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CITY OF SAN BERti .RDINO - REQUEST ... JR COUNCIL ACTION
From:
GERALD M. NEWCOMBE,
Fire Chief-
Subject:
ordinance & resolution
authorizing the setting and
collection of emergency medical
services fees.
......pt:
OM.: March 29, 1990
Synopsis of Previous Council action:
3/22/90 -- Legislative Review Committee recommended approval of the
proposed ordinance authorizing the collection of fees
for emergency medical services conducted thereunder and
setting the amount of such fees.
4/02/90 -- Public hearing on proposed ordinance authorizing the setting
& collection of emergency medical fees set for April 16,1990.
Recomm.nded motion:
T; Adopt resolution.
2. That further reading of ordinance be waived and ordinance laid
over for final adoption.
c"
i ~. .
" -'r~~L ~~_~,....:rJ\..~- "
Signature /~
Contact person: GERALD M. NF.WCOMRF.
Phone: '>?Rh
Supporting data attached: ve s
Ward:
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
Amount:
Source: (Acct. No.)
(Acct. Descriotionl
Finance:
~ouncil Notes:
7",.n~""
Agenda Item No is
RESOLUTION NO.
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A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO SETTING CERTAIN
FI.;ES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL Si.;l\VICES.
WHEREAS: the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San
4 Bernardino has adopted Ordinance No.
providing for adop-
5 tion of fees for emergency medical services; and,
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WHEREAS: it is the intention of the City Council that the
fees established herein shall cover the estimated reasonable
cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SAN BERNARDINO AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That from and after
1990,
for any emergency medical service conducted by the San Bernardino
City Fire Department that results in the patient being trans-
ported by ambulance to a hospital, the fee shall be as set forth
below:
RESIDENT OF SAN BERNARDINO CITy......... $130.00
NON-RESIDENT OF SAN BERNARDINO CITY......$180.00
18 I-HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was adopted
19 by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino at
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a
meeting thereof, held on the
day of
, 1990, by the following vote, to wit:
ABSTAIN
NAYS
Council Members:
AYES
ESTRADA
REILLY
FLORES
MAUDSLEY
MINOR
POPE-LUDLUM
MILLER
25
26
27
28 / / / / / / II II
City Clerk
1 RESOLU'l'ION OF' THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO SETTING CERTAIN FEES
FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
2
3
4 The foregoing Resolution is hereby approved this
5 day of
, 1990.
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8
w. R. HOLCOMB, Mayor
9 Approved as to form and legal content:
10 JAMES F. PENMAN
City Attorney
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By: 0fi~", ~,
o
,
'I t 7~yyr-<--
,
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-2-
1
2
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ORDINANCE NO.
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO TO AUTHORIZE
4 THE COLLECTION OF FEES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
5
6 THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN
7 BERNARDINO DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
8
9 SECTION 1:
10
11
section
is added to the San
12 Bernardino Municipal Code to read as follows:
13 Emergency Medical Service Fees
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(a)
Personnel of the San Bernardino City Fire
16 Department shall respond to emergency medical incidents
17 and when necessary render emergency medical care and
18 lifesaving measures in accordance with the emergency
19 medical standards established by the San Bernardino County
20 Health Officer.
21
22
(b) User fees, will be charged to citizens receiving
23 emergency medical care from San Bernardino City Fire
24 Department personnel and transported by ambulance to a
25 medical facility, established by resolution of the Mayor
26 and Common Council.
27
28
7 ESTRADA
REILLY
8 FLORES
MAUDSLEY
9 MINOR
POPE-LUDLAM
10 MILLER
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ORDINANCE AP-oiORIZING COLLECTION OF FEE' '1EDICAL SERVICE-PAGE 2
1 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance was duly
2 adopted by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San
3
4
Bernardino, at a
meeting thereof, held on the
, 1990, by the following vote,
day of
5 to wit:
6
Council Members:
AYES
NAYS
ABSTAIN
City Clerk
The foregoing Ordinance is hereby approved this
day
of
, 1990.
W. R. HOLCOMB, Mayor
City of San Bernardino
Approved as to form
and legal content:
JAMES F. PENMAN,
City Attorney
2
.
d-~-Ic,
\
: SAN BERNARDINO CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
t
. ~ :
TO:
FROM:
Revenue Enhancement Committee
Fire Department
SUBJECT: . Revenue Enhancement Recommendation
DATE:
November 17. 1989
Rl!:COMM~NDATTON
It is recommended that an "Emergency Medical Service Fee" be
charged to any person that is treated for emergency medical
care by the San Bernardino City Fire Department and
transported by ambulance to a medical facility.
