For City Council Meeting [May 11, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Acting City Manager
FROM: Brian Park, Interim Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to Approve the INLAND COUNTIES EMERGENCY MEDICAL AGENCY ("ICEMA") ALS Provider Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Body
BACKGROUND
The Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency (ICEMA) has had its Emergency Medical Services Plan for emergency responses approved by the California Emergency Medical Service Authority (Cal EMSA) six times since 1999, most recently in 2013. In 2017 ICEMA submitted its EMS Plan for approval and this plan was rejected by Cal EMSA in October 2020. Cal EMSA claims that the EMS Plan failed to include an "agreement" between the Fire Department and ICEMA.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
ICEMA has filed an appeal of the Cal EMSA rejection of the EMS Plan and a hearing is expected on June 24, 2021 before the Office of Administrative Law.
There are seven other fire agencies that are in the same situation as the Rialto Fire Department due to the lack of an "agreement" with the ICEMA: Colton, Redlands, Ontario, Barstow, Chino Valley Fire, and Cal Fire-Highlands and Cal-Fire Yucaipa.
There was a Joint Defense Agreement entered into with other similarly situated San Bernardino fire agencies affected by the EMS Plan rejection to evaluate status, available options and potential solutions to maintain the status quo. The eight legal counsels have had several meetings attempting to seek resolution, get the EMS Plan approved and avoid litigation on this matter.
The eight fire agencies and ICEMA have agreed on the language of a MOU to serve as an "agreement" being requested by Cal EMSA, which would satisfy the written agreement requirement in 22 CCR ? 100168(b)(4).
The MOU provides that the fire agencies contend (and ICEMA acknowledges) that the fire agencies have attained Health and Safety Code section 1797.201 rights which allow them to continue to contract for and...
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