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BENTON COUNTY AND RESPECTIVE CITIES, ARKANSAS (Benton County Government)

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Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 1
BENTON COUNTY AND RESPECTIVE CITIES, ARKANSAS
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION
KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET
RFQ Issue Date:
July 8, 2020
RFQ Issuing Office:
Benton County and the Respective Cities
Government
Properties Representative:
Terry Lewis
Office Phone: 479-464-6168
Fax: 479-271-1748
E-mail: Terry.Lewis@BentonCountyar.gov
USPS Mail Address: (or hand-
deliver)
Benton County Administration Building
Properties Office
215 E. Central, Ste. 309 Lock Box 9
Bentonville, AR 72712
Attention: Terry Lewis
RFQs Due / Deadline:
July 31, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M. Local Time
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 2
Emergency Medical Services RFQ
Request for Qualifications (“hereinafter RFQ”) shall be submitted in sealed envelopes labeled: “Emergency
Medical Services RFQ” with the name and address of the individual or business entity (“hereinafter Firm(s)”).
RFQ’s shall be submitted in accordance with the attached Benton County and the Respective Cities specifications
and RFQ documents attached hereto. Each Firm is required to fill in every blank and shall supply all information
requested; failure to do so may be used as basis of rejection.
The undersigned hereby offers to furnish and deliver the articles or services as specified, at the terms stated herein,
and in strict accordance with the specifications and general conditions of this RFQ, all of which are made a part of
the offer.
Name of Firm:
Contact Person:
Title:
Business Address:
City: State: Zip code:
Email:
Phone:
X
Signature
Date:
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 3
Benton County and Respective Cities, Arkansas
RFQ: Emergency Medical Services
Advertisement
Benton County and Respective Cities, Arkansas is requesting RFQs for Emergency Medical Services.
To be considered, RFQs must be received at the Benton County Administration Building, 215 East Central, Room
309, Bentonville, Arkansas before July 31, 2020 @ 2:00 P.M. CST. Forms and addendums can be downloaded
from the County web site at www.BentonCountyAR.gov
All questions regarding the qualification process should be directed to Terry Lewis at
terry.lewis@BentonCountyar.gov or by telephone at 479-464-6168. All questions regarding specifications should
be directed to Robert McGowen, Administrator of Public Safety via telephone at 479-271-1004 or by email at
Robert.McGowen@BentonCountyar.gov.
RFQs submitted shall be qualified to do business and licensed in accordance with all applicable laws of the state
and local governments where the project is located.
Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 22-9-203 Benton County and the Respective Cities encourages all qualified
small, minority and women business enterprises to bid on and receive contracts for goods, services, and
construction. Also, Benton County and the Respective Cities encourages all general contractors to subcontract
portions of their contract to qualified small, minority and women business enterprises.
Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to reject any and all RFQs and to waive irregularities
therein, and all Firm(s) shall agree that such rejection shall be without liability on the part of Benton County and
the Respective Cities for any damage or claim brought by any Firm because of such rejections, nor shall the Firm
seek any recourse of any kind against Benton County and the Respective Cities because of such rejections. The
filing of any RFQ in response to this invitation shall constitute an agreement of the Firm to these conditions.
Ad date: July 8, 2020
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 4
Benton County and Respective Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Appendix
SECTION PAGE
COVER PAGE .…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
ADVERTISEMENT .…………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
APPENDIX ………..…………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
SECTION A: General Terms & Conditions ………………………………………………………………... 5
SECTION B: Vendor References ……………………………………………………………….. 12
SECTION C: Statement of Disclosure ……………………………………………………………….. 13
SECTION D: Authorized Negotiator Information ……………………………………………………………… 14
SECTION E: Specifications ……………………………………………………………….. 15
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 5
Benton County and Respective Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Section A: General Terms & Conditions
1. SUBMISSION OF RFQ/PROPOSAL:
A. A written narrative describing the method or manner in which the firm proposes to satisfy requirements of
this RFQ.
B. A description of the Firm’s experience in providing the same or similar services as outlined in the RFQ.
This description should include the names of the person(s) who will provide the services, their
qualifications, and the years of experience in performing this type of work. Also, include the reference
information requested in this RFQ.
C. Statement should be no more than twenty-five (25) pages; single sided, standard, readable, print on
standard 8.5 x 11 papers. Firm(s) shall also submit a three (3) page (maximum) executive summary. The
following items will not count toward the page limitations: appendix, cover sheet, 3-page executive
summary, resumes (resumes shall be no more than 1 page per person), and forms provided by Benton
County and the Respective Cities for completion.
D. RFQs may be submitted electronically in addition to two (2) hard copies. Please submit your documents
on a properly labeled CD. The use of Adobe PDF documents is strongly recommended. Files contained
on the CD or electronic media shall not be restricted against saving or printing. The electronic copy shall
be identical to the original papers submitted. Electronic copies shall not be submitted via e-mail to County
employees.
E. RFQs will be reviewed following the stated deadline, as shown on the cover sheet of this document. The
names of respondents only will be available after the deadline until a contract has been awarded. All
interested parties understand proposal documents will not be available until after a valid contract has been
executed.
F. Firm(s) shall submit a RFQ based on documentation published by Benton County and Respective Cities.
G. RFQs shall be enclosed in sealed envelopes or packages addressed to Benton County and Respective Cities,
215 East Central, Room 309, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712. The name, address of the firm and RFQ name
shall be on the outside of the packaging as well as on any packages enclosed in shipping containers or
boxes.
H. RFQs must follow the format of the RFQ. Firm(s) should structure their responses to follow the sequence
of the RFQ.
I. Firm(s) shall have experience in work of the same or similar nature and must provide references that will
satisfy Benton County and Respective Cities. Firm may furnish a reference list, of clients for whom they
have performed similar services and must provide information as requested in this document.
J. Firm(s) are advised that exceptions to any of the terms contained in this RFQ or the attached service
agreement must be identified in its response to the RFQ. Failure to do so may lead the County and the
Respective Cities to declare any such term non-negotiable. Firm’s desire to take exception to a non-
negotiable term will not disqualify it from consideration for award.
K. RFQs will need to be received by July 31,2020 @ 2:00 P.M.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 6
2. WRITTEN REQUESTS FOR INTERPRETATIONS OR CLARIFICATION:
No oral interpretations will be made to any Firm(s) as to the meaning of specifications or any other contract
documents. All questions pertaining to the terms and conditions or scope of work of this RFQ must be sent in
writing via e-mail to the County and the Respective Cities Properties office. Responses to questions may be
handled as an addendum if the response would provide clarification to the requirements of the RFQ. All such
addenda shall become part of the contract documents. The County and the Respective Cities will not be
responsible for any other explanation or interpretation of the proposed RFQ made or given prior to the award
of the contract.
