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WAYNE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Wayne County Commission is reviewing proposals solicited from local fire departments and out-of-town, for-profit ambulance companies in its search for a temporary solution to lacking EMS service for its residents.

That came Monday amid a WSAZ Investigation, two weeks after Wayne County Commission President Jeff Maddox told WSAZ that three new ambulances would not be on the road until early next year.

A day later, April 9, WSAZ is now learning the county commission sent a request for proposals to an undisclosed list of local fire departments and for-profit ambulance companies outside of Wayne County.

The county’s request asks for proposals to include how much it would cost, “to provide emergency medical services (EMS) on a month-to-month basis.” It seeks scenarios for one or two ambulances that would cover a 12- or 24-hour shift.

The deadline for submissions was Friday, April 19.

Commissioner Robert Thompson confirms those proposals were discussed Monday during a closed-door, executive session.

“Basically just ways to kind of bridge this gap to provide and add more ambulances to the road between now and when we’re able to get our county operating system up and running,” he told WSAZ.

WSAZ NewsChannel 3 reporter Curtis Johnson asked the commission which agencies received or responded to the request and and for details of the submitted proposals.

The commission would not provided any of that information. It also refused to say how many proposals had been received, in all instances, saying release of the information could impact negotiations.

“If one company comes in much higher than the other one, then this other company can decide, ‘Hey, we can up our bid a little bit,’” he told WSAZ.

Commissioner Robert Thompson said whichever agency they decide to go with will provide temporary help, but even that could still be weeks away.

“You’re talking weeks, perhaps, maybe summer,” Johnson said to Robert Thompson. “Can people wait that long?”

“We’re making every effort to try and do this as quickly as possible, but we also have to do it as efficiently as possible and effectively as possible,” he replied. “This is not something that we can just throw out, that’s not going to improve the situation. We have to, you know -- it’s a terrible situation, but we don’t want to do anything that’s going to make the situation worse.”

All of this in a county where voters are being asked to pass an emergency services levy to fund a permanent fix.

Yet, both of those options are long-term solutions. Commissioners said the new ambulances won’t be on the road until early 2025 and, if approved, money from the levy won’t start rolling in until summer 2025.

Commissioners voted to place the levy on the May ballot one month after WSAZ aired its initial investigation.

Robert Foster, in that story, recalled for WSAZ how no ambulance was available from the nearest station last fall when his wife, Melissa, needed emergency attention.

Help eventually arrived from a station slightly farther away, but Foster said his wife died at home.

“It leaves a lot of what ifs,” he said. “I mean, if they would have got there -- somebody there and got there on time, she could still be here.”

Then, this February 911 logs show a similar story on Old Camp Creek Road when a 17-year-old boy passed out moving furniture.

The nearest station, just a half mile away, did not answer the call, instead the responding ambulance came from a station about 10 miles away.

The teenager made it to the hospital but did not survive.

Those stories and others prompted WSAZ to dig for answers. Its investigation found ambulances in Wayne County come from volunteer fire departments that are not always staffed.

WSAZ also learned West Virginia law states it is the duty of county commissions to provide emergency ambulance service.

The proposed levy needs a 60 percent ‘yes’ vote to pass.