CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: AUGUST 26, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: CONTRACT WITH ONTARIO FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE
ENHANCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCHING AND PRE-
ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLY WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 645 - CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE 1797.161
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Fire Department
SUMMARY:
The Palm Springs Fire Department and the Palm Springs Police Department are seeking approval to enter into a contract with Ontario Fire Department to provide emergency medical dispatch and pre-arrival instructions in accordance with Assembly Bill 645.
AB 645 requires, by January 1, 2027, any public safety agency that provides 911 call processing services for emergency medical response to provide pre-arrival medical instructions to 911 callers requiring medical assistance, including, among other things, airway and choking medical instructions for infants, children, and adults and administration of naloxone for narcotics overdoses. Compliance with this bill is mandated by January 1, 2027. Given space, staffing, and technology limitations, we are unable to meet this requirement utilizing our current dispatch center. By entering into this contract, staff will have time to research, evaluate and determine what steps would need to be implemented to provide this enhanced service in-house, while still meeting the deadline.
Ontario has provided an agreement (Attachment A) that would charge $40 a call for processing. Based on our current call volume of 8,000 - 10,000 calls that would require this service (not all calls will have to be sent), we are budgeting between $300,000 - $400,000 annually.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve agreement with Ontario Fire Department to provide enhanced emergency medical dispatching and pre-arrival instructions, included as Attachment A.
City Council Staff Report
August 26, 2026 -- Page 2
Agreement for Medical Emergency Dispatching and Communication Services BUSINESS PRINCIPAL DISCLOSURE:
N/A.
BACKGROUND:
By January 1, 2027, a public safety agency that provides 911 call processing services for emergency medical response shall provide pre-arrival medical instructions to 911 callers requiring medical assistance, including, at a minimum, all of the following:
1. Airway and choking medical instructions for infants, children, and adults.
2. Automatic external defibrillator (AED) and CPR instructions for children and adults.
3. Childbirth.
4. Bleeding control and hemorrhage.
5. Administration of epinephrine by auto-injector for suspected anaphylaxis.
6. Administration of naloxone for suspected narcotics overdoses.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The Palm Springs Dispatch Center is unable to provide this service by the January deadline to the Fire Department for several reasons:
The current size of the dispatch center is unable to accommodate additional staff required to provide this new service.
The current staffing is not sufficient to provide this service with five (5) vacancies. Additional training would be required to provide pre-arrival instructions per Riverside County Protocol would exceed the January 2027 deadline.
Our intent is for our Dispatch Center to provide this service in the future, but the items mentioned above will take time to research, evaluate and plan. Ontario Fire Department can provide this service with little to no change to our current process, similar to the service they provide to the City of Corona. All 911 calls will still be processed through our dispatch center. Our response times will not be affected. After our dispatchers assign units to the call, they will transfer medical calls to Ontario Fire Department for emergency medical dispatching and pre-arrival instructions.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
The requested City Council action is not a "Project" as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a "Project" means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a "Project" does not include: (5) City Council Staff Report
August 26, 2026 -- Page 3
Agreement for Medical Emergency Dispatching and Communication Services Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Public Safety and Community Services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Between $300,000 and $400,000 will be required annually based on call volume and a one-time cost not to exceed $150,000 for start-up costs including integrations, processes and procedure development. This expense will be offset by the freezing of two (2) vacant dispatch positions.
REVIEWED BY:
Department Director: Paul Alvarado
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Ontario Fire Department Agreement