3. RIGHTS OF BENTON COUNTY AND THE RESPECTIVE CITIES IN REQUEST FOR RFQ
PROCESS:
In addition to all other rights of Benton County and Respective Cities, under state law, the County and the
Respective Cities specifically reserves the following:
A. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to rank Firm(s) and negotiate with the highest-
ranking firm.
B. Negotiation with an individual Firm does not require negation with others.
C. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to select the RFQ that it believes will serve the
best interest of the County and Respective Cities.
D. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to accept or reject any and all RFQs.
E. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to cancel the entire request for RFQ.
F. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to remedy or waive technical or immaterial
errors in the request for proposal or in proposals submitted.
G. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to request any necessary clarifications,
additional information, or proposal data without changing the terms of the RFQ.
H. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to make selection of the Firm to perform the
services required on the basis of the original RFQs without negotiation.
4. EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The evaluation criteria define the parameters that will be used by the selection committee to evaluate and score
responsive, responsible and qualified RFQs.
The different evaluation parameters are shown below:
A. Ambulance Operations
B. Clinical Operations
C. Dispatch, Reporting and Monitoring Operations
D. Air Ambulance Capability (Ownership or Partnership)
5. COSTS INCURRED BY PROPOSERS:
All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of RFQs to the County and Respective Cities, or
any work performed in connection therewith, shall be borne solely by the Firm(s). No payment will be made
for any responses received, or for any other effort required of, or made by, the Firm(s) prior to contract
commencement.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 7
6. ORAL PRESENTATION:
An oral presentation and/or interview may be requested of any firm, at the selection committee’s discretion.
7. CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
A. The Firm represents that it presently has no interest and shall acquire no interest, either direct or indirect,
which would conflict in any manner with the performance or services required hereunder, as provided in
Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-1202.
B. The Firm shall promptly notify Benton County and the Respective Cities in writing, of all potential
conflicts of interest for any prospective business association, interest, or other circumstance which may
influence or appear to influence the Firm’s judgment or quality or services being provided. Such written
notification shall identify the prospective business association, interest or circumstance, the nature of which
the Firm may undertake and request an opinion to the County and the Respective Cities as to whether the
association, interest or circumstance would, in the opinion of the County and Respective Cities; constitute
a conflict of interest if entered into by the Firm. The County and the Respective Cities agrees to
communicate with the Firm its opinion via e-mail or first-class mail within thirty days of receipt of
notification.
8. WITHDRAWAL OF RFQ:
RFQ/proposal may be withdrawn at any time.
9. LATE RFQ OR MODIFICATIONS:
A. RFQs and modifications received after the time set for the RFQ submittal shall not be considered.
Modifications in writing received prior to the deadline will be accepted. The County and the Respective
Cities will not be responsible for misdirected RFQs. Firm(s) should contact the County Properties office
at (479) 464-6168 to ensure receipt of their submittal documents prior to opening time and date listed.
B. The time set for the deadline shall be local time for Bentonville, Arkansas on the date listed. All RFQs
shall be received in the County and the Respective Cities Properties office BEFORE the stated deadline.
10. LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:
A. The laws of the State of Arkansas apply to any purchase made under this request for RFQ. Proposers shall
comply with all local, state, and federal directives, orders and laws as applicable to this proposal and
subsequent contract(s) including but not limited to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Disadvantaged
Business Enterprises (DBE), & OSHA as applicable to this contract.
B. Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 22-9-203 Benton County and the Respective Cities encourages all
qualified small, minority and women business enterprises to RFQ on and receive contracts for goods,
services, and construction. Also, Benton County and the Respective Cities encourages all general
contractors to subcontract portions of their contract to qualified small, minority and women business
enterprises.
11. COLLUSION:
The Firm, by affixing his or her signature to this RFQ, agrees to the following: “Firm certifies that his/her
RFQ is made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm or corporation
making a RFQ for the same item(s) and/or services and is in all respects fair, without outside control,
collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.”
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 8
12. RIGHT TO AUDIT, FOIA AND JURISDICTION:
A. Benton County and the Respective Cities reserves the privilege of auditing a vendor’s records as such
records relate to purchases between the County and the Respective Cities and said vendor.
B. Freedom of Information Act: County and the Respective Cities contracts and documents prepared while
performing County and the Respective Cities contractual work are subject to the Arkansas Freedom of
Information Act. If a Freedom of Information Act request is presented to Benton County and Respective
Cities, the (Contractor) will do everything possible to provide the documents in a prompt and timely
manner as prescribed in the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (A.C.A. 25-19-101 et.seq.) Only legally
authorized photocopying costs pursuant to the FOIA may be assessed for this compliance. Nothing in any
contract entered into between the parties shall provide for confidentiality of documents or other records
which would result in any of the parties being in violation of the FOIA.
C. Legal jurisdiction to resolve any disputes shall be based upon Arkansas law. Any dispute regarding any
contract entered into between the parties shall be resolved through litigation, though the parties are
authorized and encouraged to attempt to mediate disputes, informally or formally, prior to pursuing
litigation.
D. Any contract between the parties shall not include an indemnification provision purporting to have Benton
County or any other public entity which is a party to the contract waive the statutory immunity provided
for in § 21-9-301 et seq. of the Arkansas Code or otherwise indemnify any party.
E. Any contract between the parties shall not include a provision purporting to limit the liability of the firm
awarded this contract/
F. Any contract between the parties shall not include a provision purporting to require Benton County or any
other public entity to obtain or maintain insurance.
13. COUNTY AND THE RESPECTIVE CITIES INDEMNIFICATION:
The successful Firm (s) agrees to indemnify the County and the Respective Cities and hold it harmless and
against all claims, liability, loss, damage or expense, including but not limited to counsel fees, arising from or
by reason of any actual or claimed trademark, patent or copyright infringement or ligation based thereon, with
respect to the services or any part thereof covered by this order, and such obligation shall survive acceptance
of the services and payment thereof by the County and Respective Cities.
14. VARIANCE FROM STANDARD TERMS & CONDITIONS:
All standard terms and conditions stated in this request for RFQ apply to this contract except as specifically
stated in the subsequent sections of this document, which take precedence, and should be fully understood by
Firm(s) prior to submitting a RFQ/proposal on this requirement.
15. PAYMENT AND INVOICING:
The Firm must specify in their RFQ the exact company name and address which must be the same as invoices
submitted for payment as a result of award of this RFQ. Further, the successful Firm is responsible for
immediately notifying the County Properties office of any company name change, which would cause
invoicing to change from the name used at the time of the original RFQ.
16. CANCELLATION:
A. The County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to cancel this contract without cause by giving
thirty (30) days prior notice to the Contractor in writing of the intention to cancel or with cause if at any
time the Contractor fails to fulfill or abide by any of the terms or conditions specified.
