Adams County supervisors are facing a tough decision ahead over how to improve the area’s ambulance service.

Supervisors first began discussing the matter a few months back when one supervisor learned of an emergency call in an unincorporated portion of the county during which 45 minutes elapsed from the initial 911 call until an ambulance arrived.

Clearly, that’s an inordinate amount of time when a person’s life is at risk. It’s also not the normal response either. Something — likely multiple calls at once — caused the response time to be long. But a single time when a call response is so long is one time too many when the life is yours or that of someone you know.

Supervisors are requesting proposals from ambulance companies — three currently operate in Adams County — to consider if having a single, lone provider would improve service.

The very discussion has caused some of the ambulance companies to cry foul and suggest the county aims to run them out of business.

That’s understandable from their point of view, but it’s missing the greater good that might be served in an exclusive arrangement for 911 ambulance service.

We urge supervisors to make public all of the proposals that are received.

We applaud the supervisors for at least considering how they could potentially improve services for county residents. That is, after all, one of the aims of government — improving the quality of life for residents.