The city’s current ambulance service will be able to proudly continue serving local residents.

The Dowagiac City Council agreed to renew its contract with Kalamazoo-based Pride Care Ambulance service during the council’s meeting Monday at Dowagiac City Hall. The city will continue to contract with the service for another three years, with the terms of the contract set to expire in 2020.

Per the contract, Pride Care must provide the city the following services:

• An 8:59 minute fractal response time, with 90 percent reliability with ALS (paramedic) service.

• Advanced cardiac life support certification of all full-time paramedics, or within 90 days of employment.

• Pediatric advanced life support or equivalent certification of all full-time paramedics or within 90 days of employment.

• Pre-hospital trauma life support or equivalent certification of all full-time paramedics or within 90 days of employment.

• Meet or exceed Cass County Medical Control Authority and/or Van Buren County Medical Control Authority clinical guidelines, as may be required.

• Include 12 lead and cardiac pacing capabilities.

• Education services to the community, including CPR and AED training.

• Wheelchair transportation services.

• Critical care paramedic services.

• Service to all structure fires, when available.

The City of Dowagiac has contracted its ambulance coverage to Pride Care for nearly a decade as members of the Cass/Van Buren Emergency Service Authority, said City Manager Kevin Anderson. The authority consists of the city and several neighboring townships, including Wayne, Silver Creek, Pokagon, LaGrange, Volinia and Keeler, all of which are covered by Pride Care paramedics.

“The agreement has continued to provide good coverage for the citizens of Dowagiac and surrounding townships,” Anderson said.

As part of the agreement, each municipality must individually renew its contract with Pride Care. Neither the city nor the townships provide revenue to the company — due to the call volume, the service is funded entirely through patient/insurance fees, Anderson said.

Pride Care currently fields three vehicles throughout the authority’s boundaries, with stations in the city and Wayne and Keeler townships. Vehicles are constantly repositioned to cut down on response times, and Pride Care can also call in vehicles from outside the authority service area to help when needed, Anderson said.

“That depth of bench, so to speak, has been a real benefit to the safety of people living in the greater Dowagiac area,” he said.