COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health System

DATE:

May 29, 2009

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 23, 2009

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Jean S. Fraser, Chief, Health System

Brian J. Zamora, Director, Community Health Division

SUBJECT:

Agreement with the San Mateo County Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Group to be a Designated Paramedic First Response Provider

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the President to execute an Agreement with the San Mateo County Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Group to be a Designated Paramedic First Response Provider for a term to run concurrently with the term of the County’s Agreement with American Medical Response West beginning July 1, 2009, for Countywide Emergency Ambulance Service, in an amount of $311,962 per month.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goal 7: Maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors.

This Agreement contributes to this commitment and goal by providing coordinated emergency medical response services to the citizens of the County.

Performance Measure:

Measure

FY 2008-09
Estimate

FY 2009-10
Target

Percent compliance with fire/first responder response time standards.

97.6%

98.0%

BACKGROUND:

On March 3, 2009, your Board approved a Resolution authorizing an Agreement with American Medical Response West (AMR) for countywide emergency ambulance service. This action followed a three-year Emergency Medical Services system redesign process and subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

Title 22, Division 9, Section 100168 requires an EMT-Paramedic Service Provider to have a written agreement with the local EMS agency to participate in the advanced life support program and to comply with all applicable State regulations and local policies and procedures including participation in the local EMS agency’s quality assurance system.

Currently, the San Mateo County Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services Group Joint Power Authority (JPA), which is comprised of the cities of Brisbane, Burlingame, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Town of Hillsborough, Belmont Fire Protection District, Coastside Fire Protection District, Colma Fire Protection District, County of San Mateo, Menlo Park Fire Protection District and Woodside Fire Protection District, provides Countywide (except within the City of South San Francisco) paramedic first responder services as a subcontractor to AMR. At the JPA’s request, the new AMR contract does not identify the JPA as a subcontractor and the JPA has negotiated a separate contract, called an Operations Agreement, with AMR for paramedic first response services.

The RFP specified that the ambulance response time standard would be longer (12:59 minutes) than the California standard of 8 minutes because the fire service paramedic first responder standard would be shorter than 8 minutes. It provided that the ambulance provider’s cost savings associated with the longer response time standard could be available to offset JPA’s costs in providing paramedic first response rather than an EMT-level response. The negotiated new Agreement with AMR provides an annual payment of $3,743,544 for JPA.

DISCUSSION:

This Agreement stipulates that the JPA provide Countywide (except within the City of South San Francisco) paramedic first responder services, as described in the Emergency Ambulance Services Agreement between County and AMR, and in the Operating Agreement between the JPA and AMR. All entities that are presently members of the JPA are authorized to provide advanced life support using EMT-Paramedics on the JPA’s fire apparatus or on ambulances belonging to AMR. The County will remit payments from AMR to the JPA.

This Agreement has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The term of the Agreement is concurrent with the County’s Agreement with AMR for emergency ambulance service. The Community Health, EMS FY 2009-10 Recommended Budget includes $3,743,544 in its revenue and expenses relative to the AMR payment to County and County payment to JPA. There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agreement.