A State Court of Appeals ruled that San Bernardino County did not abuse its authority by considering two ambulance proposals, American Medical Response (AMR) and Consolidated Fire Agencies (CONFIRE), could signal the end of the road for AMR as the county’s exclusive provider for more than 40 years.
The court’s ruling, filed in December and made public on Jan. 5, overturned San Bernardino County Superior Court’s preliminary injunction in 2024, stating that the countv’s request for proposal (RFP) for ambulance services did not force the county to negotiate exclusively with the highest-scoring proposer, which was AMR, but gave the county discretion to award the contract to the provider with the “greatest value.”

According to the Appeals Court document, CONFIRE presented a better value over AMR by being eligible for supplemental state funding, promising faster response times, and improving public safety through closer integration of services.

Also giving the county discretion is the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act which grants authority to agencies like Inland Counties Emergency Medical Center (ICEMA) to implement and oversee plans based on public and private agreements to meet the needs of their constituencies.

“The appellate court ruling is really, really good news,” Fire Chief Dave Williams told the Chino Hills City Council at the Jan. 13 meeting. “We’re one step closer to being able to provide ambulance services through CONFIRE in collaboration with our Priority Ambulance partner.”

CONFIRE is a coalition, or joint powers authority, made up of 15 fire agencies including the Chino Valley Fire District. Its proposal includes Priority Ambulance as the subcontractor private entity.

In a letter to stakeholders dated Dec. 18, 2025, Nathan Cooke, interim director for CONFIRE, described the ruling as a major milestone.

“It allows the county to take into consideration the overall community impacts and needs,” he said. “We are working closely with our legal team, the county, and ICEMA to evaluate the next steps to ensure a safe and coordinated transition.”

But AMR is not giving up the battle. The Larson law firm representing AMR filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court on Jan. 23.

The status conference was held in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

Mike Rice, vice president of operations for AMR, said the San Bernardino County Superior Court’s preliminary injunction will remain in effect while the appeal process plays out.

Mr. Rice stated: “When that process is over, we remain confident that Superior Court will reaffirm its final order on the merits issued in December which restored AMR, to its position as the highest scoring bidder of the county’s ambulance RFP and directed San Bernardino County to issue a single Notice of Intent to award exclusively to AMR.”

He was referring to the “Final Statement of Decision and Order re Writ of Mandate” entered by Judge Jay H. Robinson on Dec. 4, 2025 to restore AMR to its status as the highest scoring bidder.

Mr. Rice said AMR, will continue to serve the community with professionalism and reliability while the legal process continues.

The fight between AMR and the county began in 2022 when the county chose CONFIRE over AMR during an RFP process. AMR’s first lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court for the Central District of California launching the years-long legal battle.

For a breakdown of the original lawsuit click here.