
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 15, 1994                    TAG: 9406140133 
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN                     PAGE: 05    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT 
DATELINE: 940615                                 LENGTH: WINDSOR

AMBULANCE PURCHASE TO BE RECONSIDERED

{LEAD} At one point, an Isle of Wight County sheriff's deputy, warned by his dispatcher that he was entering a situation with ``powder keg potential,'' arrived to ensure order.

But by the end of a nearly four-hour meeting last week, the Windsor Volunteer Rescue Squad had agreed peaceably on concessions that pacified the more than 100 people who filled the main bay of the squad building.

{REST} They had come to protest the squad's decision to purchase a $64,000 ambulance from an out-of-state firm, even though Robinson Ambulance, located in the heart of Windsor, was the low bidder on the project.

Because the rescue squad is a private organization, it does not have to adhere to the Virginia Procurement Act and accept the low bid, County Attorney Woodrow Crook has said.

But when word of the decision leaked out, local business people and civic leaders sent letters to the volunteer group protesting the snub of a local firm.

In view of the protest, squad members decided at the June 8 meeting to void their initial vote to purchase the ambulance.

That vote was taken at a specially called meeting, members said, while squad bylaws allow votes on major purchases at regular meetings only.

Members also agreed at the meeting last week to have the their vehicle committee and a citizens' advisory board work out a solution to the bid dispute.

Squad president Bill Sizemore said the two groups will make a recommendation at the squad's July meeting.

One of those to speak June 8 was squad member Bonnie Mundy, who said Robinson ``met all qualifications and passed all guidelines'' required as a bidder on the ambulance contract.

Letters of recommendation on behalf of Robinson from places like Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters were ignored by some members, Mundy said. And the formal purchasing process was not followed.

Capt. Ricky Hardy, a vehicle committee member, said eight pages of specifications were presented to two out-of-state vendors in early February.

But Tommy Robinson, co-owner of Robinson Ambulance, said he was first contacted by the committee in mid-March, when he was handed only one page of vehicle specifications and given four days - including a weekend - to come up with a price.

When Robinson turned out to be the low bidder, the vehicle committee apparently gave the other two companies an opportunity to resubmit their bids, Sizemore said.

One of the companies lowered its bid by $9,000, but Robinson's bid was still the lowest.

Hardy said the vehicle committee recommended taking the low bid. But squad members voted otherwise at the specially called meeting.

``In this case, we have a low bid coming from a business within the community,'' said Thomas Keeling, owner of Windsor Supply and one of those who showed up to protest the squad vote.

``It sounds like you used his bid to go out to these other companies and allow them to (try to) undercut him,'' Keeling said.

by CNB