By Kimberly Gasuras
CCN Reporter

BUCYRUS — The members of the Central Joint Ambulance District voted unanimously Tuesday evening to accept one bid and reject another for ambulance services within the district.

The accepted bid will provide services for the next three years beginning in January 2019.

According to Jason Long, president of the CJAD, the only two bids submitted were from the district’s current provider, Life Support Team, Inc., and Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. While Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service’s bid came with a $673,800 subsidy, Life Support Team’s bid was much higher at a little more than $11 million for the three-year contract period.

“I recommend we award Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc., the contract for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021,” Long said during a special meeting Tuesday at the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.

Life Support Team, Inc. has provided the service during the past three years with no subsidy.

“Since there will now be a subsidy, we need to consider putting a levy out to voters in the district,” Long said.

Long and the other members of the district decided that each township, along with the city of Bucyrus and Village of New Washington, will self-fund their portions of the subsidy for now, but may consider levies in the future.

Long said the amount that each entity must pay towards the subsidy, which averages to approxmately $224,000 per year, is based on the population of each township or city.

Scott England, regional manager for Portsmouth Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc., said the business if family-owned and operated.

“We are the largest ambulance service company in the state of Ohio,” England said.

England said the company, per the contract, will provide at least three full-time 911 emergency ambulances to the district and will normally have at least four to six ambulances available.

England also said the company will be hiring local emergency medical technicians (EMT) and paramedics.

“We will be hiring between 18 and 25 people,” England said.

England said members of the company is excited and ready to serve the residents of the district.