A new ambulance company will likely assume the role as the exclusive contract for the Opp and Florala company in the coming months.

At Wednesday’s quarterly E-911 board meeting, Pridemark EMS’s Glenn Jowers, Nick Marcotte and Frank Wilson, were joined by Wes Kelley of Haynes LifeFlight and Kirk, chief operations officer of Haynes Ambulance, attended to speak to board members.

Wilson told the board that in the fall of 2014, Jowers and Marcotte asked him to help them put together an ambulance service.

“In today’s world, ambulance businesses have small margins,” he said. “People don’t have insurance that covers ambulance service. It has not made it profitable. That caused us to look at all possible options. We approached Haynes. They are a major player in this part of the state.”

Service could place air ambulance here

Wilson asked the board to approve their assignment for Haynes ambulance to take over.

Barrett said he plans to maintain all employees that work for Pridemark EMS.

Jowers and Marcotte will still be the Facebook of the local branch.

“We think the size and expertise of Haynes at this juncture is what’s best,” Wilson said.

Barrett said that Haynes is the primary ambulance service provider in nine counties in central Alabama.

They also have three aircraft.

Last year they responded to more than 66,000 calls, and have been in business for more than 40 years.

“We strive for great customer service,” he said. “We strive to do right by the community we are in. We have many long-standing contracts.”

Another thing, Barrett said was important for them was response time.

“That’s what saves lives,” he said. “The quicker we can get those patients to where they need to go, the better.”

Barrett said they have a state-of-the-art CAD system that allows for more accurate addressing information.

They can do a CAD to CAD transfer to allow them to get accurate addressing information.

And their trucks are equipped with a candidate ranking system that allows the closest ambulance to take the call.

“It takes the human error out of it,” he said. “We still do verbal.”

Another thing Barrett says it that if the call meets criteria for flight transport then, they simultaneously dispatch an air ambulance at the same time a ground crew is dispatched.

Haynes will assume all of Pridemark’s responsibilities to the E-911.

The contract was for $4,800 per year.

Wilson is expected to send E-911 attorney Mark Ryan information on the agreement between Haynes and Pridemark today.

The board will have to call a special meeting to approve the transfer of the E-911 exclusive contract to Haynes. Additionally, the city of Florala will also have to OK it since they supply a bay for the ALS ambulance, utilities and $1,000 a month to help offset costs.

Both Barrett and Wilson indicated they want to expedite the purchase and the new agreement.