Representatives from Southside Fire & EMS recently announced that they will be purchasing Coastal EMS, a subsidiary of MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service, headquartered in Marietta, Georgia.

Southside Fire & EMS operates Mercy Ambulance Service in Chatham County, and is the current 911 provider of emergency medical services in Chatham County following a lengthy RFP process in 2016.  The agreement with MetroAtlanta Ambulance/Coastal EMS comes as the result of careful and thoughtful planning, looking towards the future emergency and non-emergency medical needs for the citizens of Chatham County and the greater-Savannah area.

“The combination of these two entities will allow us to now have one company that manages the majority of EMS processes for Chatham County,” said Southside Fire & EMS CEO, Chuck Kearns. “This is a positive step for our employees, volunteers, and the citizens of Chatham County.”

Pete Quinones, President& CEO of MetroAtlanta Ambulance/Coastal EMS states, “This agreement allows for one company to focus on economies of scale and the ability to maintain lower subsidies, as well as overall costs, while keeping the EMS resources local to the greater-Savannah area.”