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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMin_99Aug18_wksp• City of Falcon Heights City Council Notes on the Rescue (EMS) Workshop August 18, 1999 Mayor Gehrz began the workshop at 7:05 P.M. Councilmembers present were Hustad, Kuettel, Jacobs with Councilmember Gibson Talbot arriving at 7:15PM. Mayor Gehrz explained that the workshop was an information gathering opportunity for the council and the public. The first part of the workshop would involve describing the ambulance services responding to emergency medical calls in the city and the second part would be a review of the financial projections on the future of the rescue (EMS) fund from the city auditor. TERMS: EMS Emergency medical services ALS Advanced Life Support ambulance with paramedics BLS Basic Life Support ambulance with emergency medical technicians EMT Emergency medical technician Mayor Gehrz asked Administrator Hoyt to present the decision that the council • was considering. Adminstrator Hoyt explained that the Falcon Heights basic life ambulance (BLS)/emergency medical technicians (EMT) service served the city as the responder to 911 calls for medical emergencies. In 1997 the city's medical director wrote that the city needed an advanced life support (ALS) paramedic service to respond from the 911 call. St. Paul currently provides the ALS service and Falcon Heights the BLS service. With the decrease in calls for service and transports for the BLS service, the Falcon Heights BLS service cannot support itself. Since the BLS service is designed to operate as a self- supporting business, the city council must decide whether to continue the BLS service in addition to the ALS service provided by St. Paul at a cost to the city or to have St. Paul ALS/paramedics respond to all medical calls in Falcon Heights and charge the patients' for the service. Chief Huisenga, EMS chief for St. Paul Fire, answered several questions about how the ALS/paramedics are trained and respond to emergencies. Tim Butler, Communications Director for St. Paul, explained the dual dispatching currently used for the ALS/paramedics using a series of cards determining symptoms which result in a dispatch. Both Chief Huisenga and Mr. Butler said that the dispatch system is designed to dispatch in the direction of the most possible medical care needed on the emergency scene. Lieutenant John Ohl, St. Anthony Police Department, explained that the police • are dispatched to medical emergencies and typically arrive within less than two minutes. They are trained as first responders to the scene. • City Council Workshop Notes August 18, 1999 Page 2 Falcon Heights Fire Chief Kurhajetz of 1733 N. Hamline Avenue answered questions about training and how the city provides its BLS service. .Chief Huisenga and Mr. Butler were asked questions by the council and by members of the audience including Assistant Fire Chief Sheltie Marvin of 1818 West Larpenteur Avenue, Mr. Jim Stock of 1818 West Larpenteur Avenue and Mr. Joe Martinez, 1717 Fry Street. Several questions dealt with whether or not Falcon Heights BLS/EMTs could be dispatched to medical emergencies that required medical procedures like IVs, comby tubes and other medical that EMTs can do or do with specific certifications in order to decrease the number of times the ALS/paramedics would need to be dispatched to a medical emergency and increase the responses for the BLS service with the idea that this would provide for more BLS transports and revenue and, therefore, keep the BLS service financially stable. Mr. Stock of 1818 West Larpenteur Avenue asked why the mayor had the agenda for the workshop included representatives of the emergency medical services providers. Mayor Gehrz explained that although those in the room were familiar with the city's EMS system that questions had been raised in the public • and, therefore, it was time to go over this information in a public format for citizens. Ms. Jennifer Thienes, the city auditor from Kern DeWenter Viere, reported the analysis of future trends in the rescue fund as an enterprise fund. The four year analysis demonstrated a continued loss over the four years resulting in a continued depletion of the retained earnings and cash balance in the fund. Ms. Thienes explained that the assumptions behind the analysis assumed there would be no capital purchases over four years. Ms. Thienes explained that from an auditor's perspective the city council was behaving responsibly to address a fund that was experiencing a serious loss over time rather than waiting until there was a deficit that required support from other city sources. Ms. Thienes explained that the city created the fund as an enterprise fund in 1990 because it wanted it to be supported through user fees. She said that frequently cities used enterprise funds to run operations like liquor stores to raise revenue for other city expenditures. Assistant Chief Sheltie Marvin asked several specific financial questions about the auditor's findings which Ms. Thienes responded too. Mr. Martinez, 1717 Fry Street, raised questions about the possibility of increasing the number of BLS runs by creating more EMT - I dispatch opportunities, hence more money for the BLS service through charges for transport. Mr. Butler said that the dispatch protocols could be discussed with the medical directors and • review of records could be made. Chief Huisenga, who is a member of the State Emergency Medical Systems Board (EMSB) said that adding another layer of 2 • City Council Workshop Notes August 18, 1999 Page 3 dispatch which would require an EMT with special training would complicate the system further and would create a greater risk that the wrong service would be sent. He also said that many procedures that EMT with certifications are allowed to do need to be done in an ALS ambulance. Finally, he said that the State EMS Board was carefully evaluating the EMT - I programs to determine how they fit into the emergency medical service and that this would add a layer of dispatching that might create a greater risk in dispatching the appropriate level of care for the patient to the scene. Mayor Gehrz thanked the participants for coming and for asking questions to help the council evaluate this issue. She said that the council would make a decision on the BLS service on September 1, 1999. ctfully submitted, Sus n Ho t City Administrator y • 3