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[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
MORNING.AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE ARE GATHERED HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET AND CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR A, UH, SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, JUNE 11TH, 2023.
IT IS NOW 1107, UH, AND THE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR 11:00 AM AND WE ARE, AS I SAID, WE'RE IN THE CITY COUNCIL.
CHAMBERS MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCE OR TELEPHONIC, UH, MEDIUMS, BUT YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND YOU WILL ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 8 1 6 9 0 9 6 7 2 3, AND THE PASSCODE OF 0 8 0 3 6 0.
AND IN THIS MEETING, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS.
AND HOWEVER, YOU MUST CONTACT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT AREA CODE 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING TO MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN OF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WILL DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWER TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS.
WITH THIS BEING SAID, WE WILL BEGIN OUR MEETING.
UH, WE'LL HAVE THE IMPLICATION.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, WOULD YOU GIVE US THE IMPLICATION FOR US, PLEASE? AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE.
YES, OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN HONOR IT.
BE DOWN THERE THAT I WILL BE DONE UP UPON OR AS HE IS IN HEAVEN.
LORD, WE ASK, I WOULD REQUEST TODAY THAT WE, UH, GIVE US THE, THE CORRECT MINDS AND, AND ABILITY AND CORRECT UTTERS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR CITIZENS IN THE RIGHT AND PROPER WAY.
ALL THESE BLESSINGS AND GRACE, AND I THANK YOU.
LET US SAY'S A PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE IN UNISON, PLEASE.
I LEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH THE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY.
WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE COURT POLICE? MAYOR BART, PRESENT.
MAYOR PROTI HAMILTON, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT.
[II.A. (1) A Presentation By Fire Chief Greg Benson Regarding The Process For The Issuance Of Permits For The Operation Of Emergency Service Vehicles (Ambulances) Within The City Port Arthur Pursuant To Chapter 114, Article II Of The Code Of Ordinances]
FOR PRESENTATIONS AND, UH, OF COURSE COMMUNICATIONS.UH, WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA A PRESENTATION BY FIRE CHIEF GREG BENSON REGARDING THE PROCESS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS FOR THE OPERATION OF EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES, WHICH ARE AMBULANCES WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER ONE 14, ARTICLE TWO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES.
CHIEF VINCENT, WOULD YOU APPROACH, PLEASE? GOOD MORNING, MAYOR.
MAY MAKE SURE YOUR MIC IS ON CHIEF.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO KIND OF PRESENT TO YOU THE PROCESS HERE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT GOING FOR, UM, THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR AMBULANCE PERMITTING FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO I HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION FOR YOU, AND THEN THERE'S A PRESENTATION FROM THE TWO APPLICANT APPLICANTS AS WELL.
SO THE FIRST IS REALLY WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM OUR PROVIDER? AND THAT IS REALLY TO BE PARTNERSHIPS, TO MEET STANDARDS, TO FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY AND
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WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR PEOPLE.UH, CUZ GENERALLY WHEN PEOPLE CALL 9 1 1, IT'S NOT THEIR BEST DAY.
AND THAT HAS A, UH, CASCADING EFFECT TOO IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON, BUT IT'S EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR EXPECTATIONS IS THAT THEY'D BE PROMPT AND EFFICIENT IN THEIR RESPONSE TIMES, BECAUSE RESPONSE TIME FOR WHEN YOU DO CALL 9 1 1 AND YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIME IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE THE TRAINED, UH, AND CERTIFIED STAFF, THEY HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT COMMUNICATIONS.
YOU MIGHT FIND COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE COMMUNICATIONS THERE.
THE, UH, THEY DO HAVE EXPERIENCE, AND THAT THERE IS A ALSO IN, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT, WELL, THERE IS ONE PERSON WE KNOW THAT WAS, THAT WAS PERFECT, BUT WE NEED TO ALSO IN EVERY SYSTEM LOOK TO HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS BETTER GOING FORWARD SO THAT A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, WE IDENTIFY A, A DEFICIT, HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THAT WORK FORWARD TO THAT? SOME OF THE EXPECTATIONS, PROVIDING THE NE NECESSARY NUMBER OF, UH, FULL-TIME, UH, FULLY EQUIPPED AMBULANCES TO MEET THE, UH, THAT MEET THE STANDARDS OF THE STATE, TO HAVE ALL THE, EMPLOY ALL THE PEOPLE THAT'S NECESSARY TO, UH, OPERATE THE AMBULANCES, TAKE CARE OF ALL THE LOGISTICAL THINGS, FUEL, TIRES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALSO, THAT THERE, THEY HAVE A 9 1 1, UH, DISPATCH CENTER SO THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PORT ARTHUR'S DISPATCH AND THEIR DISPATCH.
WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE ON THAT, PROVIDING TRAINING.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS TRAINING IS IT'S AN ONGOING, UH, PROCESS.
THEY ADD NEW, NEW INFORMATION, COMES OUT IN THE MEDICAL WORLD ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
AND NOW TO MEET THAT, WELL, WE NEED TO TRAIN ON SOMETHING NEW WHERE THERE'S A NEW CERTIFICATION.
THE OTHER IS TO, UH, HAVE THOSE GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, THE, THE FIRST RESPONDER ORGANIZATIONS.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER KEYS IS THAT WE HAVE, THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WHERE SOMETIMES EMS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE EYE TO EYE, I'LL SAY.
AND SOME OF THOSE, SOMETIMES THAT CAN GET A LITTLE BIT DICEY AND HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT OUT THERE IN THE FIELD.
AND THEN ON SOMEBODY'S, UH, SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
SO MAINTAINING THE, THE CERTIFICATIONS, ENSURING THAT THEY'RE COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES, AND THEN KEEPING THE CITY INFORMED OF CHANGES THAT THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING THROUGH POLICIES, PROCEDURES, OR WHATEVER THE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT THAT WOULD HAVE ANY KIND OF A, AN IMPACT ON US SO THAT WE DON'T GET CAUGHT OFF GUARD, BUT WE ARE MADE AWARE THAT, OH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE THIS.
WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, WHATEVER THAT ALL LOOKS LIKE.
SO IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE.
OH, OUR, OH, CURRENT STATE OF, UH, OUR EMS, UH, KADIAN IS A CURRENT EMS, UH, TRANSPORT PROVIDER.
THEY'VE BEEN IN THE CITY SINCE 2006.
THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN, UH, LOUISIANA.
THEY ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST PRIVATELY OWNED EMS COMPANIES OUT THERE.
DID A LITTLE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE TERM BENCHMARKING, BUT WE DID A LITTLE BENCHMARKING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE, WHERE DO WE, WHERE ARE WE AT IN RELATIONS TO OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS? SO WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THESE, UM, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS CITY.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY, WE'VE GOT SIX OF 'EM HERE, BUT THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 13 THAT WE, THAT WE LOOKED AT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE RESIDENTIAL POPULATION, AND THIS IS ALL BASED OFF THE US CENSUS, AND THEN ALSO THE, THE SIZE
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OF THE CITY.SO WE HAVE, FOR PORT ARTHUR FIRE, WE HAVE 1.3 PERSON, UH, FIRE PERSONNEL PER SQUARE MILE.
WE HAVE 20.6 CALLS, UH, PER OUR POPULATION.
THAT IS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BENCHMARKING, THAT'S THE HIGHEST OF ALL OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WERE BENCHMARKED.
0.2% OF OUR EMS CALLS COME FROM OUR POPULATION.
SO WE HAVE VERY HIGH, UH, DEMANDS FOR EMS SERVICE FROM OUR POPULATION.
AND THAT CAN BE ANY NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, REASONS FOR THAT CAN BE THE AGE, THE HEALTH STATUS, UH, ACTUALLY TRYING TO TAKE A LOOK INTO THAT SO THAT WE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE.
AND MAYBE IF WE COULD IDENTIFY, IS THERE AN AREA IN THE CITY WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WE COULD GET WITH THAT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY? AND COULD WE MAKE THEM MORE AWARE, KIND OF EDUCATE THEM, MAYBE, HEY, PROBABLY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, EXTENSION CORDS ON THE FLOOR, THINGS LIKE THAT.
OH, THE OTHER THING WITH OUR, IN OUR BENCHMARK IS WE END, WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN TOTAL FIRE LOSS OF ALL OF OUR, OF ALL THE BENCHMARK CITIES.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO, TO IMPROVE THINGS, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO LOOK AT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND WHAT, WHAT COUNSEL MAY WANT TO LOOK TOWARDS GOING FORWARD.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES OR OPTIONS, I'LL SAY, FOR, FOR SERVICES IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
UM, IF I MENTION, UH, JOHNNY AND ROY, DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHO THEY ARE? NO, NO.
IT GOES BACK TO, UH, TO THE SHOW EMERGENCY.
BACK IN EARLY SEVENTIES,
JOHNNY AND ROY WERE THOSE, THOSE TWO WHEN THEY WERE ON TV.
