TO: Mayor Bien-Willner and Town Council Members
FROM: Brian Dalke, Interim Town Manager
Dawn Marie Buckland, Deputy Town Manager
Deborah Robberson, Assistant Town Attorney
DATE: March 14, 2019
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager
Staff Contact Dawn Marie Buckland, (480) 348-3555
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Discussion and Direction Regarding Emergency Ambulance Services Contract
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Background:
Emergency medical transports were once provided by Rural/Metro Corporation as part of its License Agreement with the Town for fire protection services. Since 2007, when the Town entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Phoenix Fire Department for fire protection services, emergency ambulance service has been provided by Professional Medical Transport, Inc. (PMT). The current contract with PMT expires on September 30, 2019.
Regulation by State. Ambulance providers are regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS). They must obtain a Certificate of Necessity (CON) from DHS, which authorizes the provision of ambulance services in a specific geographic area. Currently, there are three CON holders whose authorized service area includes the Town of Paradise Valley: 1) PMT; 2) Maricopa Ambulance, LLC; and 3) ABC Ambulance1.
Two types of ground emergency ambulance service are authorized by DHS:
1) Basic Life Support (BLS) service, where the ambulance has limited equipment and pharmaceuticals and is staffed by emergency medical technicians (EMT's); and
2) Advanced Life Support (ALS) service, where the ambulance is equipped with more sophisticated medical equipment, carries additional pharmaceuticals, and is staffed with at least one paramedic.
DHS also regulates ambulance rates-the fees charged to a user. These rates differ depending on whether the transport was BLS or ALS service (and also on the geographic location within the state). DHS has established a Phoenix Rate Group, and the same transport rates apply to all ambulan...
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