Symons, Bishop reach new deal

Bishop’s Police Department (BPD) will continue to provide dispatch service to Symons Ambulance at a reduced cost, after Bishop City Council approved a new agreement between the City and the private ambulance company at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

The Bishop City Council had considered terminating the City’s dispatch service in December, after Symons failed to make about $13,000 in payments for service provided since February of 2013. The previous dispatch contract between the City and Symons expired in July of 2013.

Under the new agreement, the City will charge Symons a flat rate of $100 per month, rather than the previous $20 per dispatch call. With about 1,000 calls a year, according to City Administrator Keith Caldwell, this change will reduce Symons’ bill from $20,000 to $1,200 annually.

Caldwell described Council’s reaction to the new agreement as “very receptive.” According to the agreement, Symons will pay the remainder of its debt to the City in monthly installments of $1,666 through June of this year.