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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-04-30 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesMAIL REPLY TO; P.O. BOX 25010 TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33320 5811 NORTHWEST 88TH AVENUE TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33321 TELEPHONE (305) 722-5900 April 19, 1985 NOTICE OF WORKSHOP MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA There will be a Workshop Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, April 30, 1985, at 10:00 a.m, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 5811 NW 88 Avenue, Tamarac. The purpose of this meeting is to obtain a status report on the City ambulance service. The public is encouraged to attend. b. Carol E. Barbuto Assistant City Clerk AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAPPED STATUS CITY OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING AMBULANCES APRIL 30, 1985 Tape CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Kravitz called the meeting to order at 1 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, April 30, 1985, in the Council Chambers. Mayor Kravitz stated the purpose of the meeting is to obtain a status report on the City Ambulance Service. PRESENT: Mayor Philip B. Kravitz Vice Mayor Helen Massaro Councilman Raymond J. Munitz ABSENT: Councilman Arthur H. Gottesman Councilman Sydney M. Stein ALSO PRESENT: Elly F. Johnson, City Manager Jon M. Henning, City Attorney Patricia Marcurio, Secretary Bernard Simon, Fire Chief, gave a brief history of the incep- tion of Tamarac's life-support system. He reported that the city started running basic life support in 1975 with state - certified EMT's using fire apparatus. Mr. Simon observed that, in almost all cases, the Tamarac Fire Department Unit arrived first on the scene followed by Broward County Paramedics and then a private ambulance. After noting the average response time of Tamarac Fire Department Units, the Fire Department staff began putting together a proposal. On September 30, 1983, the city staff prepared an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity; this application was returned to the city to be resubmitted after the ambulances were received since physical inspection of the equipment was a prerequisite of the processing according to Dr. Martin, Assistant Director of EMS Services. Subsequently, Council passed a resolution to explore the concept of city -run ambulances. Staff then ordered two ambulances on a state con- tract. At a Broward County Commission meeting on February 16, 1984, the subject was addressed by City Attorney Jon Henning.. In October 1984, the city appeared before the EMS Review Committee for approval of Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and was denied because an additional ambulance service would only serve to further fragment emergency medical services in Broward County. The EMS Review Committee further stated that an applicant must show that its addition to the EMS system must improve the health and welfare of the citizens of Broward County. Mr. Henning said that in this instance there appears to be duplication rather than improvement. Jon Henning, City Attorney, explained the history of the pro- ject from his propective. Mr. Henning noted that the umbrella of Emergency Medical Services is broken down into two the Basic Life Support and the Advanced Life Support parts: and they both come under the caption Emergency Medical Services. The Basic Life Support does not intrude the body; it is first aid, CPR, and the assistance on the scene without cutting or needles and that is what the Fire Department is doing. A Basic Life Support provider can transport or can only go to the scene and somebody else transports. Another Basic Life Support provider is the ambulance company but they can transport and the City cannot transport, yet. The Advanced Life Support is the EMS operated by the County who have greater training and authority along with radio contact with the hospitals and they can intrude the body with their treatment. Presently, with few exceptions, the county Advanced Life Support or paramedic or EMS does not transport. Mr. Henning expressed the County is concerned that if they do grant Tamarac an ambulance service (1) it will take dollars away from the ambulance company, and if that causes either that ambulance company to go broke, they cannot service the entire two zones they are assigned to and that is a problem countywide; (2) or would that cause them to raise their rates because they are not receiving revenue from Tamarac and that would adversely affect the people and the rest of the county. The County Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on May 16. The City Attorney does not understand how the county is going to be prepared to address Tamarac's problem on May 16 because this committee has not been able to reach any solutions or conclusions as to how they ought to treat emergency services countywide. Mr. Henning pointed out that the city is a group of municipal first responders and that it is providing a service and needs to be recognized and ought to be entitled to transport. There are at least eleven other cities that provide municipal first response whether or not they transport. They are there as paramedics or fire people or emergency technicians; whether they are doing the Basic Life Support or the Advanced Life Support whether or not they are trans- porting. The County Commissioners should be contacted by Council members and the public alike to encourage a favorable vote. Mayor Kravitz asked if it is true that the County Commission cannot act before they get an approval from the EMS Committee. Mr. Henning remarked not necessarily and that this committee is an advisory committee for the County Commission. It would be legal for them to give the city the certificate on May 16. But if the committee is not making that recom- mendation, Mr. Henning doubts that the Commission would