Redmond EMS has been providing free ambulance service to Chattooga County but Commissioner Blake Elsberry may be looking to re-bid that contract.
The county first contracted with Redmond to provide ambulance service back in 2011, shortly after former Commissioner Jason Winters began his first term in office.  While the move was met with some resistance at the time, the county-run ambulance service had been losing thousands of dollars each year.

The first contract in 2011 was a ten-year contract.  Commissioner Winters renewed that contract in 2021, however there is an opt-out clause that allows the county to re-bid the service should the commissioner who signed the contract no longer be in office.

WZQZ News learned last week that current Commissioner Blake Elsberry might be looking to re-bid the contract with Redmond.   Redmond has reportedly met with their employees in Chattooga County already and told them that if Redmond loses the contract to provide ambulance service, all current employees that serve Chattooga County would be transferred to other EMS jobs with Redmond.

WZQZ News asked Commissioner Blake Elsberry about his plans last week.  The commissioner did not comment but did say that he would be releasing information this week.  Tuesday morning, the commissioner told WZQZ News that he would release a statement later today.

Elsberry is a former employee of Floyd Medical Center.

WZQZ News will have more on this developing story.

UPDATE 12:15 PM – FEBRUARY 1, 2022:

Commissioner Blake Elsberry will be rebidding the EMS service for Chattooga County.  The commissioner released the following letter to local media outlets on Tuesday morning: