New hearing date set in case that could block Jackson from seeking ambulance provider

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A new hearing date has been set in a case that could determine whether the city of Jackson can seek its own ambulance service.

On Thursday, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas signed an order scheduling a hearing for November 15 on Hinds County’s motion for a preliminary injunction blocking Jackson from moving forward with its request for proposals for ambulance service.

The hearing is rescheduled just days after a previous hearing in the case. Hinds County filed the suit, saying the city’s efforts would put the county in breach of contract with its current service provider, AMR.

AMR has exclusive rights to provide ambulance services in Hinds County and its municipalities, including Jackson.

The company has held the contract for more than 30 years, with the latest agreement approved in 2021.

The city argues reviewing proposals doesn’t violate the terms of the contract, and that the city is taking action because AMR has not addressed “poor response times.”

A WLBT investigation revealed that for the first four months of the year, AMR only met its contracted response times in a little over half of its Priority One emergency calls for service.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Copyright 2023 WLBT. All rights reserved.