Title
Olympia Fire Department Basic Life Support Transport Availability and Response Briefing and Consideration of a Resolution Finding that Basic Life Support Transport Provided by Private Ambulance Services in Olympia is Inadequate and Directing the City Manager to Issue 60-day Notices to Make Improvements to Private Ambulance Services Operating Within Olympia
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a briefing and discuss the Olympia Fire Department Basic Life Support Transport availability and response. After the briefing and discussion move to approve the Resolution finding that basic life support transport provided by private ambulance services in Olympia is inadequate; providing that results of the City’s study on the issue be published; and directing the City Manager to issue 60-day notices to make improvements to private ambulance services operating within Olympia.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a briefing and discuss the Olympia Fire Department Basic Life Support Transport availability and response and move to approve the Resolution finding that basic life support transport provided by private ambulance services in Olympia is inadequate; providing that results of the City’s study on the issue be published; and directing the City Manager to issue 60-day notices to make improvements to private ambulance services operating within Olympia.
Staff Contact:
Chief Mark John, Olympia Fire Department, 360.753.8348
Annaliese Harksen, Deputy City Attorney, 360.753.8338
Todd Carson, Deputy Fire Chief, 360.753.8460
Mike Buchanan, Assistant Chief, 360.753.8459
Presenter(s):
Chief Mark John, Olympia Fire Department
Annaliese Harksen, Deputy City Attorney
Mike Buchanan, Assistant Chief, Olympia Fire Department
Kevin Bossard, Assistant Chief, Olympia Fire Department
Background and Analysis:
The Olympia Fire Department is concerned about a degradation in private ambulance services transport availability concurrent with an increase in total call volume, and its negative impact on Basic Life Support (BLS) service levels for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) resources to residents within the City of Olympia.
The City engaged the professional services of FCS Group to study, analyze, and report among other issues, the adequacy of BLS transport services within the City. FCS Group prepared and presented its report to the Finance Committee on April 20, 2022.
The Finance Committee found that BLS transport services within the City were inadequate and recommended that FCS Group’s report and analysis be presented to the full Council at a regularly scheduled business meeting.
FCS Group and the Olympia Fire Department will report to the full Council on May 24, 2022, outlining the negative impacts of inadequate service levels by private ambulance services in the City of Olympia.
The proposed resolution finds basic life support transport provided by private ambulance services in Olympia to be inadequate, provides that the study of the issue shall be published, and directs 60-day notices be issued by the City Manager to private ambulance services operating within Olympia to make improvements meeting the generally accepted medical standards and reasonable levels of service required.
An internal BLS transport program would offer the following benefits to the City:
• Improved overall service levels to the community
• Offset program costs
• Reduction in response times
• Increase in unit availability
• Reduction of service maintenance on larger response apparatus
• Potential to improve the current WSRB rating from 2 to 1 (a higher rating),
possibly resulting in decreased insurance premium
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The degradation in private ambulance services availability, along with an increase in total call volume for BLS transport services, has had a negative impact on service levels on the Olympia Fire Department’s EMS services in the City of Olympia.
Options:
1. Approve the Resolution finding basic life support transport provided by private ambulance services in Olympia to be inadequate; providing that results of the City’s study on the issue be published; and directing the City Manager to issue 60-day notices to make improvements to private ambulance services operating within Olympia.
2. Modify the Resolution.
3. Do not approve the Resolution.
Financial Impact:
Should the Olympia Fire Department move forward with implementing a new BLS Transport/CARES program, the estimated initial cost is $4.1 million, and will include substantial insurance billing and State GEMT revenue to offset the expenditures realized in year two. Analysis completed by FCS Group shows that the programs should be able to fully recompense the initial $4.1 million investment by year 2029 - 2031. There is no known financial impact related to approval of the Resolution.
Attachments:
Resolution
BLS Transport Analysis
Presentation