Barrow County’s 911 system is in for a major shake-up. On March 11, county commissioners voted to hand countywide ambulance operations to American Medical Response under a five-year contract set to kick in July 1, 2026. The deal replaces Northeast Georgia Health System as the county’s EMS provider and covers fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Officials say the agreement comes with six new ambulances supplied at no cost and a plan for AMR to bring the county’s existing EMS workforce onto its payroll.
How the contract was awarded
The Board signed off after an evaluation committee ranked AMR at the top of the pack. As reported by Main Street News, proposals rolled in from Puckett EMS, AmeriPro Health, Northeast Georgia Health System and AMR before commissioners approved the five-year agreement.
Procurement timeline and start date
The county opened the search this winter under RFQ/P2026-11 and locked in July 1, 2026 as the go-live date for the new provider. According to Barrow County’s bid posting, the RFQ package, addenda and a mandatory pre-proposal meeting guided the selection and laid out expectations for staffing levels, billing procedures and coordination with 911 dispatch.
What the deal includes
The five-year contract is worth about $3,965,000 and will be paid out of the county EMS budget, according to local reporting. Under the agreement, AMR will provide 911 nurse-navigation services, deliver six new ambulances at no cost to the county and take on the current EMS employees. That marks the end of NGHS’s tenure as Barrow’s EMS provider, which started in 2019. As reported by Main Street News, Barrow County Fire Chief Brett Skinner told commissioners that county EMS costs climbed about 93% between 2022 and 2026, a key factor in reopening the procurement.
Who AMR is and regional context
American Medical Response is part of the Global Medical Response family and lists its corporate headquarters at 4400 Hwy 121, Suite 700, Lewisville, Texas, on its corporate site. Per AMR, the company operates nationwide and provides emergency response, interfacility transport and event medical services. The firm is no stranger to big metro-area deals in Georgia. Coverage of a neighboring DeKalb County award noted a multi-year, multimillion-dollar investment intended to boost ambulance capacity. Firehouse reported on that regional contract and the county investment tied to it.
What residents can expect next
With the ink dry on the contract, county officials and AMR will move into an implementation phase that covers staffing transitions, delivery of the new ambulances and fine-tuning dispatch protocols. The RFQ notes that the county can request presentations and additional planning documents from AMR as the July 2026 start date approaches, and Barrow County will continue to oversee and monitor the contract. For the full RFQ and addenda, see Barrow County’s bid posting linked above.
