# Oconee County Prepares to Assume 911 EMS Service

Oconee County commissioners tentatively approved a three-year agreement with St. Mary’s Hospital and Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center under which the county would take exclusive responsibility for 911 EMS service on December 31, 2026. Final action was scheduled for October 6, 2026. The county reports that ambulance vehicles and equipment are on site and the ambulance license is ready for operational status. Separately, commissioners tentatively approved a $370,000 Heritage Park trail project and a $64,500 Sheriff’s Office vehicle purchase, also scheduled for final action October 6.

- EMS providers and contractors should note the proposed shift from the current hospital arrangement to county-operated 911 service; the county-funded vehicles and equipment are part of the transition. The agreement’s value is not stated.
- The Heritage Park trail renovation and installation was tentatively awarded to Steele and Associates Inc.; the project includes a $160,000 Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant.
- The Sheriff’s Office vehicle purchase is a separate $64,500 procurement funded from available assigned fund balance. Suppliers serving county public-safety and parks projects should distinguish these separate actions and their approval status.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Construction & Infrastructure
**Topics:** Emergency Response, Physical Infrastructure
**Published:** October 05, 2026

### Government Entities
- Oconee County Board of Commissioners
- Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH)
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

### Vendors
- St. Mary’s Hospital (Contracting hospital under proposed 911 EMS agreement)
- Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center (Contracting hospital under proposed 911 EMS agreement)
- National Emergency Medical Services (Incumbent EMS contractor)
- Steele and Associates Inc. (Tentative awardee for Heritage Park trail renovation and installation)

### Key Quotes
> The final numbers we're working on those right now. They will come in under $5.5 million.
> — Justin Kirouac, County Administrator

> We've got our vehicles on site and have received their state numbers. We have equipment on site as well. Ambulance license is ready to go to an operational status.
> — John Daniell, Board of Commissioners Chair

### Sources
- [Oconee County commissioners tentatively approve EMS agreement with two hospitals | Oconee County | oconeeenterprise.com](https://www.oconeeenterprise.com/news/county/oconee-county-commissioners-tentatively-approve-ems-agreement-with-two-hospitals/article_040d38a6-1f31-46af-a928-db61f8cae573.html) - Oconee Enterprise