BUT THEN A LOT OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS STARTED TO INCORPORATE EMS INTO THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AT LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR BENCHMARK CITIES.
YOU SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PRIVATE TRANSPORT PROVIDER, SOME OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS, AND THEN SOME ARE DONE FROM A, A COUNTY PERSPECTIVE.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT MODELS OUT THERE JUST TO, UH, SHOW THIS TO COUNCIL THAT THERE ARE JUST DIFFERENT MODELS OUT THERE THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A, A LITTLE BIT OF A, A LOOK OF WHAT OCCURRED IN 2022 THAT ALMOST, YOU KNOW, 73% OF OUR INCIDENTS WERE E EMS RELATED.
NOW, IN, IN SOME RESPECTS, THAT'S EVEN A LITTLE BIT LOW BECAUSE EVEN A FIRE, WE HAVE A STRUCTURE FIRE, WE'RE GONNA NEED AN AN AMBULANCE ON SCENE.
BUT EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T GET CATEGORIZED AS AN E EMS CALL PER SE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE A, A VERY HIGH DEMAND FOR EMS HERE IN THE CITY.
SO, NOT TO BORE YOU WITH A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT JUST TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE, UH, THE STATISTICS THAT ARE, THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE, UH, PROVIDED WITH THE PERMIT FOR, UH, TRANSPORT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL REDUNDANCY AND SOME BACKUP.
SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE, THAT WE HAVE REGIONAL, REGIONAL COVERAGE, WE DO HAVE A LARGE AREA, MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT, MAKING SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASED AVAILABILITY AND LOWERED RESPONSE TIMES ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, COMPETITION CAN INCREASE EFFICIENCY IN, IN A LOT OF RESPECTS.
AND ALSO FLEXIBILITY IN, AS WE GO FORWARD.
SOME OF THE TIMELINE HERE TOO IS LOOKING AT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, PREVENTION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROACTIVE STEPS WE COULD TAKE WITH THE PROVIDER? COULD WE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT SOME OF THE HIGH RISK AREAS AND WORK WITH THEM TO REDUCE SOME OF THE, THE DEMAND.
MAKING SURE THE COMMUNICATION IS VERY WELL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT BETWEEN OUR, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THE FIELD STAFF, BUT ALSO THE, THE TWO DISPATCH AGENCIES THAT
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THEY'RE COMMUNICATING.WELL, SOMETHING MAY BE CALLED IN, THERE'S NEW INFORMATION.
IS IT GETTING PASSED BACK? WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT GOES BACK AND FORTH.
MONITORING QUALITY, UH, UH, ASSURANCE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ARE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
AND RECOGNIZING THAT THE DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING THAT HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT HAS A BIG IMPACT, UM, ON THE COMMUNITY LIFE.
AND ALSO IT HAS AN IMPACT ON WHO'S INTERESTED IN COMING TO THE CITY TO LIVE HERE AND OR TO OPERATE A BUSINESS HERE.
SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS ALL KIND OF FIT TOGETHER INTO THE, UH, UH, INTO THE PUZZLE.
AND THEN ALSO THE, THE CARE COMPONENT, KNOW, DOING A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE, THE SLIDES THAT I HAVE.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
HEY, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU, YOU SAID IN YOUR PRESENTATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT SOMETIMES DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE WITH EMS. WHAT'S SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS AND WHY THEY DON'T SEE EYE TO EYE IN YOUR OPINION? WELL, IT, SOME OF IT IS, UM, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SITUATION FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
DID WE HAVE A PERSON WHO IS, AND I'VE SEEN THIS NUMEROUS TIMES, A PERSON WHO MAYBE, UH, HAS CONSUMED SOMETHING, BUT DO THEY ALSO, DO THEY HAVE A MEDICAL PROBLEM THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON? SO SOMETIMES THOSE SITUATIONS CAN, BUT THAT'S WHERE THAT WORKING TOGETHER, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT PROTOCOLS ARE BEING FOLLOWED APPROPRIATELY IS BENEFICIAL.
AND THEN AFTER THE FACT, IN MANY CASES, TALKING ABOUT, WELL, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE, WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS BETTER OR IN THE FUTURE, LET'S LOOK AT DOING THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU ACT EXACT, RIGHT? MY BEST FRIEND HAD, UH, A STROKE.
HE WAS HAVING A STROKE, AND THE POLICE OFFICERS THOUGHT HE WAS INTOXICATED.
SO, I'M, I'M GLAD TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE YOU WERE GOING WITH EM, EMS VERSUS, UH, THE PDS.
