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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Approving the Letter of Agreement between the City of Ames and the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 625 RESOLUTION NO. 20-589 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AMES AND INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS, LOCAL 625 FOR THE CITY OF AMES,IOWA WHEREAS,Mary Greeley Medical Center(MGMC)and the City of Ames have had a long- standing cooperative partnership that has been forged over many years; and, WHEREAS,because of the investments that both organizations have made into growing this unique model of shared responsibilities, the Ames community and visitors alike have received exceptional emergency medical response services; and, WHEREAS, in an effort to better assist MGMC, which has the primary responsibility for emergency medical responses,it was agreed in 1996 that the Ames Fire Department would upgrade its emergency medical services(EMS)status to that of First Responder,which is the most basic level of EMS in the State of Iowa; and, WHEREAS, First Responders can perform basic medical procedures such as splinting extremities, maintaining airways, and controlling bleeding; and, WHEREAS, under this agreement, MGMC reimburses the City for monthly incentive pay provided to firefighters and lieutenants who maintain their First Responder credentials; and, WHEREAS,the incentive pay was established in the City's Collective Bargaining Agreement that outlines benefits for the firefighters and the Agreement also provides that MGMC would reimburse the City for the training costs and provide one defibrillator for each fire station; and, WHEREAS, in 1998, a service once provided by MGMC to the community was further enhanced when the Ames Fire Department was contracted to assume the primary responsibility for extrication of persons from motor vehicle accidents and this change allowed MGMC to focus attention on providing medical treatment to the patient(s) at the accident site; and, WHEREAS,within that contract,it was agreed that MGMC would pay for 50%of the costs for training, equipment, and apparatus needed to perform this additional service and in 2003, the contract was modified to further clarify responsibilities under the partnership; and, WHEREAS,with an upgrade in the EMS service level for fire personnel to EMT,additional negotiations were needed between the City of Ames and Fire Union Local 625; and, WHEREAS, a Letter of Agreement was drafted between the City of Ames and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 625, to reflect the following mutually agreed upon changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement addressing Educational Certification Pay, also known as incentive pay: - EMT certification becomes a required credential for Firefighters and Lieutenants whose initial hire date as a Firefighter occurs after January 1, 2020. The EMT certification must be obtained within 18 months of the start of employment and be maintained thereafter. - Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certification, previously known as First Responder,remains the minimum required credential for Firefighters and Lieutenants whose initial hire date as a Firefighter occurred prior to January 1, 2020. These firefighters may elect to upgrade to EMT to receive the higher incentive pay,but it is not required. Current EMR incentive pay is $20 per month for Step A,B, and C Firefighters, and .7% of the annual salary for Step D Firefighters and Lieutenants. Proposed EMT incentive pay will be $30 per month for Step A, B, and C Firefighters,and 1.05%of the annual salary for Step D Firefighters and Lieutenants. WHEREAS, in FY 2019/20 MGMC was invoiced$24,167 to cover EMR incentive pay for Ames Firefighters and Lieutenants; and, WHEREAS, in FY 2020/21, it is estimated that MGMC will be invoiced$30,792 for EMS incentive pay, which will include EMT and EMR certified Firefighters and Lieutenants, and if the Contract between the City of Ames and MGMC is not renewed at the end of the term or is canceled, the City wold be responsible for the incentive pay. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa, that the Letter of Agreement between the City of Ames and the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 625, is hereby approved. ADOPTED THIS 10`'' day of November, 2020. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk John A. Haila, Mayor Introduced by: Junck Seconded by: Betcher Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Gartin, Junck, Martin Voting nay: None Absent: None Resolution declared adopted and signed by the Mayor this 10'day of November, 2020.