Productivity Committee EMSAC Subcommittee Minutes 06/09/2009 t
Sub committee EM/EMS June 9: Underlined text suggested by Laura Davisson 6/15/09
Attending: Randy Greenwald, Keith Teague, Chuck Bacon, Sherry Pryor, Laura
Davisson, Larry Magel, Jeff Page, Artie Bay, David Stedman, John Torre, Constance
Muray Dan Summers, Janet Vasey, Gina Downs,
Funded one of the units. Down three units and funding for current vacancies. What are
priorities from EMS? What is lowest priority? Jeff: As far as units, would reinstate units
based on documentation from Dave Steadman re: number of calls, etc. Looking at that
point IF we lose two units (isleof Capri and ave maria), would probably go back to
existing stations we had in 2001 and do we need to shift units? Find best locations.
Janet? If you got all three of your units back, could you operate with current vacancies?
Jeff: Yes, we would be fine. Janet: IsleofCapri, still have ALS unit there, would it be
accommodated with no impact? Jeff: Would have to work it out with chief Rodriguez.
Would have to take his firefighter out of the zone with the swap. Dan Summers says
there are impacts to other funds if you do that. Doable but still a shift. Janet: If you put
an EMS person on that shift,? Jeff: It is still an exchange. Janet: Would it be less
impact than Ave Maria? Jeff: No, Ave Marie is biggest impact. He would pull Ave
Marie first and Isle of Capri second. Assume units are put up in order they are needed,
then Ave Maria would be first to be pulled. Drill down ONCE we know what number of
units will need to be pulled. Dan Summers: Difference in type of calls and reason for
call volumes. Seasonal patterns at Marco do have impact. Thinks Jeff needs flexibility.
If 1.5 mill from the zoo money, would like to see the money come back to EMS.
Larry: If Governor signs bill to keep services from charging for calls, how will it impact
your department? Answer: Not at all.
Page 5, performance measures. Medical flights is 400, so why do you assume 450 for
2010? We see a lot of automatic increases that don't seem founded.
Jeff: Law requires a written mutual aide agreement, which we do not yet have. When
we do, we may have to provide services to east coast, and other counties that prior to
this may have been picked up by east coast services. Larry says number of flight hours
have not increased . Dan Summers: Hate the word administrative flights. Do NOT use
the aircraft for ANY photo op, etc. Admin. Flights are maintenance,
Jeff will get back to Larry about increase in 50 hours of admin. Flights times.
Janet: Have one unfilled position, and one on admin. Duties. Still have one unfilled.
Can you make do with only one employee (pilot) coming back. One from job bank pilot.
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Jeff: problem with job bank pilot usage, they are not always up to speed. Have
concerns about safety issues/best service. Currently have two pilots off on leave.
When they come back on, it will reduce the need for job bank pilots. Chief pilot will
occasionally back fill vacancies. He will take on duties like any other line pilot To
anticipate the reduction, they will be able to covered
Dan: Pilot coming back from Iraq is a huge priority. Current fliers need stabilization.
Have pressed them hard . Janet: Who will you give up when pilots on leave come back?
Janet: Out of 160K, what do you need back for one pilot? Answer 90 to 100K.
Probably closer to 100K.
The Iraq pilot position is unfunded. It could be ANY position, not necessary that one
particular person/pilot.
Jim: Ambulance services are billed? How many are collected? Collecting about 50%
after contractural write off such as medicare. About $200K less is anticipated being
collected in 2010. Jeff: Haven't had a rate increase in two years. Have the option of
asking the board for rate increase. Other counties have done so. If collections go
south, may have the option of asking for a rate increase. Billing is higher than medicare
pays so they have to accept only what medicare pays. Jeff: When you have a rate
increase, collections decrease.
Feels as though collections have finally stabilized.
Leasing ambulances: Still interested? Is it in the budget for the leasing? Yes, lease for
one ambulance is in the budget.
Janet: That keeps you operations? Jeff: Should be fine if proposed budget is accepted.
Is it a lease to buy? Answer: Yes.
Dan Summers:.
This department came up further but EMS did not come up as much.
Medical examiner took a big chunk out this year. Forestry guys did not do incremental
increase over the years, so this year, it was a huge chunk increase.
Says that is part of the state decision.
Janet: Medical examiner still needs x-ray machine? Yes. Electricity? Utility costs are
up. Prefer to keep bodies separate in coolers. Can pile them up into one but with
infectious disease , it is better to separate cadavers. Challenge this year was to finally
(about 2 years ago) to rework ozone and ionization and odor control for autopsy suits
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and th general public areas. That takes more electricity to run Not doing it out of
convenience. Had to meet particular national standards. There will another review with
FPL. She has a generator which she is required to have. IF eligible for load
management from PL, she may be able to reduce electricity costs. Dan: MAY NOT
want to do load management with FPL because it may reduce emergency needs should
they arise.
Working cases with Lee County, for example, prevents ability to send x-rays back and
forth. Still using courier to run xray. Feels they need digital xray machine ASAP. She
is looking for used equipment (off lease). Electricity is only 10K. Janet feels it is a no
brainer.
23.5% decrease assumed in fire districts but that is not the case now. As far as
Goodland, millage has been set at rollback rate. Any additional would go into reserves.
It is a very small amount. District one is at the max. millage rate — 2 mills, which is
.0294 below the rolled back rate.. East, Golden, Capri, Ochopee when it increases a
little bit, it is divvied up to those four stations.
Isle of Capri is not at its cap. Have brought them up to 1.9 and their cap is 2.
Reserves are better funded next year.
At tax neutral, there is a millage cap increase. All are at or below the rollback rate
because property values are decreased.
Operating expense went up drastically. Says it is mostly grant funding that comes in
after budget. There is a corresponding spike in revenue, as well. This is not related to
grant funding, but rather the expenses incurred and subsequent FEMA/insurance
reimbursements related to Tropical Storm events.
Talked about appropriating reserve money to make available in event of emergency.
That has been done. 003 Fund for $50K has been moved from reserves to a line item
emergency disaster fund.
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