approve. Mayor Kravitz asked the fire chief what the city is doing with the two ambulances at the present time. Bernard Simon, Fire Chief, responded that the city is running the ambulance in place of the fire truck. Broken down to dollars and cents, the ambulance averages about $24 a run while a full-sized pump averaging 32,000 pounds runs about $48 to $49. Generally speaking, the city does not transport. The department transported on one occasion at the direction of the paramedic when the ambulance broke down. There are three or four exceptions when you do not have to have the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity in emergencies such as that or if we got hit with a hurricane where we had impassable roads. Mayor Kravitz asked if it would be advantageous to appoint a committee to serve a function in trying to secure the ambulance service with the county. Would it be helpful or would it be a disservice? -2- 7/19/85 vdw Mr. Henning offered the suggestion that the City Council work directly with staff. The County Commission should know that this is a concern of the City Council themselves and not just an intervening committee. The staff should continue to work on the problem and encourage the Council to get involved. This is the time to contact the county to make your feelings known but another committee is not needed. Charles Jacobson, Kings Point, asked if this is a service that the City will provide to all homeowners and will it be included in the basic tax rate or would there be an additional charge to every citizen or would this be voluntary. The City Attorney said this is a service that will be available as an emergency service to all people that happen to be in the City of Tamarac whether they are residents or not and the Council has set the rate of $75 per trip or per service which is assumed will be contri- buted in part by any health insurance assignment or Medicare assignments that are available. Ralph Costa said he represented Medics Services of which Medics Ambulance is a division and acknowledged that his company would work with the City of Tamarac in any way possible to provide service to this community. Mr. Costa posed several questions for Council's consideration: (1) The $75 fee that will be charged to the patient will necessitate on the city's part an expense for billing Medicare or will increase to the cost of the patient as to how much he is paying over what he is paying right now for Medicare -ambulance service; he pays between $14 to $20 per transport. (2) This is the only instance that he knows of in Broward County where an organization was required to produce ambulances before a license was issued. As a private company, Medics only had to agree to buy the equipment that would satisfy HRS, the county regulations and all city ordinances. The next item is that it takes 12 men to operate two ambulances 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There will be a dilemma on the part of the Fire Department as to whether to transport a patient to the hospital or to fight a fire. Stan Bernard, President of Wedgewood Condo Association, related a story of an emergency ambulance call where the service was not satisfactory and was in favor of the city having its own ambulance service. Milt Siegel, Isles of Tamarac, stated that the Presidents' Council submitted a petition to the County favoring the city ambulance service and wondered if it had an impact and if there was anything further they could do. Mr. Henning answered impact of the petition will not be known until the County Commission votes on the issue. All interested parties should contact the Commissioners individually to talk to them. Lou Silverman, Editor of the Tam -A -Gram, read an editorial he wrote encouraging the residents to attend the County Commission meeting and voice their opinion. -3- 7/19/85 /vdw 1 Anthony Silvestri, Lime Bay, retired Broward County Fire Commissioner, reiterated Mr. Hennings' comments that the Council and the residents must contact the County Com- missioners about approving the certificate. Tape Irving Fenichel, resident, presented a list of reasons to 2 approve the city operated ambulance service. C/M Munitz asked the City Attorney if the city has to sit •back and wait for this to get approval and why the city cannot operate it on its own. Mr. Henning said the County law says that the City has to have their approval, and, he would not advise the City to move forward transporting unless it was specific direction of EMS in a particular instance like when the technician travels with the city. He does not want that liability on the city unless it were approved by the County. C/M Munitz stated that it is his belief that Medics Ambulance is using all the influence at their disposal to prevent the city from securing the permit in order to protect its own business. V/M Massaro stated it is her feeling that Mr. Henning is correct that everyone has to make their contacts to the Commissioners. She has had conversations with the city's representatives in Tallahassee to indicate their active support as well. Mayor Kravitz stated since he is serving as liasion to the Commissioners of the County, he has contacted all seven commissioners and expects to continue doing that in hopes of getting the desired results. He also in- dicated that at the next meeting of the Northwest Council of Mayors he will attempt to have this matter added to the agenda to adopt a resolution declaring the support of all the member cities. Mr. Henning announced that the County Commission has moved to the Government Center at 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 422. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. Mayor Kravitz adjourned the workshop meeting at 12:00 P.M. �Cl.0 GIFY CLERK This document was promulgated at a cost of $ 39.75 or $ 1.10 per copy to inform the general public and public 0 icers and employees about recent opinions and considerations by the City Council of the City of Tamarac. U� 7/19/85 /vdw