HomeMy WebLinkAbout94-98 - Paramedic Service FeesRESOLUTION NO. 94 -98
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH APPROVING PARAMEDIC SERVICE
FEES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5.60 OF THE NEWPORT
BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized, pursuant to Chapter
5.60 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code, to establish, by
resolution, fees and charges for the provision of paramedic or
emergency medical services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach has, since 1975, maintained
and operated a paramedic service program designed to provide
emergency medical services for residents of, employees in, or
visitors to, Newport Beach; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach currently maintains two
paramedic units and also provides emergency medical services by way
of the fire engine closest to the call for service; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach, through mutual aid
agreements, provides emergency medical services to, and receives
emergency medical services from, nearby public entities such as
Costa Mesa, Irvine and the County of Orange; and
WHEREAS, General Fund revenues currently defray the entire
cost of providing emergency medical and paramedic services; and
WHEREAS, informal surveys suggest that 50a of the calls for
emergency medical services are from non - residents; and
• WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach faces significant and long
term reductions in revenue and may be forced to reduce its
capability to provide paramedic and emergency medical services in
the absence of the fees authorized by this Resolution; and
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WHEREAS, the revenue generated by the fees established by this
Resolution will defray only a portion of the actual costs of
providing paramedic and emergency medical service in the City of
Newport Beach; and
• WHEREAS, the revenue generated by the fees established in this
Resolution wiii be used solely to maintain and enhance the City's
ability to provide paramedic and emergency medical service within
Newport Beach and in neighboring jurisdictions pursuant to mutual
aid agreements.
WHEREAS, the Fire Department has had 15 months of experience
in the administration of the Paramedic Fee Program, and is desirous
to make these changes to improve administration of the Program for
the membership.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City
of Newport Beach as follows:
SECTION 1: Purpose. This Resolution establishes a paramedic
service fee program. The basic concept of the program is to
establish reasonable charges for the provision of emergency medical
services and to allow residents and businesses to receive these
services at a greatly reduced rate through subscriptions. The fees
and charges authorized by this Resolution will help defray, but do
not totally fund, the costs of providing paramedic and emergency
medical services within the City of Newport Beach. The fees and
charges authorized by this Resolution shall be used solely to
maintain and enhance the City's ability to provide paramedic and
emergency medical services. In the absence of the paramedic
service fee program, paramedic and emergency medical services could
• be curtailed or eliminated given the significant long term
reductions in municipal revenue occasioned by State withholding of
property tax revenues traditionally allocated to cities and
counties.
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SECTION 2: Definitions. For the purposes of this Resolution,
the following terms shall be defined as provided in this Section:
(a) "Advanced Life Support or ALS" shall mean any advanced
life support medical treatment performed by paramedics
(EMT -P) outside of a hospital. This treatment shall
• follow the
current "Advanced
Life Support
Treatment
Guidelines"
as specified by the
Orange County
Emergency
Medical Services Agency.
(b) "Basic Life Support or BLS" shall mean any basic life
support treatment which is authorized by the State of
California Department of Health to be performed by
emergency medical technicians 1 (EMT -1) and /or paramedics
(EMT -P) at the scene of a medical emergency.
(c) "Subscription Program or Program" shall mean the plan
specified in Section 4 of this Resolution pursuant to
which members have the right to receive ALS or BLS within
the City and /or at the workplace without payment of
Normal Charges.
(d) "Member" shall mean any person eligible to participate in
the Subscription Program and for whom the Subscription
Fee has been paid.
(e) "Resident Member" shall mean any person eligible to
participate in the Subscription Program because of their
status as a resident in the City of Newport Beach and for
whom the Subscription Fee has been paid.
(f) "Business Member" shall mean any person eligible to
participate in the Subscription Program because they are
the owner, operator, employee or volunteer of a business
located in the City of Newport Beach, and for whom the
Subscription Fee has been paid.
• (g) "Subscription Fee" shall mean the annual fee, as
established by resolution of the City Council which, when
paid, entitles eligible persons to participate in the
Subscription Program and receive BLS or ALS without
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payment of Normal Charges.
(h) "Non- member" shall mean any person who is not eligible to
participate in the Subscription Program or any eligible
person for whom the Subscription Fee has not been paid.
(i) "Normal Charges" or "Charges" shall mean the fee to be
• paid by any Non - member who receives ALS or BLS within the
City of Newport Beach and the fees to be paid by Business
Members who receive ALS or BLS within the City of Newport
Beach at a location other than their workplace.
(j) "Municipal Services Statement" shall mean the bill for
water, sewer and other municipal services issued by the
City of Newport Beach on a bi- monthly basis.
(k) "Business" shall mean any corporation, partnership,
company, business, association, organization or other
entity with a workplace located in the City of Newport
Beach.
(1) "Employee" shall mean the owner, operator, employee or
volunteer of any Business who spends at least 50e of
their normal work time in the workplace located in the
City of Newport Beach.
