Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1058 Resolution• i, RESOLUTION NO. 11658 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PASCO AUTHORIZING THE FIRE CHIEF TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR MUTUAL AID FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION. WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Pasco has reviewed the proposed Mutual Aid Agreement between the City of Pasco and the South Central Washington Region consisting of Kittitas , Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that said Agreement is in the best interests of the City of Pasco and wishes to enter into the same, NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASCO DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The Pasco Fire Chief is hereby authorized and directed to enter into the Mutual Aid Agreement for Emergency Medical Services between the City of Pasco and the South Central Washington Region and the Counties in the South Central Washington Region, as attached hereto and by this reference incorporated herein. Section 2. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect after its passage as required by law. PASSED by the City Council and APPROVED this 16 day of November , 1976. Attest• Leo Olney, City Clerk Approved as to Form: <Z?a'--1 j , 'y Patrick T. Roach, City Attorney Z Jan idrick, Mayor 9"W" �ae.S�iuicea 'I SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION 1005 GOETHALS, RICHLAND, WASHINGTON 99352 TELEPHONE (509) 946-6708 October 1, 1976 T0: John Hager, Pasco FirerChief FROM: Marjorie O'Connell, EIS Planner Enclosed is a copy .of the mutual aid agreement which has been endorsed by the Mid—Columbia EMS Council. This same agreement has also been endorsed by the regional EMS Councils in the North Central (Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan Counties) and the Eastern (Spokane, Lincoln, Grant, Asotin, Garfield, Whitman, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Orielle Counties) EMS regions. It -is expected that the Walla Walla— Columbia County EMS Council will endorse it at a later date. The Yakima FMS Council has not formally expressed itself on mutual aid agreements although the ambulance operators in this county have expressed willingness to!sign this type of agreement. In considering the agreement it should be noted that: 0 it is not legally binding but it fulfills the requirements of the Emergency Medical Services Act of 1973, Public Law 93-154+ 0 it states in writing what is now being actually done by ambulance operators. 0 it is a baseline agreement which does not preclude you entering into more sophisticated types of agreements with adjacent ambulance services in your area. The requirement for mutuA aid agreements was originally designed to enable a rural area with only one ambulance to seek assistance for emergency patients from another nearby rural area when its ambulance was temporarily unavailable. This intent broadened to include all ambulance operators in a region or state in order to better ensure continual availability of services to the emergent patient. 0 the agreement is applicable to emergency patients only. 0 an ambulance operator may decline to provide services outside his normal service area when it is not feasible for him to respond. 0 manpower and equipment are not moved to the requesting service area; assistance is given only in response to a specific emergency request. 0 the first.page expresses the philosophy and intent of the agreement; subsequent pages contain the body of the agreement. Zae 6ae# Xed4eaeSQ o&w SOUTH .CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION 1005 GOETHALS, RICHLAND,, WASHINGTON 99352 TELEPHONE (509) 946-6708 6a Should you have any questions about the agreement or its connotations, please do not hesitate to call me. I have retained the original copy but will bring that to you when a decision is made on signing. We are asking that all operators Sign the original so that a copy of the agreement with all signatures can be sent to each ambulance service at a later date.... Please let me know.if you wish.additional copies of the agreement for study by members of the City Council. NAS PURPOSE AND INTENT- The "Emergency Medical Services Act'.of 1973", Public Law 93-154 states requirement XV as follows: "Provide for the establishment of appropriate arrangements with emergency medical services systems or similar entities serving neighboring areas for the provision of emergency medical services on a reciprocal basis where access to such services would be more appropriate and effective in terms of the services available, time and distance." Although mutual aid agreements are not legally binding on the signatories the requirement expresses. a philosophy and intent: 0, to provide ambulance service in support of emergency care to seriously ill or injured pre—hospital patients. 0 to enhance the potential for response in areas where the providers of ambulance services have not previously established written mutual aid agreements. 