The service's board of directors has hired Michael VanHoose, a paramedic supervisor with the Georgetown-Scott County Emergency Ambulance Service, to take on that responsibility.

``I'm excited about it," VanHoose said. ``It's a good service to come to. It has good people. We're going to make it one of the best services in Kentucky."

VanHoose, a 44-year-old Painstville native, replaces Gary Stevens, a former Kentucky State Police trooper, who was fired last month after three years as administrator.

Stevens said the board fired him, at least in part, because he opposed bids by the cities of Grayson and Olive Hill to obtain their own ambulance services.

He argued the board should commit more resources to its existing services rather than support competition.

Board members have declined comment on the matter.

VanHoose wouldn't discuss specifically where he stands on the issue, but said he planned to meet with county and local officials to work out any differences they might have.

``There's going to be communication open throughout the county," he said. ``We're going to open any avenue of communication we can ... We'll come to a consensus on what's best for the county."

Grayson Mayor George Waggoner III said he and leaders in Olive Hill welcome the hire and hope to build an amicable working relationship.

Both cities still plan to apply for services with the state later this summer.

They submitted applications last fall, but aborted the effort when the state found a paperwork glitch.

``We're going to sit down and see if we can work things out and see if everyone is on the same wavelength," Waggoner said. ``We hope to go to Frankfort unopposed. We want to work with them if we can. We don't need to be at odds."

The cities claim the existing county service is inadequate.

Grayson officials said their fire department responds to 150 to 200 calls per year, delivering medical care to patients before an ambulance crew arrives.

Fire departments in both cities are seeking their own ambulance service in an effort to recoup the cost of caring for those patients.

Stevens has argued that the applications have more to do with money than patient care.

On its most recent application, Olive Hill estimated it could generate $337,500 in revenue from a service of its own, while Grayson predicted revenue of more than $400,000.

Months earlier, the Carter service successfully opposed a bid from Paramedic Emergency Ambulance Service Inc. based in Greenup.