B. Failure of the contractor to comply with any of the provisions of the contract shall be considered a material
breach of contract and shall be cause for immediate termination of the contract at the discretion of Benton
County and Respective Cities.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 9
C. In addition to all other legal remedies available to Benton County and Respective Cities, the County and
the Respective Cities reserves the right to cancel and obtain from another source, any items and/or services
which have not been delivered within the period of time from the date of order as determined by Benton
County and Respective Cities.
D. In the event, sufficient budgeted funds are not available for a new fiscal period, the County and the
Respective Cities shall notify the vendor of such occurrence and contract shall terminate of the last day of
the current fiscal period without penalty of expense to the County and Respective Cities.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 10
17. ASSIGNMENT, SUBCONTRACTING, CORPORATE ACQUISITIONS, MERGERS:
A. The Contractor shall perform the work described in this contract. No assignment of subcontracting shall
be allowed without prior written consent of the County and Respective Cities. If a Firm intends to
subcontract a portion of this work, the Firm shall disclose such intent in the RFQ submitted as a result of
this RFQ.
B. In the event of a corporate acquisition and/or merger, the Contractor shall provide written notice to the
County and the Respective Cities within thirty (30) calendar days of Contractor’s notice of such action or
upon the occurrence of said action, whichever occurs first. The right to terminate this contract, which shall
not be unreasonably exercised by the County and Respective Cities, shall include, but not limited to,
instances in which a corporate acquisition and/or merger represent a conflict of interest or are contrary to
any local, state, or federal laws. Action by the County and the Respective Cities awarding a proposal to a
firm that has disclosed its intent to assign or subcontract in its response to the RFQ, without exception shall
constitute approval for purpose of this Agreement.
18. NON-EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT:
The award of this RFQ shall impose no obligation on the County and the Respective Cities to utilize the vendor
for all work of this type, which may develop during the contract period. This is not an exclusive contract. The
County and the Respective Cities specifically reserves the right to concurrently contract with other companies
for similar work if it deems such an action to be in the County and Respective Cities’ best interest. In the case
of multiple-term contracts, this provision shall apply separately to each item.
19. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
The County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to request additional services relating to this RFQ from
the Firm. When approved by the County and the Respective Cities as an amendment to the contract and
authorized in writing prior to work, the Contractor shall provide such additional requirements as may be
necessary.
20. SERVICE AGREEMENT:
A written agreement incorporating the RFQ and the successful bid will be prepared, signed by the successful
Firm and presented to Benton County and the Respective Cities for approval and signature of the County Judge
and the Respective Cities.
21. INTEGRITY OF REQUEST FOR RFQ DOCUMENTS:
Firm(s) shall use the original RFQ form(s) provided by the County and the Respective Cities Properties office
and enter information only in the spaces where a response is requested. Firm(s) may use an attachment as an
addendum to the RFQ form(s) if sufficient space is not available on the original form for the Firm to enter a
complete response. Any modifications or alterations to the original RFQ documents by the Firm, whether
intentional or otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of such RFQ response. Any such
modifications or alterations a Firm wishes to propose shall be clearly stated in the Firm’s RFQ response and
presented in the form of an addendum to the original RFQ documents.
22. OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS:
A. The successful Firm shall carry during the entire Term of the contract for this work and any renewal,
commercial general liability in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 in the aggregate and name Benton
County and the Respective Cities as an Additional Insured. The County and the Respective Cities assumes
no liability for damages or injuries caused by Contractor’s equipment or personnel, including but not
limited to passing vehicular or pedestrian traffic struck by objects displaced by Contractor’s equipment or
operations.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 11
B. Firm(s) must provide the County and the Respective Cities with their RFQs signed by an employee having
legal authority to submit RFQs on behalf of the Firm. The entire cost of preparing and providing responses
shall be borne by the Firm.
C. The County and the Respective Cities reserves the right to request any additional information it deems
necessary from any or all Firm(s) after the submission deadline.
D. The request for RFQ is not to be construed as an offer, a contract, or a commitment of any kind, nor does
it commit the County and the Respective Cities to pay for any costs incurred by Firm in preparation. It
shall be clearly understood that any costs incurred by the Firm in responding to this request for RFQ is at
the Firm’s own risk and expense as a cost of doing business. The County and the Respective Cities shall
not be liable for reimbursement to the Firm for any expense so incurred, regardless of whether or not the
RFQ is accepted.
E. If products, components, or services other than those described in this RFQ document are proposed, the
Firm must include complete descriptive literature for each. All requests for additional information must be
received within five working days following request.
F. Any uncertainties shall be brought to the attention of Terry Lewis immediately via telephone (479)464-
6168 or by e-mail at terry.lewis@BentonCountyar.gov. It is the intent and goal of Benton County and the
Respective Cities to provide documents providing a clear and accurate understanding of the scope of work
to be completed and/or goods to be provided. We encourage all interested parties to ask questions to enable
all Firm(s) to be on equal RFQ terms.
G. Any inquiries or requests for explanation in regard to the County and Respective Cities’ requirements
should be made promptly to Terry Lewis, Benton County and Respective Cities, via e-mail at
terry.lewis@BentonCountyar.gov or telephone at (479) 464-6168. No oral interpretation or clarifications
will be given as to the meaning of any part of this request for RFQ. All questions, clarifications, and
requests, together with answers, if any will be provided to all firms via written addendum. Names of
Firm(s) submitting any questions, clarifications, or requests will not be disclosed until after a contract is in
place.
H. At the discretion of the County and Respective Cities, one or more Firm(s) may be asked for more detailed
information before final ranking of the Firms(s), which may also include oral interviews. NOTE: Each
firm shall submit an “Authorized Negotiator Form” containing the signature of a duly authorized officer
or agent of the Firm’s company empowered with the right to bind and negotiate on behalf of Firm for the
amounts and terms proposed.
I. Any information provided herein is intended to assist the Proposer in the preparation of RFQ/proposals
necessary to properly respond to this RFQ. The RFQ is designed to provide qualified Firm(s) with
sufficient basic information to submit RFQs meeting specifications and/or test requirements but is not
intended to limit a RFQ’s content or exclude any relevant or essential data.
J. Firm(s) irrevocably consent that any legal action or proceeding against it under, arising out of or in any
manner relating to this Contract shall be controlled by Arkansas law. Proposer hereby expressly and
irrevocably waives any claim or defense in any said action or proceeding based on any alleged lack of
jurisdiction or improper venue or any similar basis.
