What’s Columbia County’s relationship with its ambulance service?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After the Augusta Commission approved a month-to-month contract with its current ambulance providers, we talked to Columbia County leaders to see how their contract with the ambulance service is working for them.

Columbia County and Gold Cross’s relationship goes back to the ‘90s. The county manager says both sides are in good agreement with their services.

“If we have somebody that we’re happy with and they can provide that service for an affordable price for us, we want to do it as long as they’re providing a good service,” said Scott Johnson.

Gold Cross, like in Richmond County, is the state zone provider for Columbia County. The county currently has no problems the way things are.

“We are a little bit at the mercy of the state there. But again, I think Columbia county and Gold Cross have such a great relationship. We have no problem with the zone working the way it does and having a private contractor own the zone,” he said.

The contract is designed to get the best service by adding ambulances and having expectations when it comes to response times. When there’s a problem, Johnson says it gets addressed.

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“We don’t allow things to fester to the point of becoming a problem. If we see something, we hit it head-on. If they see something, they hit it head-on. We come to the table and discuss that and communicate well with them. And so far, Columbia County has benefited from that,” said Johnson.

Johnson says the county still holds a strong relationship with Gold Cross.

“We want to see the best for our neighbors, and we want to see Richmond County succeed in whichever direction they go. As far as our relationship with Gold Cross, we’ve been assured that Columbia County will be serviced regardless of where they operate in other counties around us,” he said.

Transportation times in the county are still a challenge, but Johnson says he hopes to see those go down once the county builds its own hospital.

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