Agenda

Return

C. 1

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Lewis T. Broschard III, Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Date:	March 8, 2022

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Authorize Payment for BLS Ambulance Services

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/08/2022

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Director
Candace Andersen, Director
Diane Burgis, Director
Karen Mitchoff, Director
Federal D. Glover, Director

Contact:

Terry Carey, Assistant Chief 925-941-3300

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: March 8, 2022
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Auditor-Controller, on behalf of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, to make payments for Basic Life Support ambulance services to (1) Bay Medic Transportation in an amount not to exceed $20,645 for the period January 1, 2022, through January 31, 2022, (2) Pro Transport in an amount not to exceed $3,015 for the period January 1, 2022, through January 31, 2022, and (3) Royal Ambulance in an amount not to exceed $11,848 for the period January 1, 2022, through February 10, 2022.

FISCAL IMPACT:

100% CCCFPD EMS Transport Fund. Patients are billed for the service.

BACKGROUND:

Contra Costa County, like the rest of the nation, experienced a serious surge of COVID-19 cases that overwhelmed the local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and health system and resulted in critical ambulance shortages and prolonged ambulance patient off-load times at area hospitals.

In light of the very high call volumes and significant ambulance delays in the EMS system, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) in conjunction with the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Service Authority, implemented a private Basic Life Support (BLS) response ambulance program. With the increased number of ambulances in the 911 system, the District was able to shorten overall ambulance response times and ensure patients within Contra Costa County received the appropriate level of care to address their medical needs.

The BLS ambulance program functioned under CCEMSA Policy 1002 which authorized First Responder Paramedics to transfer patient care authority to a BLS ambulance when specific criteria were met, as defined in Policy 1002.

This Board action authorizes payments to those BLS ambulance providers that were utilized during the surge.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If unapproved, payments will not be able to be made to ambulance providers who provided services.