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?
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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.
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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.
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