Sierra-Sacramento Valley EMS plans to use the renewal process to strengthen performance metrics, update contract language and gather input from hospitals, fire districts and law enforcement. Designed by Freepik, www.freepik.com 

YUBA-SUTTER, CA (MPG) - The Boards of Supervisors for Yuba and Sutter counties have authorized the Sierra-Sacramento Valley Emergency Medical Services Agency to begin negotiating new contracts with Bi-County Ambulance, the region’s exclusive emergency transport provider.

John Poland, executive director of S-SV EMS, appeared at both board meetings on Oct. 14 to present performance data and request formal approval to begin the renewal process. The current exclusive operating area agreements expire Dec. 31, 2026. The proposed contracts would extend services through 2032, preserving Bi-County’s role as the sole emergency ambulance provider in both counties.

“There’s 58 counties in the state of California; there’s only 34 local EMS agencies,” Poland said. “Twenty-seven of those are single county and the remaining are multi-county EMS agencies such as ourselves.”

S-SV EMS oversees emergency medical services across a 10-county region in Northern California, including Yuba, Sutter, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama.

Bi-County has operated continuously since 1976 and qualifies for non-competitive renewal under the California Health and Safety Code, Poland said. Its exclusive status is based on uninterrupted service and compliance with state EMS protocols.

Performance data presented by Poland showed Bi-County exceeded minimum ALS deployment requirements by 45 percent on average in 2025. The company currently staffs 25 full-time and 15 part-time paramedics across both counties, maintaining round-the-clock coverage without public subsidies.

Poland reported that Bi-County’s EMS personnel wages and benefits are “at or above” industry standards. The company has implemented sign-on and retention bonuses to attract and retain high-quality paramedics and EMTs in the local area.

Despite a base rate of $3,296 per ALS transport, Bi-County collects only 16 cents on the dollar due to low reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medi-Cal. Combined net income for Yuba and Sutter counties last year was approximately $300,000.

“It’s expensive to provide emergency ambulance services,” Poland told supervisors. “A new ambulance costs anywhere between $250,000 and $300,000 and lasts three to five years, maybe as a primary unit has to be replaced. And a new cardiac monitor is around $50,000 to $60,000.”

Sierra-Sacramento Valley EMS plans to use the renewal process to strengthen performance metrics, update contract language and gather input from hospitals, fire districts and law enforcement. Draft agreements are expected in 2026, with public hearings scheduled before final approval.