K. The successful Firm shall not assign the whole or any part of this Contract or any monies due or to become
due hereunder without written consent of Benton County and Respective Cities. In case the successful
Firm assigns all or any part of any monies due or to become due under this Contract, the Instrument of
assignment shall contain a clause substantially to the effect that is agreed that the right of the assignee in
and to any monies due or to become due to the successful Firm shall be subject to prior liens of all persons,
firms, and corporations for services rendered or materials supplied for the performance of the services
called for in this contract.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 12
L. The successful Bidder’s attention is directed to the fact that all applicable Federal and State laws, County
and the Respective Cities and municipal ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorizes having
jurisdiction over the services shall apply to the contract throughout, and they will be deemed to be included
in the contract as though written out in full herein. The successful Firm shall keep himself/herself fully
informed of all laws, ordinances and regulations of the Federal, State, County and the Respective Cities
and municipal governments or authorities in any manner affecting those engaged or employed in providing
these services or in any way affecting the conduct of the services and of all orders and decrees of bodies
or tribunals having any jurisdiction or authority over same. If any discrepancy or inconsistency should be
discovered in these Contract Documents or in the specifications herein referred to, in relation to any law,
ordinance, regulation, order or decree, he/she shall herewith report the same in writing to Benton County
and Respective Cities.
M. All Benton County and the Respective Cities properties are tobacco-free zones. Firm, contractor(s),
subcontractor(s) and all hired staff – whether part time or full time – shall abide by the County and the
Respective Cities rules. The County and the Respective Cities Property includes interior of County and
the Respective Cities buildings, exterior yards, lawns, parking lots, and picnic areas.
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 13
Benton County and the Western Benton County Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Section B: Vendor References
The following information is required from all Firm(s) so all RFQs may be reviewed and properly evaluated:
Company Name:
Business Address:
Number of years in business: How long in present location:
Total number of current employees: Full time: Part time:
Number of employees you plan to use to service this contract: Full time: Part time:
Please list local commercial and/or governmental references that you have previously performed similar contract
services for within the past five (5) years:
1 Company Name:
City, State, Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone:
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address:
2 Company Name:
City, State, Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone:
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address:
3 Company Name:
City, State, Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone:
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address:
4 Company Name:
City, State, Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone:
Fax Number:
E-Mail Address:
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 14
Benton County and the Western Benton County Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Section C: Statement of Disclosure
Firm must disclose any possible conflict of interest with Benton County and Respective Cities, including, but not
limited to, any relationship with any Benton County and the Respective Cities employee. Your response must
disclose if a known relationship exists between any principal or employee of your firm and any Benton County and
the Respective Cities employee or County and the Respective Cities elected official.
If, to your knowledge, no relationship exists, this should also be stated in your response. Failure to disclose such
a relationship may result in cancellation of a purchase and/or contract as a result of your response. This form must
be completed and returned in order for your RFQ/proposal to be eligible for consideration.
PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AS IT APPROPRIATELY APPLIES TO YOUR FIRM:
☐ NO KNOWN RELATIONSHIP EXISTS
☐ RELATIONSHIP EXISTS (Please explain)
PLEASE FILL OUT THE SECTION BELOW:
1. I, as an officer of this organization, or per the attached letter of authorization, am duly authorized to certify
the information provided herein are accurate and true; and
2. My organization shall comply with all State and Federal Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination
requirements and conditions of employment.
Name: (Printed)
X
Signature
Date:
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 15
Benton County and the Western Benton County Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Section D: Authorized Negotiator Information
At the discretion of the County and Respective Cities, one or more Firm(s) may be asked for more detailed
information before final ranking of the firms, which may also include oral interviews.
NOTE: Each Firm shall submit to the County and the Respective Cities a primary contact name, email
address, and phone number (preferably a cell phone number) who the County and the Respective Cities
selection committee can contact for clarification or interview via telephone.
PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION:
Name of Firm:
Name:
Title:
Primary Phone #: (Cell Phone): Secondary Phone #:
E-Mail Address:
Is the primary contact (listed in part 1) able to legally bind contracts? YES ☒ NO (choose one)
If no, please list contact that can legally bind a contract for the firm:
Name:
Title:
Primary Phone #: (Cell Phone): Secondary Phone #:
E-Mail Address:
Name: (Printed)
X
Signature
Date:
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 16
Benton County and the Western Benton County Cities RFQ
Emergency Medical Services
Section E: Specifications
It is the intent of these specifications to describe the areas/locations in sufficient detail to secure RFQs on
comparable items. Any items not conforming to these specifications will be rejected, and it will be the
responsibility of the vendor to conform to the requirements unless deviations have been specifically cited by the
Firm and an acceptance made on the basis of the exception.
Emergency Medical Services
1. INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS:
Benton County and the Respective Cities of Cave Springs, Centerton and Highfill Arkansas (County and
Respective Cities) is seeking proposals from interested and qualified parties (Contractors) for the award of an
emergency medical service (EMS) contract. This proposal is for the provision of emergency medical service
for the portion of Benton County and Respective Cities, Arkansas described on the enclosed map pursuant to
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth in or referred to in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This
RFQ is open to all qualified Contractors who meet the minimum qualifications and can document required
credentials as outlined in this RFQ. The intent is for a single Provider/Contractor to provide EMS to the
unincorporated portion of the County and the Respective Cities as an emergency operating area (EOA). The
award shall be made at the sole discretion of the County and the Respective Cities to the Contractor who
provides the best value and displays evidence of satisfactory qualifications and responsibility to fully execute
the requirements as set forth by the County and Respective Cities.
The requests should include a proposal for the following:
(1) Providing ALS EMS Ground Transport Service and First Call Air Transport Service to the unincorporated
area of Benton County and the Respective Cities of Cave Springs, Centerton, and Highfill described in the
following table.
A. Direct Compensation in the contract will be derived from two sources:
(1) A subsidy dispersed by Benton County and the Respective Cities represented in this RFQ on a per
Household basis. The subsidy required will be determined by each interested party and will be a
key consideration for the award of this contract.
(2) The ability to collect revenues from fee-for-service billings and collections from patients and
responsible third parties. Reasonable and customary rates for ambulance services and adjustments
thereof shall be subject to review and approval by Benton County and the Respective Cities and the
city representatives.
B. Performance Terms
This procurement will result in a performance contract, not a level-of-effort contract, with the
following contract periods.
(1) Contract
Notwithstanding any other cancellation procedures called for contractually, the EMS ambulance
service provider selected will be initially placed under a Thirty-Six (36) month provisional contract
with extension options at the discretion of the County and the Respective Cities and Cities.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 17
(2) Standard Contract and Extensions
The standard contract period takes into consideration that a high- performance ambulance service
must simultaneously achieve clinical excellence, response-time reliability, economic efficiency,
and customer satisfaction. Therefore, the standard contract period is for an initial term of three (3)
years with the possibility of two (2) extensions, of three (3) years each, for a total standard contract
duration of nine (9) years. Extensions shall strongly consider Contractor performance, but the
decision to award an extension will be at the sole discretion of the County and the Respective
Cities and Cities based on whatever factors it deems appropriate.
