hopes alive in Clark County and North Las Vegas but could give the Arizona-based company a smaller role than it had anticipated.

"We're happy in that they've accepted our application and determined we met the need," said Southwest executive partner John Wilson.

But Mayor Oscar Goodman's three-pronged motion also recommended the staff renegotiate AMR's franchise and amend the city's code to include recommendations made in a consultant's report on ambulance service.

Those two items could not be acted upon Wednesday but could come back before the council at a later date.

Councilman Michael McDonald amended Goodman's motion to include the possibility that emergency transport could still be an option for Southwest in Las Vegas if both Clark County and North Las Vegas deem it so.

McDonald argued at length during the 2 1/2 hour discussion that separating nonemergency from emergency transports would be problematic in some cases when a simple medical call turns life-threatening.

"When you do that, somebody's going to die, and I don't want blood on this council's hands," McDonald said.

Goodman said he did not believe Southwest had "met the burden on convenience and necessity" as it related to emergency calls.

In December the County Commission authorized Southwest to proceed with its franchise application. That vote had to then come before the city councils in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.

Southwest is trying to squeeze in on the market AMR and its predecessor, Mercy Ambulance, has held for decades.

Southwest lobbyist Billy Vassiliadis argued that AMR was "barely in compliance" with its franchise agreement due to the increasing number of times the ambulance company cannot meet its required 8-minute, 59-second response on life-threatening calls.

"Is there really not a reasonable need here to add ambulance service?" asked Southwest attorney Todd Bice.

AMR's acting executive, Trace Skeen said, "We believe we have upheld our end of the bargain."

Skeen said the council risks "upsetting the delicate balance we've achieved here in this community" if it allows Southwest a franchise.

Las Vegas is slightly different from both Clark County and North Las Vegas in that its fire department also provides medical transport.

Fire Chief Mario Trevino suggested the two-party system for emergency calls was already meeting the city's needs.

"The addition of a third provider in the community would be problematic for dispatch," Trevino said.

But he said he thought nonemergency calls could be opened to another provider.

AMR currently handles all nonemergency calls in Las Vegas. Those calls account for roughly 30 percent of its business, or between $15 million and $20 million in revenue, according to a city staff report.

Southwest and AMR have been locked in bitter battle for months over the valley's lucrative ambulance business. Wednesday's meeting was no different.

At one point Skeen attacked reports that Southwest was locally operated since 70 percent of its business is out of state. But when the council asked Skeen for AMR's local percentage, he pleaded ignorant, leading Southwest's Sharon Henry to say, "It's owned by a Canadian company. There's no local ownership, and he knows that."

Both companies have sparred over the resignations of executives at both the local and parent company levels. Stock earnings, corporate debt and complaints about service in other communities have shot back and forth ever since Southwest started its campaign here.

The North Las Vegas City Council is expected to consider Southwest's franchise application on Feb. 16.