Contact: Keith Simon, VP of Marketing, 1.800.259.3333, 337.291.3347, ksimon@acadian.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, June 15, 2006

Acadian Ambulance Service officials announced that the Lafayette-based company began providing service to Orange County, Texas on June 13th.  Acadian was chosen from a list of six ambulance services that had been reduced to three finalists including Priority Care, a California-based company and American Medical Response, of Houston.

Orange County officials told the media that Acadian's strengths include 35 years of stability and customer-based service, and the close proximity of Acadian's Calcasieu Parish service area to Orange.

The area to be served under the new contract includes the cities of Orange, Bridge City, West Orange, Pinehurst plus three emergency service districts and the unincorporated jurisdiction of Orange County. Emergency Services District 1, which covers much of the western Orange County, opted out of the contract. Except for that district, Acadian will be the sole provider of out-of-hospital emergency medical service. Orange County has a population of 85,000, in an area of 356 square miles.

Among the stipulations of the contract is one requiring that Acadian shift multiple ambulances to Orange County in case of disaster. Also, Acadian offered employment to employees of the previous service provider, Orange County Ambulance Service (OCAS), and purchase all of its assets. OCAS, which had been in business since 1979, announced plans to shut down in June because it could no longer afford to operate.

Another stipulation calls for a strong working relationship between Acadian and all First Responder organizations in the county.

Jerry Romero, vice president of operations, said these and other requirements of the contract match perfectly Acadian's method of operations. “We work in partnership with the municipal and volunteer fire departments, law enforcement agencies and other emergency organizations to support First Responder programs that provide people close to the scene with the skills to stabilize patients and provide care while the ambulance is en route. Acadian EMS professionals also teach First Responder courses at no charge.”

Romero said that hiring employees of the former ambulance service provider also fits with Acadian's operational procedures. “Hiring as many local people as possible assures us of a team thoroughly familiar with the Orange County area.

“To assure the best possible service, we will work closely with and seek guidance from government officials and emergency response and law enforcement agencies,” he added. “Open dialogue, responsiveness and cooperation with public officials are firm AASI policies.”

Romero pledged that AASI will be a good corporate citizen of the community. “We will stand by without charge at high school athletic events, fairs, festivals and other gatherings where the presence of crowds increases the potential for accident or sudden illness,” he said.

“We are an employee-owned company,” Romero said, “and our expansion  into Texas is part of a growth plan designed to increase the value of employee-owner investment in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). We have concluded that the logical path for physical expansion is along the I-10 corridor.

“With its proximity to our Calcasieu Parish operation, the move into Orange is practical step that will allow the kind of network of personnel, ambulances and technology that serves our current service area so well, particularly when there is an unusually heavy demand for resources because of a natural or man-made disaster.

“We are bringing to Orange County 35 years of experience by courageous, caring, highly skilled medics,” Romero said. “We look forward to a long and highly positive relationship.”    

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