(3) Notice on Extension and End of Contract Decisions
The County and the Respective Cities shall notify the Contractor at least three (3) months in
advance of the end of the initial standard contract period, and at least three (3) months in advance
of the end of the initial extension period, if awarded, on its decision to award an extension. If a
second extension is awarded, the Contractor will be given at least three (3) months’ notice of the
County and Respective Cities’ decision regarding any future procurement or other options it may
consider regarding how ambulance services will be provided after the 9-year maximum contract
period.
C. Rates and Adjustments
The approved base rate and allowed itemized charges that the Contractor must use for billing in the
County and the Respective Cities will be negotiated in the time leading up to the provisional and
standard contract periods.
Each year in the month of October, the ambulance rates can be adjusted based on the following formula
using Federal Consumer Price Index data for the prior calendar year. The amount of this change may
not be greater than a 5% change in the base rate for any single year:
Existing Base Rate x (1 + ((0.5 x Medical CPI Change*) + (0.5 x Transportation CPI Change**)))
* Medical CPI Change = the up or down change from the last calendar year’s value for the Medical
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, South Region
** Transportation CPI Change = average of all up or down changes to the following subcategories of
the Transportation Price Index for All Urban Consumers, South Region: New Vehicles, Gasoline (all
types), Motor vehicle parts and equipment, and Motor vehicle maintenance and repair.
In the event that material changes occur that substantially impact the Contractor’s costs of
providing services between annual rate adjustments, or the calculation of (continued)
the annual weighted price index change is greater than 5%, the Contractor may request that the County
and the Respective Cities consider approval of larger changes in ambulance service rates.
In the event the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or other payers increase their
reimbursement rates for ambulance services, the Contractor will be allowed to accept these increases
in payment without prior approval from the Benton County and the Respective Cities Judge so long as
the base rate used in billings by the Contractor stays within the rates approved by the Benton County
and the Respective Cities.
The Contractor may submit requests to the Benton County and the Respective Cities for changes in
rates for the itemized charges. Such requests must be accompanied by a documentation to justify the
proposed changes. The Benton County and the Respective Cities will review the request and offer a
recommendation to the Benton County Quorum Court and the respective City Councils for a decision.
The Benton County Judge and the Respective Cities may delegate these duties to a subcommittee of
the Quorum Court.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 18
2. MINIMUM CONDITIONS:
A. Overview
The conditions described in this section represent the minimum requirements the County and the
Respective Cities will accept from a Contractor. The Contractor should carefully examine each
requirement outlined in this section and indicate on the RFQ Form that Contractor can and will comply. If
submitting multiple proposals, the requirements apply to each unique proposal. Each proposal will be
graded as either compliant or non-compliant (pass/fail) with these minimum conditions. Proposals deemed
non-compliant shall not be considered further unless a Contractor submits acceptable evidence that non-
compliance of one or more requirements will not substantially have negative impact on the Contractor’s
ability to perform the services proposed.
B. Emergency Operating Area (EOA)
The Contractor will provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency ALS ambulance service to the
unincorporated area of the County and the Respective Cities described below. The Contractor will not
withhold appropriate emergency services for any reason, especially socioeconomic status or inability to
pay for services.
For purposes of measuring response time performance, the response times desired for the service area are
more particularly described in Section E, Part III, Section C. Maps are provided in Appendix B. The
response areas are the current unincorporated limits and may change in the future.
The County and the Respective Cities specifically makes no representation or warranties regarding the
numbers of requests for ambulance service, ambulance transports, frequency of special events or any other
information that may be associated with this procurement. Any and all historical data is provided mainly
to illustrate the general historical levels of performance and not as a guarantee of future business volume.
(See Table 1)
City
Square
Miles
Road
Miles
Total
Parcels
Residential
Structures
Commercial
Industrial
Structures
Total
Structures
Cave
Springs
15.72
59.33
825
1275
33
1,350
Highfill
29.06
58.12
1988
567
10
602
Centerton
27.9
89.72
1,687
1,166
66
1,291
Cave
Springs
7.88
48.94
2493
1991
56
2088
Centerton
13.7
107.17
6392
6800
218
7074
Highfill
18.1
58.28
1044
658
31
749
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 19
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 20
C. Insurance
The Contractor must agree that for the provisional and standard contract periods and any extensions thereto,
the insurance as shown herein will remain in effect and shall name Benton County and the Respective
Cities as a co-insured County and Respective Cities. Contractor shall provide evidence of ability to meet
all requirements described in this section. This insurance shall be evidenced by delivery to the County and
Respective Cities, Certificates of Insurance written by one or more insurance companies with an A.M. Best
rating of “A” or better, licensed to do business in the State of Arkansas and acceptable to the County and
Respective Cities. These insurance certificates shall list coverage and limits, expiration dates and terms
of policies, and the names of all carriers issuing or re-issuing these policies. All policies shall contain
provisions requiring that thirty (30) days’ notice be given prior to cancellation or modification of the policy
by the insured. Nothing shall absolve the Contractor of this requirement to provide notice.
Any program of self-insurance risk employed by the Contractor shall be subject to prior approval and on-
going monitoring by the County and the Respective Cities and its legal counsel. All policies must waive
subrogation rights. Current copies of all policies and Certificates of Insurance must be on file at the County
and the Respective Cities at all times during this contract. The following coverage will be required:
1. Commercial liability insurance
Including but not limited to, bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury, with limits of not less
than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) per occurrence, and annual aggregate. Coverage shall be on
“an occurrence basis” and the policy shall include broad form property damage coverage, and
contracted liability and fire legal liability of not less than Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) per
occurrence;
2. Professional Medical Liability
Including errors and omissions with minimum limits of not less than Two Million Dollars
($2,000,000.00) per occurrence, and an aggregate limit of not less than Five Million Dollars
($5,000,000.00);
3. Automobile Liability
Including a Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) combined single limit for bodily injury and property
damage per occurrence; and
4. Workers’ Compensation
Including coverage and policy in compliance with the Arkansas Insurance Department the policy must
have a minimum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).
D. Performance Security Requirements
Due to the importance of EMS to the communities served, it is important for the County and the Respective
Cities to do everything possible to eliminate the potential for a system failure. Contractor shall provide
evidence of the ability to meet performance security requirements to minimize the potential for failure and
to sustain uninterrupted service in the event of a default or failure of the Contractor using the methods
described in this section.
The Contractor will deposit with the County and Respective Cities, an annually renewable performance
bond or cash escrow account in a form acceptable to the County and Respective Cities. The amount of the
performance bond or cash escrow account shall be Two Hundred Fifty Thousand dollars ($250,000.00).
