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Barre approves 3-year ambulance contract with Mercy Flight

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2024 at 9:05 pm

Agreement includes 2 BLS ambulances, 1 ALS flycar for 24-7 in seven Orleans towns

Photo by Tom Rivers: A Mercy Flight EMS ambulance and crew was in service on Sept. 20 at an Albion varsity football game.

BARRE – The Barre Town Board this evening unanimously approved a three-year contract with Mercy Flight EMS to provide ambulance services in a seven-town block in Orleans County.

Mercy Flight submitted the lowest bid for the service at $250,000 in 2025, compared to $570,000 from Monroe Ambulance. The two entities offered similar services in the bid.

The contract calls for Mercy Flight to stage two basic life support ambulance, and one advanced life support fly car in the seven towns for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fly car doesn’t transport patients, but would have personnel that can provide higher levels of care than the BLS ambulances.

The seven towns are divvying up the costs based on a percentage of current call volume. Barre pays the least of the seven towns at $11,000 in 2025, compared to $13,740 in 2024.

Here is the financial breakdown for the seven towns in the contract:

  • Albion, $93,000 ($155,820 in 2024)
  • Barre, $11,000 ($13,740 in 2024)
  • Carlton, $18,500 ($22,350 in 2024)
  • Clarendon, $28,000 ($25,350 in 2024)
  • Gaines, $38,500 ($12,030 in 2024)
  • Kendall, $12,750 ($17,850 in 2024)
  • Murray, $48,250 ($52,860 in 2024)

All seven towns need to approve the contract for it to take effect. The agreement starts Jan. 1. Mercy Flight plans to stage ambulances and the fly car at the former COVA base on South Main Street in Albion and the Fancher-Hulberton-Murray fire hall on Hulberton Road in Murray.

Monroe Ambulance has had the contract, done annually in 2023 and 2024. Monroe was paid $300,000 by the seven towns this year. In the first year of the contract in 2023 with Monroe, the towns paid $181,200. But that was from six towns. Kendall didn’t contribute the first year when Monroe was seeking $200,000 from the seven towns.

The three-year contract calls for Mercy Flight to be paid $275,000 in 2026 and $300,000 in 2027.