Columbia Cnty EMS – Part IV: EMS Special Meeting a Bust – An Insult – Nothing Accomplished
June 14, 2026 7:50 pm |
8
min read |
Part I •
Part II •
Part III •
Part IV
AI Summary in a minute
Photo: Jon LCE (ambulance) via Unsplash | Columbia County
Observer graphic
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The County EMS ambulance service special meeting a bust. The meeting was scheduled to give the County 5 information on EMS, particularly how to pay for it. The agenda item was three words: “Emergency Medical Services.” Instead of an improved emergency ambulance service, the public got an overdose of an out-of-control County 5.
On June 4, County Manager David Kraus explained the meeting’s purpose, “The purpose of the workshop slash meeting…, is to give you as much information as possible on EMS, so you can make an informed decision on the 18th [June]. A byproduct, that is, if the board wants to take action, if you want to vote on something.”
We don't know what we're goin' to do.
Commissioner Ford, who is up for reelection, followed up, “Why limit ourselves? We don't know what we're goin' to do?”
With North Central Florida and beyond focusing on the critical problems facing Columbia County’s EMS failing emergency ambulance service, the County 5 did nothing at last Wednesday’s special meeting to hide the dysfunction of its County Commission. Being embarrassed is not one of its strong points; neither is solving the critical problems facing the County, and in the case of EMS, also its visitors.
We need to come up with a plan today.
After a discussion of Suwannee County EMS service and others, the logistics of running Fire and Rescue out of the same firehouses, and the issues with AmeriPro, the County’s contracted EMS emergency ambulance provider, Commissioner Ford said, “We need to come up with a plan today.”
We can't build a plan if we don't know what you want.
Fire Chief Jeff Crawford responded, “Before we can do anything… You have to tell, make a commitment to what, whatever your decision is; you have to make that decision. Then we can build the plan to make it work. We can't come out here and build a plan if we don't know what you want.”
About 10 seconds later (54:38), Com. Ford announced, “I'll make a motion right now that we take the money we need to make this plan move forward and put it toward these ambulances, so we can order these ambulances.”
There was no plan. Commissioner Ford wanted to set aside funds to purchase two or three new ambulances. How they were going to be staffed was anybody’s guess.
I don't have any faith...
Mr. Ford gave his reason, “I don't have any faith that it's going to get any better with this AmeriPro company.
After a few more words, an excited Com. Ford announced, “I got a motion on the table.”
It is unclear if Chairman Murphy knew what was going on.
Commissioner Hollingsworth announced, “Discussion,” and began talking.
How many people have to die...?
Commissioner Ford wondered, “How many people have to die…because they’re not getting ambulance service? “
The Columbia County 5 in Action:
Rude – Crude – Out of Control
On August 3, 2017, after years of operating like a gang of unsupervised schoolboys on a playground, the County 5 adopted, for the first time, a set of rules governing its behavior. The rules are a virtual carbon copy of the St. Johns County Rules and Policies.
In 2017, then-Commissioners Murphy and Phillips approved the rules that govern the board’s decorum – paying attention to them is another matter.
Important to know:
What’s in the rules that is supposed to keep The
5 straight?
• the chairman (now Tim Murphy) “approves” all agendas;
• no Commissioner shall speak on any question or discuss any matter, nor interrupt another, nor make a motion without first being recognized by the Chair;
• no motion shall be debated or put to a vote without a second, [there are minor technical exceptions];
• when a motion is made and seconded, it shall be restated by the Presiding Officer, and the Commissioner who made the motion shall have the floor.
The tale of the tape – so much for the rules and decorum.
How bad is it? Do they know what they are talking about? (as spoken – a 3 minute sample): The video of the meeting is here.
Commissioner Hollingsworth
58:02
… if they [AmeriPro] keep doin’ what they're
doin’, I'm ready, I'm willin’ to revisit [the
AmeriPro contract], but right now we have a
con[tract], and to me, we're the taxpayers
paying 1.6 million for this, and if we go and
spend this money for ambulances, I expect some
money back from AmeriPro or somebody,
Commissioner Ford
(starts talking – unintelligible)
Commissioner Hollingsworth
Because it's a double dip. I mean, we're,
we're doing their job for it.
Commissioner Ford
We're going to get money back if we fine 'em.
Commissioner Hollingsworth
But you and I'm sayin’. I'm, I think it's,
it's a little quick. We got two weeks before we
know whether they put another. I mean, what if
in two weeks they put two more ambulances on, or
three more, or whatever, and they start meetin’
their times. We're sittin’ here spending a lot
of money, and I know y'all say they're not going
to, but we don't know that. And if they know
they're going to lose their contract, they might
do what they're supposed to do. And I know how
corporate America is, they're slow walkin’ us,
just like every ambulance company does
everybody, so when that comes due, or we can
make them do their, then I'm willing to talk
about something like that, you know, do
something, but I understand we do need right
now, we need ‘em, we might not need ‘em in three
or four weeks.