The parties will agree that this is a reasonable amount for damages in the event of the Contractor default,
failure to perform, termination, or a breach of contract.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 21
E. Financial Strength
Contractor will provide evidence that clearly documents the financial history of the organization and
demonstrates that the Contractor has the financial capability to handle the expansion (including
implementation and startup costs) necessitated by the award of the contract.
1. Financial Statements
Contractor will include copies of its most recent two (2) year periods financial strength to include the
following documents or their equivalents. If the Contractor is part of a larger organization and has
consolidated financial statements, the corporate relationship should be explained, the individual
operation’s statements should be extracted, and both sets of statements should be submitted.
a. Balance Sheet
b. Income Statement
c. Statement of Cash Flows
d. Statement of Owner Equities
2. Audit Statement
Contractor will submit a statement of unqualified opinion from a Certified Public Accountant, for the
most recent year available. This opinion should reflect that an independent review has taken place and
that the financial statements were found to be in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP) and that the principles chosen, and estimates made are reasonable.
3. Financial Commitments
Contractor will provide a list of obligations, and potential commitments, which may impact assets,
credit rating, and guarantor letters or otherwise affect the Contractor’s ability to meet the requirements
of this RFQ.
4. Billing Operations
Contractor will discuss their experience and success with billing Medicare, Medicaid, third party
payers, private insurance and other parties.
F. Experience
1. Comparable Services
The Contractor will document experience managing comparable emergency medical services for at least
three (3) years. Provide the following information for each community.
a. Name of community,
b. Brief description of community,
c. Dates of service in community,
d. Services provided to each community,
e. Number and type (i.e., emergency, non-emergency, interfacility, etc.) of responses provided
in each of the past two (2) years,
f. Current contact officer(s) or designated government contact person(s) for each community
including name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
2. Business Identity
The Contractor will provide all corporate or individual names that have been used during the past ten
(10) years.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 22
3. Accreditation and Associations
The Contractor may provide a listing of any accreditations held and any professional or industry
associations to which the Contractor belongs that the Contractor believes may be of benefit to the
County and Respective Cities. If including this information, Contractor should state the benefit to the
County and Respective Cities.
G. Outstanding/Pending Litigation
The contractor shall provide a listing of all resolved or ongoing litigation of the Contractor’s organizations
within the past five (5) years. This listing shall include litigation brought against the Contractor’s
organization or affiliated organization and any litigation initiated by the Contractor’s organization or
affiliated organization against any governmental County and the Respective Cities or competing
ambulance service within the last five (5) years. Contractor must provide documentation that it has
resolved all issues arising from litigation or describe status of open litigation.
H. Operational Expectations
The Contractor shall provide and manage the delivery of emergency medical services by meeting or
exceeding the requirements of this RFQ and the resulting contract. The contract will be a performance
contract, not level-of-effort contract; however, the following conditions are baseline expectations. The
Contractor is highly encouraged to consider innovative methods to grow the service and exceed
performance expectations.
1. Staffing
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring high-performance service through employing, managing,
training and other personnel functions necessary to fulfill the terms of the contract.
a. Maintain personnel certifications and ambulance provider’s license(s);
b. Ensure courteous, professional, and safe conduct of all personnel;
c. Ensure fair and reasonable shift schedules and employment practices;
d. Provide or purchase all in-service training of ambulance personnel;
e. Ensure clinical performance consistent with DOH and Medical Director Standards and
implement reasonable changes accordingly.
2. Equipment
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring high-performance service through employing, managing
and maintaining all vehicular and medical equipment necessary to fulfill the terms of the contract.
a. Achieve and maintain Type I or Type III ambulance vehicles (not to include backup/reserve
ambulance vehicles) as specified in the document entitled "Federal Specifications Ambulance
Emergency Medical Care vehicle" as published by the
General Service administration, DOT Federal Specification KKK1822, in effect at time of
manufacture and requirements as set forth by the Arkansas Department of Health, and must have
affixed thereto the appropriate certification(s);
b. Equip each ambulance with all required personnel, equipment and supplies for "Paramedic Service"
operations as required by the Arkansas Department of Health and as further specified by the
Contractor’s Medical Director;
c. Ensure all motor vehicles used for the purpose of providing ambulance service hereunder, shall be
designed to transport ill, sick or injured persons in comfort and safety, and shall be maintained in
clean, sanitary, and good mechanical condition at all times, in compliance with any applicable State
or Federal standards for ambulances;
d. Ensure ambulances are mechanically sound and removed from service when appropriate to mitigate
critical vehicle failures;
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 23
e. Ensure all mechanical, safety, and special equipment shall be subject to inspection at any
reasonable time by representatives of the County and Respective Cities;
f. Ensure no ambulance that has been substantially damaged or altered shall be again placed in service
until it has been adequately repaired;
g. Furnish all fuel, lubricants, repairs, and necessary supplies.
I. Cooperation with Other Agencies
Maintain good working relationships with area law enforcement agencies, fire departments, medical first
responders, medical air transport providers and other emergency services organizations. Enter into
mutually beneficial support agreements with other ambulance providers.
Contractor shall provide medical standby services as requested for public safety agencies.
J. Provisions for Default and Early Termination
This procurement will result in the award of a performance contract requiring high levels of performance
and reliability. Mere demonstration of effort, even diligent and well-intentioned effort, shall not substitute
for performance results.
Determination of default will be the responsibility of the Benton County Judge and the Respective Cities
Mayor; however, oversight may be appointed to the Benton County Fire Marshal and the Respective Cities
Fire Chief to monitor contract compliance, consider performance exceptions, levy penalties, considered
other matters as assigned and make recommendations to the Benton County Judge and the Respective
Cities Mayor.
Contractor will be notified in writing if a default condition exists and will be given 10 days to correct.
Failure to correct the default condition will be considered a breach of contract subject to early termination
of contract.
Default conditions include, but are not limited to, the following.
1. Failure of the Contractor to operate the system in a manner consistent with Federal, State and Local
laws, rules and regulations;
2. Intentionally supplying the County and the Respective Cities with false or misleading
information with regard to records, documents, dates or time kept for the purpose of determining
Contractor’s performance under the terms of this proposal. Upon detection of accidental/unintentional
error, the County and the Respective Cities shall be notified immediately and supplied with corrections;
3. Failure of the Contractor, its employees, its agents, or its representatives to conduct themselves in a
professional and courteous manner and including professional appearance;
4. Failure of the Contractor to provide to the County and the Respective Cities data generated in the
course of operations, including, but not limited to, patient report data, response time data, and financial
data as specified in the contract;
5. Failure to substantially and consistently meet or exceed the various clinical standards provided for in
the contract;
6. Making an assignment for the benefit of creditors; filing a petition for bankruptcy; being adjudicated
insolvent or bankrupt; petitioning by custodian, receiver or trustee for a substantial part of its property;
or commencing any proceeding relating to it under the bankruptcy, reorganization arrangements,
readjustment of debt, dissolution or liquidation law or statute; (continued)
7. Chronic failure of the Contractor to meet response time requirements as set forth in the
contract.
