HomeMy WebLinkAbout42 - CC-16 - Amendment to Extend Term of Care Amb. - 7/21/2015CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: JULY 21, 2015 ITEM NUMBER: CC -16
SUBJECT: AMENDMENT TO EXTEND TERM OF CARE AMBULANCE SERVICES
AGREEMENT
DATE: JULY 21, 2015
FROM: FIRE DEPARTMENT
PRESENTATION BY: DANIEL A. STEFANO, FIRE CHIEF
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DANIEL A. STEFANO, (714) 754-5106
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve the attached Amendment Number Four extending the term of the Ambulance
Services Agreement with Care Ambulance Service, Inc., for the continuation of
emergency ambulance and patient billing services until June 30, 2016.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to California Health & Safety Code Section 1797.201, because the City of Costa
Mesa has provided and/or contracted for emergency ambulance services continuously at
least since June 1, 1980, the City has retained all rights, remedies, and privileges
regarding the provision, administration, and operational control of all prehospital
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) within its jurisdiction, including, but not limited to,
emergency ambulance response and patient transport services.
In accordance with its Section 1797.201 powers, on November 20, 2007, the City initiated
a competitive process by issuing a "Request for Proposals," coordinated by the Fire
Department, in which qualified ambulance companies were reviewed, analyzed, and
compared. The Fire Department chose to use the competitive process format outlined in
California Emergency Medical Services Authority Publication #141 due to its efficiency,
rather than developing a new format.
On July 1, 2008, the City Council accepted the proposal submitted by Care Ambulance
Service, Inc., and authorized the Fire Department to negotiate an agreement for the
provision of emergency ambulance and patient billing services. The City and Care
Ambulance Services entered into an agreement effective on September 1, 2008, at 7:30
a.m., for a period of two years. The City and Care Ambulance Services subsequently
entered into Ambulance Services Agreement to extend the services for a term of three
years, to September 1, 2013. The Ambulance Services Agreement allows for extensions
of the term providing that the total length of time, including the initial two-year term
beginning in 2008, is no more than ten years. The City Council previously approved
Amendment Numbers One through Three to the agreement, extending the agreement to
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September 1, 2015, at 7:30 a.m. Amendment Number Four would extend the agreement
until June 30, 2016, at 7:30 a.m.
ANALYSIS -
From the commencement of the current agreement until the present time, Care
Ambulance Service has met and fulfilled all contractual obligations and requirements. In
fact, it is the opinion of the Fire Department that Care Ambulance Service has exceeded
all expectations and has helped foster a partnership that has been instrumental in
maintaining Costa Mesa's high-quality EMS system. Based on its performance over the
past six years, Care Ambulance Service has maintained a well-managed organization
staffed by dedicated personnel who care about their mission and the patients they serve.
Extending the agreement to June 30, 2016 will allow for emergency ambulance and
patient billing services to continue through the completion of the consultant group's report
containing an objective analysis on the City's future ground transportation options, and
City Council's consideration of such options. Section 5.3 of the agreement allows the City
to terminate the agreement at any time with written notice to Care Ambulance Service if it
is later determined that services will not be needed for the entire time period of the
extension.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
Because Care Ambulance Service has satisfied and exceeded the obligations,
requirements, and expectations of the original Agreement, no other alternatives were
considered.
FISCAL REVIEW:
No fiscal review is necessary for this item. The City provides citizens emergency
ambulance services via a private ambulance company business, which also handles all
EMS billing services for the City. There is no direct cost to the City for selecting or using
a private ambulance company to provide emergency ambulance and patient billing
services.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney's Office reviewed the Ambulance Services Agreement and its
amendments, and drafted Amendment Number Four with the assistance of Fire
Department.
CONCLUSION:
Based on the aforementioned reasons, the Fire Department respectfully recommends
that the City Council approve the attached Amendment Number Four so that Care
Ambulance Service may continue emergency ambulance and patient billing services until
June 30, 2016, at 07:30 a.m.
DANIEL A. STEFANO
Fire Chief
THOMAS R. HATCH
Chief Executive Officer
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THOMAS P. DUARTE
City Attorney
Attachments: 1) Original Ambulance Services Agreement
2) Amendment Numbers One through Three
3) Amendment Number Four