Commissioner Ford 59:17
We’re goin’ back right now on ambulances, so
that just kicks the can down the road, another
year.
Commissioner Hollingsworth 59:21
Well, but we don't (unintelligible) it a
year, kicks it however many months it takes for
us, a couple months to take, see what they're
Commissioner Ford 59:29
How many have to die in that six months or
another seven months, because they're not
getting ambulance service? How many people in
the south end of the county or the north end of
the county have to die?
Chairman Murphy
(to an audience member) Sir, hold your mark or hold your remarks from
me; you'll have an opportunity here.
Commissioner Parnell 59:41
So, in the grand scheme of things, we're –
AmeriPro is failing us right now. Everybody
knows that.
Commissioner Ford 59:47
Everybody knows.
Commissioner Parnell
Everybody knows that –realizes that. We're
willin’ to spend this money to help them do
their job. We maybe should have -- hindsight
2020 -- done this with our previous provider.
Help them, that was a local guy.
Commissioner Ford
(begins speaking – Mr. Parnell ignores him).
Commissioner
Parnell
I think we should have, we should have
reached out and done this, then to kind of
helped them along, because we're helping a
company along that's we know is private and
they're not getting to do with Columbia County,
other than being here to make a dollar; so our
other company was local and we didn't, we didn't
help them, it's kind of sitting down the road,
and I'm not, I mean, that's nothing new about it
now, but hindsight 20-20 I think. If we're gonna
do this for them, we should have done it for our
previous customer, too, or our provider.
Commissioner Hollingsworth 1:00:27
And do we – do we get? Do we get a lawsuit
from the other guy?
Unidentified Commissioner
Right
Another Unidentified Commissioner
Right
Commissioner Hollingsworth
The other guy that bid on this contract. Is
he going to come and sue us, and go – we would
have had a better price. If we had known you
were going to put ambulances on there to help
us.
Unidentified Commissioner
(Over talking)
Commissioner Hollingsworth
You see what I'm sayin'.
Unidentified Commissioner
(Over talking)
Commissioner Hollingsworth 1:00:45
There's a lot of unknowns here. I don't know
if anybody's ever done this. (To the County
Manager – he tries to speak) Do you know
anybody's ever done this in a county where they
took and started – started supplementin’ a
private ambulance company?
Commissioner Ford 1:00:56
(blurts) And Robby, I agree with you, there’s
a lot of unknowns here.
County Manager David Kraus
We are (tries to talk)
Commissioner Ford
But one thing that we do know.
Commissioner Hollingsworth
It could be solved in a couple months.
Commissioner Ford 1:01:59
One thing we do know. If we're not gettin’
service to our constituents right now, that's --
we do know that.
County Manager Kraus
(tries to talk again)
Commissioner Hollingsworth 1:01:07
We didn't for the year — how many years
before? How long have we had this problem?
Commissioner Ford
It’s not
Commissioner Hollingsworth
How long was the first provider on – the last
provider?
County Manager Kraus 1:01:17
To answer your question. There have been
other counties that have hybrid systems.
After all the free-style talking, the County Manager lost track.
The clerk was paying attention.
“What about
a second?” “What was the motion?”
Even the County Manager became confused with all the cross-talk. Mr. Hollingsworth never asked how many counties have hybrid systems.
You have a motion on the floor, but no second.
Twenty minutes after Mr. Ford made his motion, County Manager Kraus (1:19:53) told The 5, “I just conferred with the clerk. You have a motion on the floor, but no second.” [Remember the rule – there is no discussion without a second].
We've got to do something, and that's my theory.
Ten minutes later, after more free-style talking, Commissioner Phillips, who, as mentioned, along with Commissioner Ford, is also running for reelection, said, “We still owe our constituents better response time. I don't care what we have to do, we've got to do something, and that's my theory.”
Commissioner Ford wasted no time: “So, are you seconding my motion?”
What was your motion?
Com. Everett Phillips
Com. Phillips asked, “Now? What was your motion? Explain your motion exactly what you said.”
Com. Ford said, “My motion was to set the money aside for the ambulances, so they can go ahead and order the ambulances. That was my motion.”
There was more free-style discussion, this time including Chairman Murphy, but no second.”
Twenty minutes later (1:40:00), Chairman Murphy asked, “Anybody second or not. No. OK.”
A minute later, Com. Phillips said, “I’ll second.”
Ten minutes later, after more free-style conversation, the motion failed. Commissioners Ford and Phillips, those up for reelection, voted in the affirmative.
County Attorney Joel Foreman is Florida's only
elected County attorney. Sometime he acts as the
sixth County commissioner, taking positions
rather than giving legal opinions.
Epilogue
This Thursday at 5:30 pm, the County 5 will get another bite at the EMS apple.
The sixth county commissioner, County Attorney Joel Foreman, should be back from his vacation.
Don’t expect him to keep the County 5 on track. The last time he tried was September 18, 2018. He sent a memo to The 5 about its recently approved rules and protocol, and why they should follow the rules to avoid confusion.
They just ignored it.
Your reporter attended this meeting virtually