8. Chronic failure of the Contractor to meet any performance requirements of the contract. Unless where
otherwise specifically indicated, chronic failure for this purpose shall be defined as failure to meet any
performance requirement three times in a six-month period;
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 24
9. Failure to furnish key personnel of quality and experience;
10. Failure to submit scheduled or ad hoc reports, or other information;
11. Failure of the Contractor to maintain insurance requirements or provide timely notification of policy
changes;
12. Any other failure of performance required in the contract which is determined to constitute an
endangerment to public health and safety, or not be in the best interest of the County and Respective
Cities;
13. Failure of the contractor to pay penalties within 60 days of notification of assessment;
14. Failure to maintain any type of license, permit, or certification required by law in order to fulfill the
requirements of the contract or in order to avoid fines and penalties imposed by law;
15. Persistent and repeated failures of Contractor to comply with any of the performance requirements
may be considered a condition of default.
K. Penalties for Failure to Comply
The County and the Respective Cities may assess penalties for failure to comply with the requirements of
the contract. Contractor may appeal decision to assess penalties to the County and the Respective Cities in
writing within 10 days of notification of assessment. Penalties may be withheld from any subsidy or
invoiced to Contractor as an assessment. Assessments must be paid within 60 days of assessment,
regardless of appeal date.
1. Performance Requirements
In the event Contractor fails to comply with any of the terms of the contract, the County and the
Respective Cities may issue the Contractor a written warning describing such failure. Should
Contractor’s noncompliance continue after receipt of such warning, the County and the Respective
Cities may deduct penalties from any subsidy or assess a penalty that is payable within sixty (60) days
of notification, in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250) for each day Contractor remains
in noncompliance following receipt of the written warning. Should the noncompliance continue for
more than five (5) consecutive days, the County and the Respective Cities may increase penalties to
Five Hundred Dollars ($500) for each additional day Contractor remains in noncompliance.
2. Response Time Requirements
a. Emergency Requests
For every emergency request where Contractor exceeds response time requirements for the specific
response area, the County and the Respective Cities may assess penalties of Five Hundred Dollars
($500) for each occurrence, which exceeds the response time requirements.
3. DESIRED CONDITIONS:
A. Overview
The conditions presented in this section reflect the County and Respective Cities’ desired standards and
requirements for acceptable emergency medical services. Each condition listed herein will result in a
numerical score based upon the deviation from the stated desired condition. Proposals that offer an
improvement to the County and the Respective Cities over the desired condition will receive a higher
numerical value than those that merely meet the desired condition. The scoring method for each condition
is discussed hereinafter.
B. Compensation
The County and the Respective Cities would prefer proposals that do not request financial subsidy from
the County and the Respective Cities but will consider those that do.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 25
C. Ground Ambulance Operations
1. Coverage
The Contractor will provide emergency ground ambulance service for the unincorporated County and
the Respective Cities of Cave Springs, Centerton and Highfill. See table listed in Section 2 B.1
Emergency Operating Area.
2. Response Time Requirements
Ambulances must be compliant with the following minimum response time requirements. Response
times are a combination of dispatch operations and field operations. The County and the Respective
Cities shall be responsible for classifying all EMS calls using dispatch protocols and using emergency
medical dispatching. The County and the Respective Cities does not plan to limit the Contractor’s
flexibility in the methods of deployment and providing service as long as the minimum response time
requirements are achieved.
The Contractor shall place a transport capable ALS service ambulance at the scene of all requests for
emergency medical services within the designated response time at a minimum of a ninety percent
(90%) rate for all emergency dispatch response requests. This rate will be measured monthly and
reported to the County and Respective Cities.
The County and the Respective Cities will work with Contractor as required to determine operational
zones, assignments and move-ups.
a. Emergency Responses (As determined by CENCOM ProQA Dispatch)
(1) All unincorporated areas of Benton County and Respective Cities- Contractors first in
assignment must arrive at the scene within 20:00 minutes at least 90% of the time.
b. Non-Emergency Responses (As determined by CENCOM ProQA Dispatch)
(1) All unincorporated areas of Benton County and the Respective Cities -Contractors first in
assignment must arrive at the scene within 25:00 minutes at least 90% of the time.
c. Calculation of Response Times
For all classifications of requests for service, the response time shall be the elapsed time (measured
to the second) from the time “call received” to the time “arrival on scene”. The time “call received”
shall be from the second the Contractor is actually notified by Central Communications. The time
“arrival on scene” shall be the time a fully equipped transport capable ALS service ambulance
arrives at the location of the patient or request for service and an ambulance crew notifies the
dispatch center that it is fully stopped at the location where the ambulance crew will exit to
approach the patient.
First Responders do not constitute “arrival on scene” by the Contractor.
“Arrival on scene” may be defined as when a full-time, paid employee of the Contractor, such as
a supervisor or “Quick response vehicle”, arrives at the location of the request for service, provided
that:
(1) Employee is a licensed paramedic or higher; and
(2) Employee is on duty and arrives in a vehicle clearly marked and identified as the Contractor’s
vehicle; and
(3) Vehicle is equipped to provide Advanced Life Support; and
(4) Employee is in continual communication with the responding ambulance; and
(5) Employee begins patient care upon arrival on scene and provides appropriate emergency
medical services prior to ambulance arrival.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 26
d. Upgraded and Downgraded Requests
For emergency requests that are upgraded enroute upon request of an on-scene First Responder or
in compliance with Dispatch Protocols, the response time shall be calculated from the moment of
the upgrade request, and the higher priority standard shall be used. For emergency requests that
are downgraded upon request of an on-scene First Responder or in compliance with Dispatch
Protocols, the response time shall be calculated as the lower priority requirement.
e. Response Time Exemptions
The County and the Respective Cities understands that isolated instances may occur in which the
Contractor does not meet the stated performance specifications. However, a chronic failure to
comply with the response time requirements may constitute default of the contract. The Contractor
shall maintain mechanisms for reserve production capacity to increase service production should
a temporary system overload persist.
From time to time, unusual factors beyond the Contractor’s reasonable control may affect the
achievement of specified response time standards. These unusual factors are limited to those noted
below.