SECTION 3: Payment for Services. Persons receiving ALS or
BLS within the City of Newport Beach shall pay the Subscription Fee
or Normal Charges as specified in this Resolution. In no event
shall any person be denied ALS or BLS because of the inability, or
failure, to pay the Subscription Fee or Normal Charges required by
this Resolution.
SECTION 4: Subscription Program.
• A. Eligibility_. The following persons shall be eligible for
participation in the Subscription Program:
(i) Persons who are permanent residents of dwelling
units in the City of Newport Beach;
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(ii) The employees of any business located in the City
of Newport Beach, provided, however, the owner,
operator, employer or volunteer spends at least 50a
of their normal work time at the Newport Beach
workplace;
(iii) Such other persons deemed eligible by
regulation promulgated by the City Manager.
B. Enrollment.
Persons eligible to be members of the
Subscription Program and who receive Municipal
Services Statements from the City of Newport
Beach shall be enrolled upon execution of a
subscription enrollment card and payment of
that portion of the Subscription Fee shown on
the Municipal Services Statement on or before
the due date shown on the statement. Persons
eligible for membership in the Subscription
Program may enroll at anytime by signing the
subscription enrollment card and paying the
annual Subscription Fee. Any eligible person
who enrolls shall become a member immediately
upon payment and the Member shall be entitled
to receive ALS and BLS without payment of
Normal Charges during the next 12 months.
Upon expiration of the 12 month period,
billing for renewal shall be automatic through
the Municipal Services' statement and
membership may continue unless terminated as
provided in Section 4(f).
• C. Member Benefits.
(i) Enrollment by one permanent resident of any
dwelling unit shall entitle the Resident Member and
all other permanent residents of that dwelling unit
to receive ALS or BLS without charge at any time so
long as the ALS or BLS response is provided within
the corporate limits of the City of Newport Beach.
(ii) Enrollment by a Business Member shall entitle the
Business Member and those employees enrolled for
• whom the appropriate Subscription Fee has been
paid, to receive ALS or BLS without charge so long
as the ALS or BLS the response is provided at the
workplace.
•
D. Subscription Fees.
(i) The annual Subscription Fee for a Resident Member
shall be $42.00 for 12 months' coverage;
(ii) The annual Subscription Fee for a Business Member
shall be $42.00 for 12 months' coverage, provided,
however, for businesses with more than the Business
Member and ten eligible employees, the annual
Subscription Fee shall be an additional $12.00 for
each additional group of up to ten employees, to a
maximum of $210.00.
E. Payment of Fees.
(i) Subscription Fees for Resident Members shall be
paid as follows:
(a) The payment of $42.00 upon enrollment or
renewal;
(b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement is
sent to the dwelling unit of the Resident
Member, the payment of that portion of the
annual Subscription Fee on or before the due
date shown on the statement.
(ii) Subscription Fees for Business Members shall be
paid as follows:
(a) The payment of the required annual
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Subscription Fees upon enrollment or renewal;
(b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement is
sent to the workplace, the payment of that
portion of the annual Subscription Fee shown
on the Municipal Services Statement on or
• before the due date shown on the statement.
F. Termination of Membership. Membership may terminate in
the event of any of
the following:
(i)
The City Council of the City of Newport Beach
terminates or modifies the Subscription
Program through rescission or amendment of
this Resolution, or a successor resolution, in
which event the City shall refund, on a
prorata basis, the unused portion of the
Member's Subscription Fee;
(ii)
Failure to pay the subscription fee on or
before the due date shown on the Municipal
Services Statement. Membership may be
reinstated if, at any time the Subscription
Fee for that Member is paid.
(iii)
The member gives written notification of
cancellation. Fees paid will not be refunded
unless written cancellation is received within
two weeks from payment of the subscription
fees.
SECTION 5: Normal Charges. The charges for rendering
emergency medical services to Non - members shall be as specified in
this Section:
(a) For emergencies requiring BLS by paramedics and /or EMT -1,
• the charge shall be $150.00 per response;
(b) For emergencies requiring ALS by paramedics, the charge
shall be $250.00 per response;
(c) These charges cover only the delivery of ALS or BLS and
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•
•
do not include the cost of emergency ambulance
transportation to the hospital.
(d) These charges shall be adjusted on July 1, 1994, and on
the 1st of July of each succeeding year to reflect the
increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index, as more
clearly specified in regulations adopted by the City
Manager, for each 12 month period (commencing April 1st
and terminating March 30th) preceding the adjustment
date.
SECTION 6: Implementation. The City Manager shall have the
authority to promulgate regulations necessary or appropriate to the
administration of the Subscription Program, the provision of
services described in this Resolution, or the billing or collection
of charges due for the provision of emergency medical services.
SECTION 7: Resolution No. 93 -11 is hereby repealed and
rescinded.
ADOPTED, this 14th day of November , 1994.
ATTEST:
City Clerk U
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