BACKGROUND AND HISTORY
~hje San Bernardino City Fire Department has been providing "no
~st" emergency medical services to the community since 1976.
Initially. the fire department was able to provide this
service at relatively low costs. but over the years the
emergency medical program has expanded. the cost of equipment
has increased. and Dore medical equipment is required to
provide advanced life support services.
Hedical emergencies, like fire emergencies, are increasing
annually at 9%. Currently. the fire department is responding
to approximatelY 12,000 medical emergencies a year which
places paramedic units out of service frequently, which in
turn causes delayed response times. These calculations
indicate the need for adding another paramedic unit to the
fire department. The initial cost would be approximat.ly
$20.000.00 for paramedic equipment and supplies, plus
$285.000.00 to pay annual salaries for four additional
paramedics. a paramedic coordinator. and a records clerk.
The charging of fees is recommended to off-set the cost
required to provide emergency medical services to the public.
A survey of 15 fire departments indicates that the majority of
these departments (11) currently charge fees for paramedic
services. which include:
1. Anaheim............................User Fee
2. Apple Valley.......................User Fee
3. Berkeley...........................Special Tax
4. Fullerton..........................SubscriPtion Fee
5. Garden Grove........... ............Special Tax
6. Huntington Beach...................User Fee
7. Redlands................. .... ......Sp.cial Tax
t
8. Ria1~..:........................... .Sub.cription r..
s. Sant.~a...... ....................Sub.oription F..
10. Oo.~...........................U..r F..
11. Oran...............................Sub.cription Fe.
METHODS
.'
4
To 1e,a1ly char,e a tee tor service., the Clty aust ahow that
the tees char,ed are actual costs incurred by the City.
Listed on the tollowing page is an outline at costs incurred
by the tire departaent to provide eaer,ency a.dical care to
the public.
'RM'RRG'RNCY M'RDICAt. COSTS ARt) FIR CALCUT..TTONg
EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL THAT RESPOND TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES:
1. Paramedic Fire Engine: (One Captain, On. En,ineer, Two
Paraaedic Fir. Pi,ht.rs)
2. Fire En,ine: (One Captain, One En,ineer, On. Fire
Fighter)
* A tire engine responds with a paramedic en,ine on
approximately 60% of all calls.
AVERAGE TIME DEDICATED TO EACH MEDICAL EMERGENCY: 30 minutes
PERSONNEL RATE FOR PARAMEDIC FIRE ENGINE: $57.53/Hour
PERSONNEL.RATE FOR FIRE ENGINE: $43.32/Hour
PERSONNEL COSTS PER INCIDENT:
1. Paramedic Squad at $57.53/Hour x .50 =
2. Fire Engine at $43.32/Hour x .50 =
$28.76
21 88
TOTAL
$50.42
TOTAL COSTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Personnel
Paramedic Engine Vehicle Rate
Paramedic Engine Mileage (Average 10 Hiles)
Fire Engine Vehicle Rate (24.17 x .67)
Fire Engine Mileage (Average 5 Hiles)
Supplies
Fixed Asset Equipment
Co nec t ion Fee
Overhead at 10%
$50.42
24.17
42.40
16.19
21.20
6.00
7.50
10.00
19 50
TOTAL
$199. B8
RECOMMENDED FEE: $130.00 Per Patient (RESIDENT OF CITY)
180.00 Per Patient (NON-CITY RESIDENT)
* An annual increase in tees should be included to provide for
inflation of salaries. equipment. and administrative costs.
.
.
..
:K'!;::..-
R:R~rtVRRY ~ l!tl~'I'g
.
The owner of Courtesy Ambulance Service. Steve Rice,
aereed to perform the billine and collection for
department emer,ency medical service.. It i. anticipated
Courte.y Ambulance will char,e between '5.00-. and '10.00
incident for billin, and collection oosts.
Statistics indicate that of all the patients transported.
approximately 3500 are either insured or otherwise able to pay
the proposed user fees. Of those 3500. it i. anticipated that
80% will actually pay the fee.
ha.
fire
that
per
100% collection of fees would provide $455.000 annual revenues
to the City.
80% collection of fees would provide $364,000 annual revenue.
to the City.
CONCLU~TnN
It is anticipated that the City would recover between $350.00
and $400,000 annually if a "user fee" is chareed for emereency
medical services. It is recommended that this money be used
to pay for the expenses required to provide an additional
paramedic unit; finance paramedic equipment and repairs. and
finance administrative and clerical costs required to maintain
the projfram.