(1) Requests occurring during a period of unusually severe inclement weather conditions, unless
weather was predicted sufficiently in advance that levels of preparedness should have been
increased and such steps were not taken, when such response time compliance is either
impossible or achievable only at a great risk to EMS personnel and the public;
(2) In the event of Mass Casualty Incident, all ambulances responding to the Mass Casualty
Incident other than the first ambulance on the scene;
(3) Situations where the communications center receives false or inaccurate information or was
unable to obtain adequate response information;
(4) Requests during a declared disaster within Benton County and the Respective Cities and
confirmed by the County and Respective Cities, in which the Contractor is rendering
assistance. During such periods, the Contractor shall use best efforts to maintain primary
coverage, while simultaneously providing disaster assistance as needed;
(5) Request during times of unusually heavy call demand.
(6) In the event the ambulance response is delayed by a train blocking the roadway with no
effective alternative route, the ambulance will immediately communicate issue to dispatch.
Equipment failure, traffic congestion, ambulance failure, or other causes shall not be grounds
for granting an exception to compliance with any response time standard. No other causes of
late response time shall serve to justify exemption from response time requirements. However,
the Contractor may appeal such instances to the County and Respective Cities. Any appeals
shall be filed with the County and the Respective Cities within ten (10) days of notification of
the incident.
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RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 27
D. Air Ambulance Operations
1. Coverage
The Contractor will provide either through ownership or partnership an emergency air ambulance
service for the designated service area within unincorporated County and the Respective Cities of
Benton.
2. Response Time Requirements
Air Ambulances must be compliant with the following minimum response time requirements.
Response times are a combination of dispatch operations and field operations. the County and the
Respective Cities shall be responsible for classifying all EMS calls using dispatch protocols and using
emergency medical dispatching. The County and the Respective Cities do not plan to limit the
Contractor’s flexibility in the methods of deployment and providing service as long as the minimum
response time requirements are achieved.
The Contractor shall have a transport capable air ambulance at the scene of all emergencies that require
an air transport as determined by Benton County and the Respective Cities Dispatch or by Contractor
within the designated response time at a minimum of a ninety percent (90%) rate for all emergency
dispatch response requests. This rate will be measured monthly and reported to the County and
Respective Cities.
The County and the Respective Cities will work with Contractor as required to determine operational
fly/no fly zones and assignments.
a. Emergency Air Response (As determined by CENCOM ProQA Dispatch and Contractor)
(1) All areas of Benton County and Respective Cities- Contractors first in assignment must
arrive at the scene within 20:00 minutes at least 90% of the time.
b. Calculation of Response Times
For all classifications of requests for service, the response time shall be the elapsed time (measured
to the second) from the time “call received” to the time “arrival on scene”. The time “call received”
shall be from the second the Contractor is actually notified by Central Communications. The time
“arrival on scene” shall be the time a fully equipped transport capable ALS service air ambulance
arrives at the location of the patient or request for service and an ambulance crew notifies the
dispatch center that it is fully stopped at the location where the ambulance crew will exit to
approach the patient.
c. Response Time Exemptions
The County and the Respective Cities understands that isolated instances may occur in which the
Contractor does not meet the stated performance specifications. However, a chronic failure to
comply with the response time requirements may constitute default of the contract. The Contractor
shall maintain mechanisms for reserve production capacity to increase service production should
a temporary system overload persist.
From time to time, unusual factors beyond the Contractor’s reasonable control may affect the
achievement of specified response time standards. These unusual factors are limited to those noted
below.
(1) Requests occurring during a period of unusually severe inclement weather conditions;
(2) In the event of Mass Casualty Incident, all ambulances responding to the Mass Casualty
Incident other than the first ambulance on the scene;
(3) Situations where the communications center receives false or inaccurate information or was
unable to obtain adequate response information;
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 28
(4) Requests during a declared disaster within Benton County and the Respective Cities and
confirmed by the County and Respective Cities, in which the Contractor is rendering
assistance. During such periods, the Contractor shall use best efforts to maintain primary
coverage, while simultaneously providing disaster assistance as needed;
(5) Request during times of unusually heavy call demand.
Equipment failure, ambulance failure, dispatch error, or other causes shall not be grounds for
granting an exception to compliance with any response time standard. No other causes of late
response time shall serve to justify exemption from response time requirements. However,
the Contractor may appeal such instances to the County and Respective Cities. Any appeals
shall be filed with the County and the Respective Cities within ten (10) days of notification of
the incident.
E. Clinical Operations
1. EMS Medical Director
a. The EMS Medical Director should provide medical oversight to ensure that the Contractor operates
within the mainstream of the local healthcare system.
b. At a minimum the EMS medical director should have appropriate training, certification and
licensure; expertise in EMS systems; and expertise in the specific type of operation. Ideally, the
medical director should be a fully qualified member of the Contractors’ operational EMS team.
c. The qualified medical director and his or her designees should insure that a local standard of care
is established and met. Such standards should coincide with all State of Arkansas statues. This
includes assuring that EMS personnel function within their defined scopes of practice, as
established by their training and certification or licensure as outlined by the Arkansas Department
of Health.
d. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to establish mutually agreed upon compensation for the
services, availability and provision of necessary materials and resources, and liability coverage for
duties and actions performed with the EMS Medical Director.
2. Clinical Standards
a. The Contractor should provide details on how the following clinical standards will be ensured.
b. All ambulances that respond to emergency requests for service will be staffed with a minimum of
one (1) EMT-Paramedic, and one (1) EMT-Basic.
c. All response personnel shall meet the minimal education and credentialing requirements as set
forth by the Arkansas Department of Health in conjunction with the EMS Medical Director.
d. EMT-Paramedics shall maintain current certifications in the following:
(1) Advanced Cardiac Life Support
(2) Trauma life support certification such as:
(3) A pediatric emergency education program such as:
a. Pediatric Advanced Life Support
b. Advanced Pediatric Life Support
e. Additional training in the following areas is desirable for all personnel:
(1) Multi-casualty / Disaster Response
(2) Dealing with difficult patients
(3) Infection control
(4) Emergency vehicle driver operations
Benton County and Cities
RFQ – Emergency Medical Services Page 29
f. The Contractor may require additional levels of training and qualifications.
3. Continuous Improvement
a. The Contractor shall establish a Continuous Quality Improvement program that encompasses all
aspect of the EMS operation. This should include the establishment of Key Performance Indicators
that are monitored as a gauge of the system’s overall level of performance to Benton County and
Respective Cities. These should include at a minimum:
(1) Clinical Indicators
(2) Operation Indicators
(3) Financial Indicators
(4) Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Indicators
(5) Customer Satisfaction Indicators
b. The Contractor should provide an explanation of its Continuous Quality Improvement program.
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BENTON COUNTY AND RESPECTIVE CITIES, ARKANSAS (Benton County Government)

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Completed 5 August 2020

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