1 Nils Nehrenheim
From: Patrick Butler
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2024 8:08 PM
To: Mike Witzansky
Cc: Issac Yang; Jason May; Luke Smude
Subject: Super Users - 911 System
Dear Mayor and Council (bcc'd)
We've recently received inquiries from council members regarding facilities with high-frequency use of the Redondo Beach 911 system, also known as "Super Users." A prominent example is the Kensington Assisted Living Facility located at 801 S. Pacific Coast Highway.
From 11/1/2023 to 11/1/2024, Redondo Beach Fire responded to the Kensington 133 times, with 125 of those calls being medical-related.
The call breakdown is as follows:
- Total calls since 3/4/2022: 356
- Total calls in 2024 (year-to-date): 106
- Total calls in 2023: 142
Each of these calls typically requires 30 to 90 minutes of RBFD paramedic and personnel time, particularly when hospital transport is involved. Annually, this equates to approximately 213 hours spent on responses at this facility alone, amounting to an estimated cost of over $100,000 in personnel cost not to mention equipment and apparatus use. This is just one of the assisted living facilities in our city.
I've been on calls with our crews to the Kensington - and one thing that is always consistent is the amazing, professional, and compassionate care from our RBFD crews; a signature of our Platinum EMS Service.
Background on Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities are intended to support elderly residents with daily activities such as getting in and out of bed, dressing, bathing, medication management, eating, and social engagement. These facilities typically aren’t licensed for skilled nursing care, which means they rely on the 911 system for additional assistance with any needs beyond their capabilities, including returning residents to bed after falls or arranging hospital transport. This reliance on external emergency services stems from the fact that most assisted living facilities lack on-site doctors and provide limited direct care.
Proactive Engagement Efforts
In the past two years, we’ve worked closely with facility staff, encouraging them to be more proactive and exercise judgment in supporting residents. However, staff members often cite policy restrictions that prevent them from assisting residents who simply need help getting back into bed after a fall, among other minor tasks.
2 We are setting up a meeting with the Kensington facility director and CEO, as well as our RBFD Medical Director, Dr. Stratton from UCLA. Our goal is to educate them on their responsibilities and emphasize how they can be more proactive, as public safety is a shared responsibility.
Possible Next Steps and Considerations
Having encountered similar "Super User" facilities in other cities, I've found that routine meetings can be effective initially. However, if issues persist, involving the LA County EMS Agency might be necessary.
Some cities implement a user fee that increases with repeated non-emergency calls—typically around $800 for lift assistance and $500 for non-emergency treatment and return to the facility.
We will report the outcome of this meeting to City Manager Mike W. For further details, please feel free to reach out. Chief Issac Yang, our EMS Chief, is also available for questions.
Thank You
Pat
Patrick Isidoro Butler
Fire Chief │ Harbor Master
Fire Department │ City of Redondo Beach
401 South Broadway │ Redondo Beach, CA 90277
www.redondo.org