The Three Rivers Ambulance Authority shall utilize a competitive bidding process to contract with an operations contractor. Said competitive bidding process shall be designed to attract nationwide competition and to that end the bidding process shall, in addition to complying with state law, include but not be limited to the following procedures:
(A) Advertisements for bids shall include national circulation in one or more ambulance industry periodicals.
(B) The Three Rivers Ambulance Authority may not allow the operations contractor to engage directly in billing and collection activities.
(C) The Three Rivers Ambulance Authority must remain the owner or primary lessee of all equipment essential to its operation, except that volunteer providers may own their own equipment.
(D) The Three Rivers Ambulance Authority shall conduct a publicized pre-bid conference which shall be open to the public.
(E) A pre-bid screening process shall be employed to exclude consideration of bids from any company which cannot demonstrate financial stability and reputability.
(F) A broad investigative release form must be executed by all bidders, owners, operators and key personnel.
(G) The Ambulance Authority may directly operate the ambulance service as operations contractor during such periods and for such reasons as is set forth in the Cooperative Agreement.
(H) The bid request document shall provide fully detailed definitions and performance standards governing clinical performance, response time performance, maintenance requirements, and other operational standards so that, assuming all bidders are pre-qualified to participate, bid price shall be the principal remaining consideration in the award of the contract. However, where bid prices are not more than 10% apart, the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority may consider corporate experience, salary schedules, and such other factors to select the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.
(I) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the city Department of Emergency Medical Services from bidding, provided they otherwise qualify and provided further that the department's full cost of providing said service shall be reflected in the department's bid price, and any subsidization of ambulance service by the city shall be in the form of money payment to the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority so as to benefit equally any bidder who may choose to participate.
('74 Code, § 9-25) (G-16-82, passed 7-27-82; Am. Ord. G-19-98, passed 5-12-98)