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Home My WebLink About2019-176 Council ResolutionCITY OF LINO LAKES RESOLUTION NO. 19-176 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE CITY'S POSTION REGARDING AMBULANCE SERVICE CHANGES. WHEREAS, the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB) is empowered to regulate and assign a Primary Service Area (PSA) for all ambulance services in the State of Minnesota; and WHEREAS, current law and rules do not require local jurisdiction approval for changes to an ambulance PSA; and WHEREAS, changes in ambulance services impact emergency medical services delivered to a local jurisdiction's residents; and WHEREAS, local jurisdictions first response agencies are a vital member of emergency medical services; and WHEREAS, any changes to ambulance services in local jurisdictions may require a local jurisdiction to change response protocols resulting in budgetary impacts for the local jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, the residents of the City of Lino Lakes has experienced long response times for ambulance service over the last several months. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Lino Lakes, Minnesota does hereby state its support for the following: 1. Request that EMSRB Board find that the June 1, 2020 change in ambulance service for the PSA that covers the City of Lino Lakes does meet the requirement set out in MN 144E.14 to require a new application as set out in MN 144E.11. 2. Continue to support legislative changes, as outlined in City of Lino Lakes Resolution 19-07, that would require local approval for any changes in ambulance services. 3. Direct staff to research avenues to make application to the EMSRB to provide ambulance service for City of Lino Lakes. Adopted by the Council of the City of Lino Lakes this 9 day of Dec 2019. The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was introduced by Council Member Manthey and was duly seconded by Council Member Stoesz and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof: Manthey, Stoesz, Rafferty, Maher, The followingvoted against same: nne ATT • S7 T: � Bane -or �uli me Bartell. Cityerk CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM 4A STAFF ORIGINATOR: John Swenson, Public Safety Director MEETING DATE: December 9, 2019 TOPIC: Resolution 19-176 Establishing the City's Position Regarding Ambulance Service Changes VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 INTRODUCTION The City of Lino Lakes has been notified that on June 1, 2020 our ambulance service provider will change. In an effort to properly prepare for this change and address increased ambulance response time staff is working to engage the regulatory authority and involved ambulance providers to ensure high quality ambulance services are delivered to our community members. BACKGROUND During the 3rd Quarter Public Safety Update on November 4, 2019, staff updated Council on impending changes to ambulance service providers that will take effect on June 1, 2020. MI-lealth Fairview provided staff this notice but provided no other information regarding service delivery. Ambulance service within Lino Lakes has been an on -going conversation with the topic being discussed at the January 7, 2019 Council Work Session and January 14, 2019 Council Meeting. During the January 14, 2019 Council Meeting. Resolution 19-07 was adopted by the Council. This resolution stated its support for legislation that requires local municipal approval. During the 2019 legislative session House File (HF) 1364 and Senate File (SF) 2136 were introduced, but neither piece of legislation was given a hearing in the House or the Senate. Both pieces of legislation would require local approval for any changes to ambulance service providers. Also noted during the 3rd Quarter Public Safety Update were several ambulance calls for service that are of concern for staff. Those calls noted during the presentation and those occurring after the presentation are: • 9/27/2019 —personal injury crash on interstate — 37 minute ambulance response time • 10/4/2019 — serious gun shot — 17 minute ambulance response time • 10/20/2019 — a fifteen (15) month old child with difficulty breathing — 22 minute ambulance response time • 10/22/2019 — altered state of consciousness — 24 minute ambulance response time • 11/19/2019 — stroke — 26 minute ambulance response time • 11/22/2019 — cardiac arrest — Deputy Director L'Allier assisted the transport of this patient and noted the EMT driving the ambulance did not know how to get to Regions Hospital Our staff have also noticed that Allina Ambulance has been responding to calls in our City more frequently due to North Ambulances being unavailable to respond. Public Safety Director Swenson attended the EMSRB Executive Board Meeting on October 22, 2019 and the EMSRB Board Meeting on November 21, 2019. At these meetings the state law and process for ambulance transfer of license (name change) or ownership change were discussed as part of the impending changes in our ambulance PSA (Primary Service Area). At this time the EMSRB Board has not rendered a decision as to whether the ambulance service change in the PSA that covers Lino Lakes is change of ownership or simply a transfer of license (change of naine). This distinction will determine what path the EMSRB conducts to evaluate with the impending change in ambulance providers in our PSA. The statutory language that outlines the Transfer of License process is contained in Minnesota Statute 144E.14. This statute also provides details that would require EMSRB Board to determine the change is not a transfer of license but rather a change in ownership requiring a new application process. Details on the new application process is outlined in Minnesota Statute 144E.11. It should be noted that no public input would be accepted if the EMSRB Board determines the change is simply a transfer of license. As cited in MN 144E.14, if the EMSRB Board determines that "the proposed transfer would result in an addition of a new base of operations, expansion of the service's primary service area, or provision of a new type or types of ambulance service, the board shall require the prospective licensee or owner to comply with section 144E.11." The process would require public hearings on the proposed changes if more than five (5) written comments opposing the application are received by the EMSRB Board. Staff from the Anoka County Dispatch Center (ACDC) contacted Public Safety Director Swenson to express their concerns of the impending change of ambulance service in our PSA. Public Safety Director Swenson and Deputy Director L'Allier met with ACDC staff on November 27, 2019. ACDC staff explained the role of ACDC regarding dispatching of medicals throughout Anoka County and the role of Emergency Medical Dispatch Centers as secondary dispatch center. In Anoka County all medical calls for service throughout the County are answered at the ACDC to get emergency responders dispatched; this call is then transferred to a secondary dispatch center that are trained and certified to provide "pre -arrival" information as well as gather more detailed information that can be shared with the ambulance that is responding. In Anoka County all ambulance providers operate a secondary dispatch center / emergency medical dispatch center. Because ACDC staff are not trained or certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers, nor is the Anoka County Dispatch Center staff to perforn this function, all ambulance providers in Anoka County must operate a secondary dispatch center / emergency medical dispatch center. At this time ACDC staff, nor do we know, if MHealth Fairview Ambulance Service meets this requirement. During the December 2, 2019 Council Work Session, Staff provided Council with potential options available to the City to work toward improving the current level of ambulance service and ensuring ambulance service after June 1, 2020 meets community standards. RECOMMENDATION Approve the Resolution 19-176 establishing the City's position regarding ambulance service changes. ATTACHMENTS City of Lino Lakes Resolution 19-176