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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Agreement with MGMC for emergency medical response services RESOLUTION NO. 03-469 RESOLUTION APPROVING AGREEMENT WITH MARY GREELEY MEDICAL CENTER FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF AMES WHEREAS, our citizens have received excellent emergency medical response services because of a unique model of shared responsibility between the Ames Fire Department and Mary Greeley Medical Center(MGMC); and, WHEREAS, in an effort to better assist MGMC, which has primary responsibility for emergency medical responses, it was agreed in 1996 that the capabilities of our Fire Department personnel would be upgraded to Level D First Responders; and, WHEREAS,the ability to rely on Fire Department personnel to respond to ambulance calls from our strategically-located stations saved MGMC from investing in other more costly strategies to meet its emergency medical response time goals; and, WHEREAS,an additional benefit to MGMC is the existence of firefighters who are specially trained to provide limited medical treatment so that valuable assistance can be offered to the paramedics at the scene; and, WHEREAS,in return for the upgrade in the City's response capabilities for ambulance assist calls, MGMC agreed to: 1) pay the City each year all of the incentive pay costs associated with certifying an agreed upon number of Fire Department personnel as Level D First Responders; 2) purchase and maintain one defibrillator at each station for use by the Fire Department; and, 3)each year,provide free to the Fire Department training and education programs related to First Responder Level D certification; and, WHEREAS, in terms of vehicle extrication services, MGMC personnel had traditionally assumed primary responsibility for these tasks with the Ames Fire Department providing support; and, WHEREAS, in 1998, MGMC officials approached the fire chief with a proposal to switch the primary responsibility for extrication services to the Fire Department; and, WHEREAS,MGMC representatives were concerned with the lack of space available on the ambulances to house the necessary extrication equipment with the amount of time required for their paramedics to train for this services and with the costs of the equipment needed to accomplish this task; and, WHEREAS, in consideration of the Fire Department assuming primary responsibility for extrication services,MGMC agreed to pay the City 50%of the costs related to training,equipment, and apparatus deemed necessary by the Fire Department for adequate extrication services; and, WHEREAS,this cost-sharing arrangement seemed fair since the City was already assisting in this service, and MGMC had agreed to pay one half of all associated costs; and, WHEREAS,all had gone well with this arrangement until the City informed MGMC officials of the expectation that the hospital pay 50%of two new rescue apparatus($78,940 for a replacement unit at Station No. 2 and one additional unit in the amount of$76,642 at Station No. 3)that would carry the extrication equipment; and, WHEREAS, MGMC officials have questioned the bill, and the crux of the disagreement centers on the language that calls for MGMC to pay the City 50% of the costs related to "training, equipment, and apparatus"; and, WHEREAS, MGMC officials maintain that the word "apparatus" is synonymous with equipment and does not include vehicles; and, WHEREAS, it is the City's recommendation that the two parties agree to continue the financial commitments made by MGMC in 1996 and 1998 for incentive pay, training, and equipment,and that MGMC pay the City immediately one-half of the first rescue unit($76,642)and in 2014, pay the City$110,000 for its share of the second rescue unit. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the agreement proposing all past commitments to the City by Mary Greeley Medical Center regarding training and equipment for extrication and emergency medical response be maintained is hereby approved and$186,642 will be paid by MGMC towards the first two rescue units purchased since the 1998 agreement. ADOPTED THIS 16`h day of December, 2003. ?:�� Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ted Tedesco, Mayor Introduced by: Cross Seconded by: Hoffman Voting aye: Cross, Goodhue, Hoffinan, Mahayni, Vegge, Wirth Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this l 6t' day of December, 2003.