Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  25-000209

 

MEETING DATE:

05/06/25

legal entity taking action:

Board of Supervisors

board of supervisors district(s):

All Districts

SUBMITTING Agency/Department:

Health Care Agency   (Approved)

Department contact person(s):

Veronica Kelley (714) 834-7024 

 

 

Mindy Winterswyk (714) 834-5052

 

 

Subject:  Approve Extension for 911 Emergency Ambulance Transportation Services Contracts

 

      ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost:   N/A

Annual Cost: N/A

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:            

Sole Source:   No

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: $83,000

   Funding Source:     Other: 100% (Contracted Ambulance Providers)

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

 

    Prior Board Action:         1/28/2020 #15

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to extend the Contract with Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc., for the Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response Transportation and Related Services for the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, for Exclusive Operating Area A.

 

2.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to extend the Contract with Care Ambulance Service, Inc., for the Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response Transportation and Related Services for the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, for Exclusive Operating Area B.

 

3.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to extend the Contract with Care Ambulance Service, Inc., for the Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response Transportation and Related Services for the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, for Exclusive Operating Area C.

 

4.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to extend the Contract with Care Ambulance Service, Inc., for the Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response Transportation and Related Services for the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, for Exclusive Operating Area D.

 

5.

Approve Amendment No. 1 to extend the Contract with Care Ambulance Service, Inc., for the Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Transportation Services for the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, for Exclusive Operating Area E.

 

6.

 

 

Authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the Amendments with Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. and Care Ambulance Service, Inc. as referenced in the Recommended Actions above.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Approval of Amendments for the extension of the Agreement with Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. and Care Ambulance Service, Inc. will provide Provision of 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response, Transportation and Related Services for five exclusive operating areas.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

In accordance with Health and Safety Code section 1797.224, the Orange County Emergency Medical Services (OCEMS) division of the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA), is authorized to create one or more exclusive operating areas (EOAs) for emergency ambulance transport within the County.  Accordingly, OCEMS created five regions comprised of 19 cities and unincorporated areas to serve as EOAs. These regions include all adjacent unincorporated areas of the County and are integrated in their respective contiguous EOAs. In addition, OCEMS must ensure a competitive process is utilized to procure these services and furthermore, must secure approval of the competitive process by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). 

 

On January 28, 2020, your Honorable Board of Supervisors (Board) previously approved the Contracts with Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. (Emergency Ambulance), and Care Ambulance Service, Inc. (Care Ambulance) to provide 9-1-1 Emergency Ambulance Transportation Services. The current contracts expire May 31, 2025. The proposed amendments will be for a three-month extension of services from the term of June 1, 2025, through August 31, 2025, and is necessary to allow for the extension and continuation of services and release the Request for Proposals (RFP). HCA released the RFP for the replacement of these services on March 3, 2025.  

 

The proposed Agreements will allow services to be extended and continue through August 31, 2025. In accordance with the current Contract, each provider will reimburse HCA for expenses related to the monitoring and managing of the agreements.  

 

Scope of Services:

Contracted ambulance service providers provide 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance Response, Transportation and Related Services to the awarded EOA's and also perform related services which include, but are not limited to, Billing for Advanced Life Support/Basic Life Support services, Patient Satisfaction Program, Public Education, Data management and all other requirements found within the contract. The primary goal of the Services is to provide quality 9-1-1 Basic Life Support Emergency Ambulance medical care and ambulance transportation services to County visitors and residents.

 

Performance Outcomes:

Performance is in part based on the contractor’s compliance with the Response Time Standards set at 95 percent. 9-1-1 contracted ambulance providers “Response Time Compliance” is a combination of dispatch, operations, and field operations. An error in one phase of operations (e.g. ambulance dispatch, system deployment plan, ambulance maintenance, etc.) is not the basis for an exception to performance in another phase of operations (e.g. clinical performance or response time performance). Response Times shall be measured in minutes and integer seconds and is “time stamped” by the contractors’ computer aided dispatch systems. The standards include two code priorities and three geographical EOAs that will be used for response time monitoring, reporting, and compliance purposes. From Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2023, performance outcomes were affected by COVID-19 with increased 911 responses, sick EMS workers, closed EMS education programs, EMS equipment shortages, etc.

 

 

Emergency Ambulance Service

Region A

Care Ambulance 

Service

Region B

Care Ambulance Service

Region C

Care Ambulance Service

Region D

Care Ambulance Service

Region E

FY 2020-2021 Response Time Compliance  

97.3%

96.8%

96.6%

97.8%

97.1%

FY 2021-2022 Response Time Compliance  

96.8%

93.3%

90.8%

91.6%

91.4%

FY 2022-2023 Response Time Compliance 

96.8%

93.0%

91.2%

92.9%

92.7%

FY 2023-2024 Response Time Compliance 

97.5%

96.6%

96.1%

96.5%

96.4%

FY 2024-2025 Response Time Compliance (July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024) 

96.8%

96.2%

96.0%

96.6%

96.1%

 

These Agreements do not currently include subcontracts or pass through to other providers. See Attachments F for Contract Summary Forms.

 

The Contractors’ performances have been confirmed as satisfactory. HCA has verified there are no concerns that must be addressed with respect to Contractors’ ownership/names, litigation status or conflicts with County interest. The Orange County Preference Policy is not applicable to these amendments. 

 

These amendments are being presented for Board approval less than 30 days before the effective date due to a delay in receiving California EMSA approval of the RFP document. The approval includes an agreement extension with exclusive operating rights until August 31st, 2025.

 

HCA requests your Board's approval of the Amendments to continue to provide services in support of the OCEMS Program, as referenced in the Recommended Actions.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

Revenue from these Agreements is included in Budget Control 042 FY 2024-25 Budget and will be included in the budgeting process for future years.

 

Reimbursement from the providers will cover the County’s cost for administering the Agreements and is expected to be funded through contractor operating revenue.

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - EOA A - Emergency Ambulance MA-042-20010604
Attachment B - EOA B – Care Ambulance MA-042-20010617
Attachment C - EOA C – Care Ambulance MA-042-20010710
Attachment D - EOA D – Care Ambulance MA-042-20010714
Attachment E - EOA E – Care Ambulance MA-042-20010715
Attachment F - Contract Summary Forms for Attachment A-E
Attachment G - Health and Safety Code section 1797.224