0 for one provider service to share available resources with another provider service, when requested and feasible in order to provide optimum and responsive pre—hospital care to all citizens, irrespective of city, county and state boundaries. The basic philosophy is humanitarian in that the participants in mutual aid agreements signify their individual and collective interest in assuring aid and transport will be provided the seriously ill or injured person as rapidly as possible. It is understood that this agreement is applicable to aid and transport for emergent patients only and not to -the routine transport of nonemergent patients. GENERAL INTENT MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT For SOUTH � CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION (Kittitas, Yakima, Benton,Franklin,.Walla Walla and Columbia) WHEREAS, an Emergency Medical Service in the South Central Washington Region or in a contiguous Emergency Medical'Service area may occasionally have an I ambulance out of commission or otherwise may be unable to provide for the total emergency medical needs of their communities, and WHEREAS, it is the intention of each emergency medical service in,South Central Washington to be available to respond to all calls for emergency medical care without prior inquiry as to ability to pay, and WHEREAS, it is lawful and in the public interest to form a Mutual Aid pact that establishes a method whereby contiguous emergency medical services provide supplementary assistance to'each other when conditions necessitate,.and WHEREAS, such mutual aid is reasonable -and such agreements are permitted under the terms of RCW 38..52.090, and WHEREAS, mutual aid agreements previously developed to cover communities during military attack or natural disaster shall supercede this document in case of „ such major disaster, and WHEREAS, these emergency medical services see themselves as part of the Emergency Medical Services System in the South Central Washington Region, the State of Washington, and contiguous areas, it is to the advantage of the people in 'South Central Washington in terms of the best plan for patient care, that these emergency medical services lend mutual aid and assistance to one another in time of need. NOW, THEREFORE, in recognition .of the.benefits of forming a Mutual Aid pact, the undersigned emergency medical services agree as follows: . The requesting party: 1.) Assumes no responsibility for payment of services. 2.) Assumes no responsiblity for payment for loss of equipment or repairs or damage to equipment if such loss or damage be incurred in requesting party's behalf provided however, not withstanding the foregoing language, in the event there is any damage or destruction of any equipment or injury to any person proximatley caused by requesting party's negligence' or in negligence of any agent or employee of requesting party, then, in that event requesting party shall be responsible for such damage or injury and shall and does hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless lending party as to any such damages or injury.. 3.) Shall request assistance from another emergency medical services when it is unable to provide for the total emergency medical needs of its community either die to equipment breakdown, insufficient manpower or unusual situations requiring multiple ambulances. The responding party: 1.) Shall use normal billing procedures for its services. I 2.) Shall respond to a call for aid from any other service within its general geographical area so long as it is prudently feasible to do so, and so long as its designated service area isnot left unprotected during the time mutual aid•might be rendered. 3.) Shall respond to any .incident declared a man-made or natural disaster in accordance with.•County disaster plans. 4.) Shall expect .to'receive mutual aid when it is the requesting party. All Parties: � 1 .1..) Agree that transfers or referrals between initial hospital and receiving ,hospital shall be done by emergency medical services which have an adequate* number of ambulances and emergency medical technicians to ensure that its community is not left unprotected during said transfer. 2.) Agree to review and re-evaluate this agreement at least once a•year. Any other agreements that may be in effect at this time between various services listed shall remain in -effect at the option of those -services. It is understood that this is a General Intent Mutual Aid Agreement, that is not legally binding, however, the underlying intent of providing care to the .emergent patient is understood and will govern the agencies involved accordingly. WITNESS THEREOF,'the undersigned agree that this document -shall take effect immediately -upon signature of the designated agencies. Benton County Fire District # 2 Ellensburg Ambulance Service Walla Walla Fire District.7 5 Franklin County Fire District # 2 Kittitas Hospital District.# 2 Kennewick Fire Department College Place Ambulance Service ! Tri -City Ambulance Century Ambulance Servicesco Fire Departmerlt McIntosh -Ball Ambulance Co. 'American Ambdlance �I Franklin Count Hospital Dist. #1 Y P Richland Fire Department Columbia Coun y mbulance Colonial mbulance Service continued ,1 �� •• ^.... �a.