During their October 5 meeting, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury voted to extend Acadian Ambulance’s contract, allowing the company to remain as the sole ambulance provider in rural areas of Evangeline Parish. The contract is effective for five years, through December 2025. The police jury voted to approve the contract with seven votes in favor, no votes opposed and one abstention.
Acadian Ambulance began providing service to the residents of Evangeline Parish in 1974. The company has 30 employees who live and work in the parish, some of whom have been with Acadian for more than 30 years. Acadian is one of the parish’s major employers and has an annual payroll in Evangeline Parish of $1.5 million.
“We are grateful that the police jury places confidence in us by voting in favor of this five-year contract. We owe this decision to the dedication, compassion and professionalism of our medics and staff who live and work in Evangeline Parish. They have served their local community for many years and truly help their own neighbors every day,” said Acadian Ambulance Governmental Relations Manager Paul Fuselier.
“Having an exclusive contract with one ambulance provider will better serve the citizens of Evangeline Parish because it holds us accountable for response times and quality of service. Historically, having one ambulance provider, if properly managed and held accountable, lessens confusion on behalf of the public, shortens response times, improves cooperation with local law enforcement and fire agencies, and better protects the area’s citizens. It also allows us to invest in the people and assets needed to properly staff the operations.” said Acadian Ambulance incoming President Justin Back.
“We treasure the history of service Acadian has with Evangeline Parish and appreciate the confidence the Police Jury has shown with this vote. We look forward to continuing our work with area officials to serve the citizens of Evangeline Parish,” said Acadian Chairman and CEO Richard Zuschlag.
Acadian Ambulance is one of the largest ambulance services in the nation, offering emergency and non-emergency transportation to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. They are employee-owned and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.
