DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb County commissioners unanimously approve a contract renewal for ambulance services noting recent improvements.

The deal with American Medical Response is worth $78M over five years.

DeKalb County officials say this year’s contract extension boosted ambulance availability and led to a 23% reduction in response times to critical calls, like heart attacks, since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new contract, which takes effect next year, calls for AMR to provide 600 hours of service a day, with around 35 ambulances at its peak.

It also includes a new substation and a new system to ensure when a 911 call comes in, the response times will drop.