Following more than a year of discussion, review and assessment, the Police Jury unanimously voted Monday to award Ruston-based Pafford Emergency Medical Services a five-year contract to be the only ambulance service provider in the parish.

The contract includes a one-year probationary period and takes effect on June 10, officials said.

Acadian Ambulance has been the parish ambulance service provider for 30 years. In late April, Acadian filed a challenge to the jury’s April 11 decision, by a 5-4 vote, picking Pafford as the provider.

In its formal challenge, directed to the jury, Acadian questioned Pafford’s filings in the bidding process and said the scoring system used by the jury was flawed.

But Monday’s vote rejected the challenge.

The initial vote came almost exactly a month ago. After nearly a year of review and discussion, the jury held a special meeting that reportedly lasted about five hours.

Voting on April 11 for Pafford to take over were jurors Parish Giles, Randy Harris, Bubba Moreau, Jay Scott and Craig Smith.

Supporting Acadian were Danny Bordelon, Sean McGlothlin, Ollie Overton and Randy Wiggins.

Earlier this year, the jury’s Ambulance Advisory Committee recommended Pafford EMS based on a scoring system that weighed factors such as response time, available ambulances, and certified staffing. The scoring margin was a mere one percent better than Acadian.

Pafford is home to over 900 full and part-time employees that staff more than 120 ambulances, three helicopters, three fixed wing aircraft, two state of the art communications centers, and one billing center across a four-state region.

The Pafford corporate headquarters for Louisiana and Arkansas are located in Ruston.

Pafford officials said the company will be hiring employees to run Rapides operations and encouraged visits to its website for more information.