Ambulance service to start in Aug.
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Lifeguard ambulance, based in Gulf Breeze, will take over the county's ambulance services as of one minute after midnight on Aug. 1 this year. That's what county commissioners announced Monday.

This week the commissioners are approving their new five-year contract with Lifeguard to take over for current ambulance services provider Rural Metro. Part of that contract is to start operations as of Aug. 1, instead of waiting until October, as the original ambulance bid had required.

Commissioner Gordon Goodin of Navarre said he had a few questions in the new 32- page contract, like if Lifeguard had to use mutual aid from Escambia or other counties, as was proposed by Lifeguard in the contract, do those counties have to adhere to the requirements the county put in place for Lifeguard, as response times, billing patients, etc. Goodin was told by the county attorney those mutual aid agencies are not required to meet the county's standards.

Lifeguard owner John Roche addressed commissioners, telling them so far Lifeguard has been working very hard to get everything in place, from hiring Rural Metro people so they won't lose their jobs when that contract pulls out of the county July 31, to purchasing 12 new ambulances.

"This week we even made an offer on a $1-million building in Milton. I have personally put about $3-million into this new contract already - so we are determined to make it work and make it work fast, by Aug. 1," Roche said.