Agenda Item #3.1
For Council Meeting of: February 15, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT WESTROPE, FIRE CHIEF
FIRE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: AMBULANCE SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIONS
AGENDA ACTION: STUDY SESSION - NO ACTION REQUIRED
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Fire Department that the Council hold a study session to receive a report on the current state of the ambulance exclusive operating area (EOA) request for proposals (RFP), and on the current and anticipated options for ambulance service delivery in Santa Rosa. The Council will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss, and provide feedback to staff.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In this Study Session, staff will provide an update on the current RFP being managed by Sonoma County related to the contract award of EOA ambulance service slated to be awarded April 5, 2022 and implemented October 1, 2022. This will be the emergency ambulance service that will serve Santa Rosa for the next five years, with the possible extension to 10 years. Staff will also provide the anticipated options for ambulance service, specifically a comparison of a private entity franchise and a public entity franchise.
BACKGROUND
On July 1, 2009, American Medical Response (AMR) was awarded the contract for emergency ambulance service to Sonoma County EOA-1. EOA-1 consists of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Sebastopol, Kenwood, and the unincorporated areas within. On July 1, 2019, the contract with AMR was extended for another three years. Having reached the maximum number of legal extensions in the contract, Sonoma County contracted with EndPoint Consulting, LLC to assess the current emergency medical services (EMS) system and identify opportunities for improvement for the next 911 ambulance RFP with the goal to ensure the highest-quality emergency medical care to the residents and visitors of Sonoma County.
Stakeholder meetings began in December 2019 to take a holistic approach in the development of the RFP. Fire Department staff participated in nine RFP development listening sessions between December 16, 2019 and July 20, 2019 and participated in a survey used by EndPoint Consulting to obtain stakeholder data. After July 2020, the development of the RFP was taken back to internal development by Sonoma County and EndPoint Consulting. On March 16, 2021, the draft RFP was placed on the March 23, 2021 Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Agenda then delayed until the April 13, 2021 agenda. The draft RFP was accepted by the Board of Supervisors and sent to the State of California Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) for approval. It is not clear when the draft RFP was returned from the EMSA, however on October 26, 2021 it was placed on the on the November 2, 2021 Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Agenda. The updated draft RFP was accepted by the Board of Supervisors at this meeting and returned to EMSA for final authorization. The RFP was released to all potential bidders on November 9, 2021.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
November 30, 2021 Study Session
ANALYSIS
RFP for Advanced Life Support Ambulance Service to EOA-1:
Fire Department staff has been involved in the development of the RFP and is invested in a fair and transparent process that is inclusive of all bidders. The primary focus of this analysis has been and always will be to provide the highest level of emergency medical care to the community. While there are some concerns regarding the equity of the requirements for bidders on the contract, ultimately, both public and private entities can apply in the RFP accepted by Sonoma County.
Public versus Private Entities as RFP Bidders:
Fire Department staff has analyzed the components of a public entity providing ambulance service to the community compared to a private entity providing those services (current model). As with any contract of this scope and scale, there are nuanced and finite points that can be drilled down to. However, focusing on strategic service delivery to the community, three main areas of assessment were included in this analysis.
Service delivery (available ambulances, response times, fire resource on-scene times) System control (ability to obtain and retain data, equitability in decision making in system design and management, policy/procedure/oversight parity) Business model (financial obligations, resource allocation) Options for City Council to consider:
As a point of advisory in closing the analysis, Fire Department staff has analyzed the current state of the EMS system, the current RFP, and the anticipated options for ambulance service available in this contract time frame. Based on this broad analysis, the City Council may provide direction to staff to bring the item back if Council elects to take action. Those actions may include the following:
Take no action and await the bid results from Sonoma County; Take a position of support for one model over another;
Begin the process to withdraw the City of Santa Rosa from EOA-1 and seek a direct contract with a public provider of ambulance service.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact from holding a study session.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This study session is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project 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, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Request for Proposal - Emergency Advanced Life Support Ground Ambulance Services for an Exclusive Operating Area in Sonoma County
CONTACT
Scott Westrope, [email protected], (707) 543-3500
OPTIONS IN AMBULANCE SERVICE DELIVERY
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