Agenda

Return

SD.10

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
Date:	February 8, 2011

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Continuation of Fire Service Paramedic Payments

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/08/2011

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Art Lathrop, 646-4690
cc:	Tasha Scott Barbara Borbon Juliene Latteri

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: February 8, 2011
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Authorize the Emergency Medical Services Director to waive any penalty or reduction in payment to fire districts and municipalities providing paramedic first response that would otherwise result from permanent or temporary elimination of a paramedic engine so long as paramedic first response service continues to be provided using other paramedic engines for fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Payments made pursuant to this recommendation will be from currently budgeted funds in County Service Area EM-1 (Measure H) and will have no impact on the General Fund.

BACKGROUND:

Payments of $30,000 per paramedic engine are made to fire services from County Service Area EM-1 (Measure H) funds to help offset the costs to participating fire districts and municipalities of providing paramedic first response. These payments are in accordance with a plan approved by the Board of Supervisors on May 18, 2004 and subsequently incorporated into written agreements with those entities implementing paramedic engines. These include the Cities of El Cerrito and Pinole, and Contra Costa County, Moraga-Orinda, and Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection Districts. Each agreement contains provision for reduction of the $30,000/engine annual subsidy for periods during which a specified engine is not paramedic staffed. This recommendation will continue subsidies in effect without reduction for those fire services that reduce engine services through station closure or “brown-out” so long as paramedic first response is provided throughout the respective jurisdiction using available paramedic engines.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Those fire jurisdictions forced to curtail fire engine services due to budget restraints will loose a portion of the CSA EM-1 (Measure H) subsidy for paramedic first responder service.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

No impact.