Fines up threefold for Shawnee County’s ambulance service for late response times

Shawnee County fined its ambulance service provider more than three times as much for late response times during the first six months of this year as it did during that same time period last year, figures show.

The provider, American Medical Response Ambulance Co., nevertheless remains in substantial compliance with its contract with the county, said county ambulance compliance officer Nelson Casteel.

AMR paid the county fines totaling $17,920 for the first six months of this year, compared to $5,821 for that same period last year, according to figures Casteel provided the commission.

Those figures said AMR was fined 403 times during the first six months of this year, compared to 205 times during the same time period last year.

AMR ran 11,595 calls during the first six months of this year, a 15 percent increase over the 10,060 during the same time period last year.