Southwest Ambulance to serve Clark County

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 9:58 a.m.

A new ambulance company will break up the monopoly American Medical Response has had for years in Clark County.

After more than a year of debate about the need for competition, county commissioners Tuesday allowed Southwest Ambulance into the county market. The Las Vegas City Council will vote on a similar Southwest proposal in October.

The company will begin providing emergency services to specific geographic regions - the north and east sides of the county - after the first of the year.

American Medical, which has provided service to the county for more than four decades, will remain the only emergency ambulance provider for Laughlin, Primm and the northwest and southwest parts of the county.

The ordinance comes after fierce resistance by American Medical to proposals for competing service during the past 18 months. American Medical officials said another provider was unnecessary, and even filed a lawsuit against the county in December after the commission voted to open negotiations with Southwest. The American Medical lawsuit was rejected.

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