News Release

ROCHESTER — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners will hold a public EMS meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, to kick off planning for the future of emergency medical services in the county.

The meeting will take place in the new Fulton County Justice and Detention Building, 2006 Sweetgum Road, Rochester. Enter through the side door.

The meeting is being held to take a proactive approach to the next EMS contract the county will enter, said Gail Karas, Fulton County 911 director.

The county’s current contract with Lutheran EMS will expire in less than two years.

Consultant Barry Ritter of Ritter Strategic Services, Richmond, has been hired to help guide a strategic planning process. More public meetings will be held in the future as planning progresses, Karas said.

Issues on the table, she said, could include the number and location of ambulances that serve the county and what that might cost.

Once a plan is developed, a request for proposals will be issued.

“We’re just doing some planning to see what Fulton County’s demands are and what people would like to see,” Karas said. “We want to make sure we’re best serving Fulton County and those who visit it.”