Subject:
Title
Amendment to the Advanced Life Support First Responder Agreement with 12 municipalities and independent fire districts.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Sitting as the Pinellas County Emergency Medical Services Authority, approve the amendment to the Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Responder Agreement with 12 municipalities and independent fire districts.
• Amendment to Agreements with 12 municipalities and fire districts to provide ALS First Responder services.
• These amendments continue the two-year term beginning on October 1, 2022, and ending on September 30, 2024.
• The agreements are a consolidated and restated agreement that incorporates prior amendments and the current amendments as outlined below.
• Funding in the amount of $50,659,898.00 is consistent with the FY24 Adopted Budget for the Emergency Medical Services Fund.
• In aggregate, the 12 agreements represent a baseline increase of $4,666,727.00, or 10.4%, over FY23.
• Specific enhancements include:
a.) Pinellas Park - Squad 36.
b.) St. Petersburg - Staffing Positions.
c.) Traffic Preemption Project.
d.) Requirement for Criminal Justice Information System compliance to support the Pinellas Regional Information Management Enterprise Computer Aided Dispatch System project.
Authorize the Chairman to sign and the Clerk of the Circuit Court to attest.
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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:
Summary
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Authority has determined that an Advanced Life Support First Responder component is in the best interest of public safety, health, and welfare.
The EMS Authority desires to contract with various municipalities and independent special fire districts in the County to provide ALS First Responder Services per the attached agreements.
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Background Information:
On October 25, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners, sitting as the EMS Authority, approved the current ALS First Responder Agreement with 18 municipalities and independent fire districts.
The current agreement will expire on September 30, 2024.
The proposed amendments would implement system enhancements and adjust funding to meet budget requests that complied with the County’s EMS allowable cost standards.
There are several enhancements to the ALS First Responder Program contained in the attached agreements. Those enhancements include:
a.) Pinellas Park - convert Squad 36 to an Authority Funded Unit, full year. Fire Station 36 and Squad 36 as Contractor Funded x 3 years.
b.) St. Petersburg - increase staffing to 6 full-time Paramedic Positions using a phased-in approach by FY25-26 to decrease the over-reliance on overtime for continual staffing. Authority to pre-pay in FY24 Rescue Units scheduled for delivery in FY26, Rescue 3 and Rescue 6.
c.) Temple Glance Traffic Preemption Project - Capital Project with County Highway Department. System will enhance safety and decrease emergency response times for every unit on every emergency response. The Traffic Preemption Project will test the change to a comprehensive system that overrides the normal operation of traffic signals during the emergency response of an ALS First Responder Unit to reduce Emergency Response Times and increase safety. Such system changes the upcoming traffic signal to green or holds a green signal so the ALS First Responder Unit can proceed through the intersection.
d.) Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) support for Hexagon CAD.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding Adjustments
Section 701(h) of the Emergency Medical Services ALS First Responder Agreement provides for an extraordinary budget increase which must be negotiated and approved prior to the beginning of the next fiscal year in the event any proposed budget submitted by the Contractor should exceed 3 percent of the prior Fiscal Year’s budget. These funding adjustments include:
Allowable EMS Cost Increases over 3.00%
• Clearwater - $233,399.00 or 3.2%
• Dunedin - $280,983.00 or 13.4%
• Gulfport - $57,252.00 or 6.0%
• Lealman - $294,971.00 or 9.2%
• Lealman for Tierra Verde - $56,152.00 or 8.9%
• Oldsmar - $85,549.00 or 17.0%
• Pinellas Park - $909,167.00 or 21.5%
• Seminole - $100,185.00 or 3.2%
• South Pasadena - $115,481.00 or 10.8%
• St. Pete Beach - $231,274.00 or 9.8%
• St. Petersburg - $3,272,672.00 or 17.9%
• Treasure Island - $68,758.00 or 6.4%
These increases are based upon the submitted budgets for FY24 and will be subject to audit for EMS Allowable costs. The cost drivers are driven largely by increases in salary, retirement contributions based upon recent changes in actuarial assumptions, and other increased allowable costs.
System Enhancements
• City of Pinellas Park - conversion of Squad 36 - $405,455.00
• City of St. Petersburg - addition of 6 employees - $633,661.00
Total = $1,039,116.00
Funding in the amount of $50,659,898.00 is consistent with the FY24 Adopted Budget for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fund. The fiscal impact of these agreements is sustainable over the 6-year EMS Fund forecast period.
Staff Member Responsible:
James G. Fogarty, Director, Safety and Emergency Services
Partners:
City of Clearwater
City of Dunedin
City of Gulfport
City of Lealman
City of Oldsmar
City of Pinellas Park
City of Seminole
City of South Pasadena
City of St. Pete Beach
City of St. Petersburg
City of Treasure Island
Attachments:
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Clearwater
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Dunedin
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Gulfport
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Lealman
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Lealman/Tierra Verde
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Oldsmar
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Pinellas Park
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Seminole
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - South Pasadena
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - St. Pete Beach
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - St. Petersburg
ALS First Responder Amendment 1 - Treasure Island
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Clearwater
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Dunedin
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Gulfport
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Lealman
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Lealman/Tierra Verde
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Oldsmar
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Pinellas Park
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Seminole
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - South Pasadena
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - St. Pete Beach
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - St. Petersburg
2022 ALS First Responder Agreement - Treasure Island
EMS Advisory Council Recommendation Letter