Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Acting City Manager to Execute a Sixth Amendment to the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Advanced Life Support and Ambulance Transport Service Agreement with the County of Alameda to Extend the Agreement to June 30, 2023 with an Option to Extend for an Additional Five-Year Period. (Fire 3200)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Acting City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Authorize the Acting City Manager to Execute a Sixth Amendment to the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Advanced Life Support and Ambulance Transport Service Agreement with the County of Alameda to Extend the Agreement to June 30, 2023 with an Option to Extend for an Additional Five-Year Period
BACKGROUND
Alameda County is responsible for the provision of Ambulance Transport Services county-wide, however, contracts with four cities to provide their own Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Ambulance Transport Services. Those cities are Alameda, Albany, Berkeley and Piedmont. The original Ambulance and Paramedic Provider Agreement between the City of Alameda and the County was executed on December 14, 1999. It has been replaced by subsequent agreements.
The current agreement between the City and Alameda County was adopted by the City Council on October 18, 2011 and went into effect November 1, 2011. The current amendment will expire on June 30, 2018. An extension is necessary in order for the Fire Department to continue providing basic life support, ALS, and ambulance transport services to the community. Ongoing negotiations between the County and local Cities may result in a countywide replacement agreement prior to the expiration of this agreement.
DISCUSSION
This Sixth Amendment to the First Responder Advanced Life Support and Ambulance Transport Service Agreement will extend the current agreement through June 30, 2023, with an option to extend for an additional five-year period upon mutual agreement between the City and Alameda County. This will allow the Fire Department to continue providing emergency medical services under the terms of the current agreement.
The County has suspended the First Responder Advanced Life Support (FRALS) subsidy paid to the City for each paramedic first responder unit, which for FY 2017-18 was approximately $200,000. While there will be continued discussion related to this subsidy for FY 2019-20 moving forward, the amendment includes the removal of the FRALS subsidy for FY 2018-19. This change has been included in the FY 2018-19 Mid-Cycle Budget update.
The amendment also includes the removal of the majority of penalties that can be assessed against the City in relation to patient transports. The City and the County have mutually agreed to implement a collaborative process to address this issue prior to fines being imposed.
Lastly, the amendment includes several key reopeners that would allow the contract to be amended in response to significant financial or policy changes in the future.
Other than those changes noted in the amendment, all other terms and conditions of the current agreement will remain in full force and effect.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The cost of providing Advanced Life Support and Ambulance Transport Services is paid for by the General Fund and is included in the City’s biennial budget.
The City of Alameda’s total debt owed to Alameda County was $3,621,887 for services provided to the City by the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) District from FY 05/06 through FY 09/10. The debt was a result of the City not becoming a member of the EMS District until 2011. Due to this, the EMS District Special Tax was not collected during that time period. When the 2011 agreement was executed, the City agreed to contribute the amount equivalent to the amount that would have been generated by the EMS District Special Tax.
The debt balance ending June 30, 2018 will be $2,179,712.60. The debt is estimated to be paid in full in 2028.
The City’s annual assessment has been paid in quarterly installments by using the City’s FRALS quarterly subsidy. One percent (1%) of the increase has been set aside in an account created by the County for eventual increases in the number of FRALS units or other projects that enhance Fire EMS response. The remaining 2% of the increase in FRALS funding was retained by the County to pay down the City’s debt.
However, the City will not receive the FRALS quarterly subsidy during FY 2018-19. As a result, the sixth amendment provides for a 10-year repayment schedule based on a 5-year contract with a 5-year extension option. It provides for the payments to be made quarterly with a 3% annual escalator in order to be consistent with the current FRALS payment schedule.
The FY 18-19 Midcyle Budget includes the impact of the FRALS subsidy through the reduction of revenue. Fire Department appropriations have been updated to include the revised annual debt repayment of $208,790.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
There is no Municipal Code/policy document cross-reference.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 10561(b)(3) as there is no possibility that this action may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Acting City Manager to execute a sixth amendment to the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Advanced Life Support and Ambulance Transport Service Agreement with the County of Alameda to extend the agreement to June 30, 2023 with an option to extend for an additional five-year period.
Respectfully submitted,
Edmond Rodriguez, Fire Chief
By,
Darci Vogel, Fire Admin Supervisor
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. EMS Services Agreement
2. 1st Amendment
3. 2nd Amendment
4. 3rd Amendment
5. 4th Amendment
6. 5th Amendment
7. 6th Amendment