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Santa Clara County's Main Ambulance Provider May Fold Amid Financial Woes

SANTA CLARA CO. (KCBS)— The main ambulance provider for Santa Clara County has been downgraded to junk status by credit rating agencies and officials are scrambling to make backup plans before the company folds.

Rural/Metro Corporation is a national, for-profit ambulance corporation that has a contract with the county to dispatch ambulances in the area.

This week, the company, which is already on shaky footing, missed an important bond payment, causing concern for county leaders. Now plans are being made to ensure that there's no interruption in ambulance service.

A spokesman from Rural/ Metro sent a statement to KCBS saying that from an operational perspective that things are business as usual.

Santa Clara Co. Ambulance Provider Under Scrutiny; Credit Rating Reduced To Junk

However, company has also been under scrutiny for being affiliated with George Shirakawa, the former county supervisor who received a campaign contribution from a Rural/ Metro official sometime before or after voting to approve the company's $375 million contract.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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