The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved a five-year contract with American Medical Response (AMR) for emergency ambulance services, valued at up to $77.8 million based on performance. The agreement aims to enhance emergency medical service delivery and further reduce critical response times across the county.
“As we continue to reimagine how EMS is provided in DeKalb County, I am excited at the progress we have made and expect this contract will allow us to better serve our residents,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “We will have a world-class emergency medical service.”
Key components of the new contract include increasing daily unit hours to 600, adding more ambulances, improving response time compliance, introducing a supplemental provider during peak call times, expanding the Nurse Navigator program and social services support, launching a whole blood program for trauma injuries, opening a third ambulance deployment center in the county, and using AI analytics to optimize unit posting and care quality.
“I am excited about the positive outcomes we’ve achieved since the beginning of the year,” said DeKalb Fire Chief Darnell Fullum. “This contract is a roadmap for success.”
Commissioner LaDena Bolton of Super District 7 commented on her role in pushing for improvements: “Earlier this year I voted against an 18‑month extension with AMR to push for a competitive RFP process that would secure a long‑term contract meeting the service delivery our community deserves, and as Chair of the ERPS committee, I am proud that Tuesday’s $77 million agreement not only ensures improved emergency response but also provides ancillary services—such as real‑time support for non‑emergency calls and alternative ambulatory options—that reflect the priorities voiced by our residents, demonstrating that through careful deliberation and compromise we have positioned DeKalb County to deliver excellence in emergency medical services for the next five years.”
The current contract extension included a $4.9 million subsidy for AMR. As a result, average daily ambulance unit hours rose from 456 in 2024 to 583 in Q3 of 2025—a 28% increase—leading to shorter response times across all types of calls.
In 2024, Fitch and Associates conducted an independent review of DeKalb County’s EMS system. Their report highlighted underfunding issues and recommended investments between $12.6 million and $16.5 million depending on system design needs. Recommendations included ensuring fiscal sustainability for EMS provision, selecting optimal system designs with clear response objectives, improving patient offload times at hospitals, enhancing overall response performance and availability of units, as well as considering alternate deployment locations.
These findings guided both an interim contract extension earlier this year with AMR and informed management throughout the Request for Proposal process.
Under CEO Cochran-Johnson’s leadership, critical call response times are now reported at 23% lower than during pandemic peaks. Overall emergency call responses are currently faster than any period since early COVID-19 through September 2025.
A press conference is scheduled next week where officials will discuss future plans regarding EMS operations in DeKalb County along with key elements from the AMR agreement.
Meanwhile, recent education data shows that enrollment at DeKalb County schools dropped by 2.2% during the 2022-23 school year compared to previous years; total enrollment was 98,287 students. White students accounted for 14% of total enrollment during this period.
