Subject:
Title
Amendment No.1 to the Advanced Life Support First Responder Agreement with four municipalities and independent fire districts.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Sitting as the Pinellas County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Authority, approve the Amendment No. 1 to the Master Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Responder Agreement with 4 municipalities and independent fire districts.
Authorize the Chairman to sign and the Clerk to attest.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.3 Ensure effective and efficient delivery of county services and support
Summary:
The EMS Authority has determined that a single-tier all Advanced Life Support EMS system with a First Responder component and a transport component is in the best interest of public safety, health, and welfare.
The EMS Authority contracts with various municipalities and independent special fire districts in the County to provide ALS First Responder Services.
Background Information:
On September 26, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners, sitting as the EMS Authority, approved the current ALS First Responder agreements with municipalities and independent fire districts. There are a total of 18 such two year agreements and each agreement will expire on September 30, 2019.
The EMS Authority and four (4) of the eighteen (18) First Responder agencies now desire to execute Amendment No.1 to their relative ALS First Responder Agreements. These amendments reflect funding adjustments for FY19 as well as partial funding for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Engine 2. The remaining fourteen (14) First Responder agencies do not need amending at this time as those budgets fall within projections. These four (4) amendments have been reviewed for appropriateness of costs as defined within the allowable cost resolution for EMS and additionally have been reviewed by the Data Driven Focus Group, the EMS Advisory Council and Fire Chiefs Association who each recommend supporting the funding adjustments. Costs increases include: Health insurance increases, social security and retirement systems costs, as well as the costs of relief staffing due to absences. St Petersburg’s budget would have fallen below the agreed upon inflation adjustment if the number of funded seats remained constant but needed to go from 23 to 24 seats due to increases as described in the resolution. Two of these agencies, St Petersburg Fire and South Pasadena Fire have begun call growth managing strategies in partnership with Pinellas County. The S Pasadena project has already produced results in terms of site specific use of 911 and incidence of falls by 17% in 2018 while the St Petersburg project (along with other large agency’s) is focusing upon skilled care facilities and adopting expanded priority dispatch responses to 911 service request. These efforts and others are designed to reduce the growth of service requests (calls) which will ultimately help constrain costs.
Fiscal Impact:
These amendments represent the following funding adjustments for FY19:
- East Lake Tarpon Special Fire Control District will receive funding of $131,406 to cover increased operating costs over 3%.
- City of Safety Harbor will receive funding of $51,085 to cover increased operating costs over 3%.
- City of South Pasadena will receive funding of $37,990 to cover increased operating costs over 3%.
- City of St. Petersburg will receive funding of $300,000 to cover partial year funding for Engine 2.
The total adjusted funding increase is $520,481 and has been budgeted within the EMS First Responder budget in the FY19 Tentative Budget.
Staff Member Responsible:
James G. Fogarty, Director, Safety and Emergency Services
Partners:
East Lake Tarpon Special Fire Control District
City of Safety Harbor
City of South Pasadena
City of St. Petersburg
Attachments:
ALS First Responder Agreement, Amendment 1 - East Lake
ALS First Responder Agreement, Amendment 1 - Safety Harbor
ALS First Responder Agreement, Amendment 1 - South Pasadena
ALS First Responder Agreement, Amendment 1 - St. Petersburg