STATESVILLE, N.C.,None — The Iredell County Board of Commissioners voted to table a request by a Forsyth County-based ambulance service to operate in Iredell.
The hour-long public hearing at Tuesday's regular board meeting centered on the question of whether or not Iredell County is large enough – population-wise – to sustain two privately-owned ambulance businesses.
The county has been served by NuCare since 1997 and at Tuesday's meeting that company's co-founder Jeff Corbett told commissioners that a "perfect balance" exists between the service offered by NuCare and that provided by Iredell County's Emergency Medical Service.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Corbett said in trying to convince commissioners to not grant a franchise to LifeStar Emergency Services, which operates out of Winston-Salem.
But both Iredell EMS Director David Cloer and Deputy County Manager Tracy Jackson said that the county could benefit by having both companies.
"They could hang their shingles out and then it's K-Mart versus Walmart," Jackson said. "There is potential here for two services."
Cloer said that among the advantages is the basic business premise that "competition may bring out the best in both of them and make them both better."
LifeStar owner Mike Hoots said he could be operational in Iredell within 90 days.
Commissioner Frank Mitchell asked County Manager Ron Smith if commissioners were even allowed to deny LifeStar's request and Smith said that they could if the move was "not in the public interest."
After Commissioner Renee Griffith recused herself from a vote on the matter because her husband Bobby was once employed by NuCare, Mitchell made the motion to table a vote on the request until the Aug. 16. Mitchell's motion passed 3-0.
Board Vice Chairman Marvin Norman was absent.
WSOC
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