HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1991 1218 CC REG ITEM 08G c2(,/, zyc)
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ACTION:
MEMORANDUM :_dtia/- . .
By w
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Mary Lindley, Assistant to the City Council
DATE: December 9, 1991 (12/18 City Council Meeting)
SUBJECT: Report on Firefighter Paramedics
Background
As requested by Councilmember Perez at the October 16, 1991 Council
Meeting, staff conducted a survey of jurisdictions that provide
firefighter paramedic services similar to the program proposed by
the Ventura County Fire Association and currently under
consideration by the Council.
Information on existing paramedic firefighter programs was provided
through telephone interviews by City of San Gabriel, City of South
Pasadena, Los Angeles County, City of Newport Beach, City of Garden
Grove, City of San Diego, Orange County and City of Roseville. Key
areas of concern identified in this survey included backup
coverage, number of units versus population, transportation, cost
recovery, and relationship with private operator.
Type of Unit: There were three types of medical units used by
the jurisdictions surveyed:
1. Fire Engines - The engines are used for both
firefighting and paramedic emergencies and at least
one paramedic is assigned to the dedicated engine.
2 . Squad - Usually a truck with a box on the back. At
least one paramedic assigned to the unit with an
EMT. Unit is use exclusively for medical
emergencies.
3. Ambulance - A public ambulance staffed by least one
PAUL W.LAWRASON JR. JOHN E.WOZNIAK SCOTT MONTGOMERY BERNARDO M.PEREZ ROY E.TALLEY JR.
Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Councilmember Councilmember Councilmember
Printed On Recycled Paper
Firefighter Paramedic Report
December 9, 1991
Page 2
paramedic with an EMT. Involved in transporting
patient.
Level of Personnel Training: In all of the jurisdiction
surveyed, all fighter personnel had at least EMT level
training. In all but the City of San Gabriel, firefighter
paramedics are utilized for advance life support services
(ALS) . San Gabriel does not provide ALS but requires all of
their firefighters to be EMT-Ds (certified to use
defibulators) . If ALS is required, the City of San Gabriel
utilizes its mutual aid agreement with surrounding cities.
Transportation: In most of the jurisdictions surveyed,
transportation to the hospital is provided by a private
operator. In those cases, if a firefighter paramedic performs
ALS on the patient, they must accompany the patient to the
hospital. A unit (engine or squad) must pick the firefighter
up at the hospital , putting it out of service for that time.
South Pasadena and San Gabriel , the two cities that utilize
public ambulances, provide transportation to the hospital
using fire department personnel.
Backup Coverage: For each jurisdiction, their first line of
backup is their own available paramedic units. If no units
are available, all the jurisdiction surveyed have mutual aid
agreements with surrounding cities and counties, and these
agreements include paramedic services. The City of Roseville
utilizes a private ambulance operator as back up coverage.
Cost Recovery: Paramedic service in most of the jurisdictions
surveyed is funded by General Funds. The City of Newport
Beach and the County of Orange have agreements with local
hospitals which allow them to pick up supplies used during a
call. The hospital then bills the patients for the cost of
the supply.
Those cities operating ambulances bill each patient. They
each have a transportation rate (flat or based on mileage) ,
call rate, and additional charges for supplies.
Relationship with Private Operator: In all the jurisdictions,
except those providing ambulance services and the City of
Roseville, the private operator provides transportation. The
private operator utilizes EMT personnel and not paramedics.
In those cases, the private operator can not be used as
paramedic backup.
Firefighter Paramedic Report
December 9, 1991
Page 3
The City of Roseville utilizes a private operator with
paramedics to provide transportation. The private operator
also acts as paramedic backup.
Each jurisdiction surveyed indicated that paramedic personnel is
rotated from duty on a paramedic unit to duty on a firefighter only
unit, because firefighter paramedics spend more time responding to
calls and are under more stress.
City of San Diego
The City of San Diego has a unique pilot program worth mentioning
in this report. To address high response rates in isolated areas
of the City, paramedic assessment units (PAU) are utilized. These
units consist of one firefighter paramedic assigned to a designated
units to act as first responder in the event of a medical
emergency. A private paramedic service is also dispatched and
relieves fire department personnel upon arrival to the scene.
This arrangement works well for San Diego. It has significantly
reduced their response time to medical emergencies while not
requiring the high capital and personnel cost commitments
associated with the programs provided in the other jurisdiction
mentioned in this report.
Recommendation
Receive and file this report.
Firefighter Paramedic Survey
December 1991
Number Unit Level Backup
Jursdiction Pop. of Units Type Training System Recovery
S. Pasadena 25,000 1 Ambl. Paramedic Mutual Billed
Aid
San Gabriel 36,000 2 Ambl . EMT-D Mutual Billed
Aid
Newport Beach 80,000 2 Squad Paramedic Mutual G. F.
Aid
Garden Grove 145,000 3 Squad/ Paramedic Mutual G. F.
Engine Aid
Public
Roseville 47 ,000 1 Squad Paramedic Mutual G. F.
Aid
Orange County 800,000 17 Squad Paramedic Mutual G. F.
Engine Aid