Item Number: 11
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: October 6, 2026
Submitted By:
Robert Clemmer, Fire Chief
Subject:
Agreement for Public-Based Ambulance Services with Consolidated Fire Agencies Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the Honorable City Council:
(1) Approve the Agreement for Public-Based Ambulance Services between Consolidated Fire Agencies and the City of Victorville, on behalf of the Victorville Fire Department, authorizing the Department to provide surge, reserve, or backup ambulance transport services when requested or activated by Consolidated Fire Agencies and when City personnel and resources are available; and (2) Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the agreement and all related documents.
Fiscal Impact:
The transition to the new ambulance service model through Consolidated Fire Agencies (CONFIRE) took effect on October 1, 2026. Because the number and duration of future activations cannot be predicted, related revenues and expenditures were not included in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (FY27) adopted budget. Staff will monitor activity and return with an appropriate budget amendment based on actual revenues received during FY27 during the City Council meeting scheduled in July 2027. This approach is taken so it can accurately capture all revenues received and can help us budget appropriately moving forward. An account code will be created to clearly track all transport services reimbursements. The agreement provides quarterly reimbursement for authorized Cityowned ambulance deployments as follows:
Service Reimbursement
Authorized Unit-Hour Cost for City-Owned
Ambulance Apparatus and Equipment $181.73 per unit hour Service Reimbursement
Medical Restock and Supplies for City-Owned
Ambulance Transports $40.43 per completed transport
The rates are reviewed annually under CONFIRE Administrative Committee Policy 3.016 and may be updated by Administrative Committee resolution.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This agreement supports Strategic Plan Goal B, Public Safety, Strategy 6 - Expand Emergency Medical Services response capabilities. It provides a mechanism for the Victorville Fire Department (VFD) to expand ambulance transport capacity when primary system resources are unavailable or regional demand exceeds available resources, while maintaining the City’s ability to protect local emergency response coverage.
Background:
San Bernardino County (SBC) conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) No. ICEMA23- ICEMA-4811 for Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) ground ambulance services, interfacility transport, and critical care transport within designated exclusive operating areas. On December 5, 2023, CONFIRE was selected through that process, and entered into SBC Contract No. 23-1282 (Attachment B) to provide and coordinate ambulance services which began on October 1, 2026.
The proposed agreement establishes the terms under which the VFD may participate in the regional ambulance delivery system. Victorville would not assume a continuous frontline ambulance commitment. Instead, the Department may provide authorized surge, reserve, or backup ambulance resources on a temporary, episodic, or as-needed basis when requested or activated by CONFIRE and when City personnel and equipment are available.
Discussion:
The agreement authorizes one fully equipped surge ambulance and one fully equipped reserve or backup ambulance. No front-line deployment is assigned to Victorville. Each activation remains subject to Fire Department resource availability, allowing the Department to evaluate City coverage, staffing, apparatus status, anticipated duration, and other operational demands before accepting a request.
A City resource may be deployed and reimbursed only when it is identified in the agency deployment schedule or current CONFIRE deployment plan, or when CONFIRE expressly requests or authorizes the resource. CONFIRE may adjust posting location, schedule, hours, apparatus assignment, or operational role, but any change that materially increases the City’s minimum commitment, changes compensation, or reallocates responsibility requires a written amendment.
For City-owned ambulance deployments, CONFIRE will reimburse the City at the authorized unit-hour rate and provide the medical supply restock payment for each completed transport. Quarterly payments will be prepared from Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) data reflecting in-service hours and completed transports. The standardized reimbursement rate is cost-based but is not guaranteed to equal Victorville’s actual incremental personnel, overtime, backfill, fleet, administrative, or compliance costs.
The agreement remains in effect for the term of SBC Contract No. 23-1282 unless terminated in accordance with its provisions. A City-requested termination requires a meet-and-confer process and a termination date no earlier than 180 days after the City’s initial notice. The agreement also requires specified insurance or approved selfinsurance, record retention and audit cooperation, HIPAA compliance, and indemnification of CONFIRE for claims arising from City performance, except where prohibited by law or attributable to CONFIRE negligence or willful misconduct.
A meet-and-confer process was conducted on September 10, 2026 with both represented bargaining groups of the VFD regarding implementation of the proposed ambulance services arrangement. An agreement was reached with each bargaining group to evaluate organizational impact and review on or about June 1, 2027. The proposed agreement gives the City of Victorville a defined, reimbursable means of supporting regional ambulance capacity without committing a permanent front-line unit. It preserves local operational discretion, supports the regional transition to the new ambulance service model, and advances the City’s public-safety goals.
Therefore, staff recommends that the Honorable City Council approve the Agreement for Public-Based Ambulance Services between CONFIRE and the City of Victorville and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the agreement and all related documents.
Staff is available to answer any questions you may have.
Prepared By:
Andrew Roach, Deputy Chief of Operations
Attachments: A. Proposed Agreement for Public-Based Ambulance Services with
CONFIRE
B. San Bernardino County Contract No. 23-1282 and Applicable Amendments