TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to provide a current status update on the termination of the Rapid Medic Deployment Program for discussion.
DISCUSSION
On July 10, 2014, the Long Beach Fire Department implemented the Rapid Medic Deployment (RMD) Program as a two year pilot program. On August 25, 2015, the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, the agency who oversaw the pilot program, notified the Fire Department that the RMP program was being terminated due to significant patient safety issues and failure to meet the RMD proposal objectives and County requirements. The termination also included a condition that the department must return to the previous staffing model of two paramedics per Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance by October 1, 2015.
At the City Council meeting on September 1st, 2015, City staff reported on potential budget impacts from the loss of RMD and basic next steps. At the same meeting, the City Council requested that the Fire Department provide weekly status updates on these next steps and the realignment of resources based on data. There has since been four updates. The third weekly update from Fire Chief Mike Duree, dated September 18th, 2015, states that "data provided thus far has been inconclusive as to the optimum location of each Paramedic Ambulance and Paramedic Assessment Unit (fire engine with a paramedic)," and "Therefore on October 1, 2015, the Fire Department will place Paramedic Ambulances and Paramedic Assessment Units at their respective pre-RMD (July 9,2014) locations ... "
A report is being requested to allow the City Council to receive a report from City staff on these RMD termination updates, including the inconclusive data, and evaluate the Fire Department's post-RMD deployment structure.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no significant fiscal impact for the report.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER REX RICHARDSON
NINTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBE...
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