ONE OF YOUR SLIDES WAS VERY, YOU MIC, I'M SORRY.
ONE OF YOUR SLIDES WAS VERY TELLING AND I THINK THAT, UH, IT DID SHARE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS IN NEED OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF EMS CALLS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THAT BOTH OF THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS, BOTH COMPANIES REALIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AGE OF OUR POPULATION, BUT ALSO, UM, OUR COMMUNITY, UM, NEEDS TO BE SURE THAT THERE ARE SOME HEALTHCARE ISSUES AND, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE WAY THAT, UH, WE TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND, AND, UH, ALL OF THAT, OUR COMMUNITY, UM, UH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES, BUT HEALTHCARE IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO A LARGE, UH, CONTINGENT OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE IMPETUSES FOR US HAVING A WHOLE, A HIGH AMOUNT OF CARE.
UH, AND SO, UM, I THINK, UH, THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT AS WE GO FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, I CAN SAY, IF I COULD JUST ADD THE, UH, THE ONE SLIDE, IT SHOWS THE, THE STATISTICS OF THE CALLS.
UM, THERE'S OTHER INFORMATION WHICH WE DIDN'T, DIDN'T WANNA GET TOO FAR IN, AGAIN, INTO THE WEEDS, BUT, UH, WE HAVE WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS DETERMINANT CODES THAT WE'VE STARTED TO COLLECT HERE THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
AND THOSE DETERMINANT CODES ARE WHAT IS THE MEDICAL ISSUE RELATED TO THIS CALL? AND SO THOSE DETERMINANT CODES ARE NOW BEING LOOKED AT ON A MONTHLY BASIS SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE, THE, UH, THE TRENDS OR PATTERNS, UM, SICK PEOPLE, BREATHING PROBLEMS, PEOPLE THAT FALL, AND THEN TAKING THAT ONE STEP FURTHER AND THEN GOING THAT INTO A, UH, I'LL CALL IT A GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS WHERE YOU PUT IT ON A MAP AND SEE IF THERE'S A LOT OF SICK PEOPLE IN A SPECIFIC AREA OF THE CITY, OR AGAIN,
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A LOT OF SLIP STRIPS AND FALLS IN A SPECIFIC AREA.SO TAKING THAT A NEXT STEP FURTHER AND WORKING WITH THE, THE TRANSPORT PROVIDER TO HELP TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
LET'S MAKE IT, WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER.
WE CAN BE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE, UM, TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, COULD WE ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CONCERNS IF WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS OR THEY WAIT UNTIL THEY HAVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.
UH, WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE, WHO'S MONITORING RESPONSE TIME EXISTING? I'M TALKING ABOUT AS OF THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED.
NOW, WHO'S MONITORED THAT? SO WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED A PROGRAM HERE BACK, UM, I WANNA SAY, UH, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
SO, AND WE WOULD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL NEED TO DO IS FURTHER, UH, MAKE THAT PROCESS MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, IS THAT THE PROVIDER DOES HAVE STANDARDS THAT THEY NEED TO MEET.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT MEETING THOSE, THEN YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
UM, WHO'S, MY QUESTION IS, I GUESS, LET ME, LET ME BACK UP.
IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOUR, IS, IS IT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR THE RESPONSE TIME OR ARE THEY SELF REPORTING? UH, CURRENTLY THEY'RE SELF REPORTING, BUT WE'RE ALSO MONITORING TO ENSURE THAT CONSISTENCY IS THERE.
SO THEY'RE SELF, THEY'RE STILL SELF REPORTING.
NOW WHAT, WHAT IS BEING REPORTED NOW? 9 1 1 CALLED, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA BE THERE.
ARE YOU, ARE THEY REPORTING WHEN THE, WHEN, WHEN THE AMBULANCE SERVICE ARRIVE? OR ARE THEY REPORTING WHEN THE SUPERVISOR ARRIVES? LET ME, I'M NOT SETTING A TRAP FOR YOU, BUT I ALREADY HAVE MY ANSWERS.
WE HAD, WE HAD AN INCIDENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPOND, AND I'M WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING FOR THE, THE, UH, AMBULANCE SERVICES TO COME.
THE SUPERVISOR ARRIVED 30 MINUTES LATER, THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED.
NOW, I QUESTIONED THE FIREMAN AT THE TIME WAS THERE, WHICH, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO REPORT? ARE YOU GONNA REPORT WHEN THAT SUPERVISOR ARRIVED OR ARE YOU GONNA REPORT WHEN THE AMBULANCE ACTUALLY GOT THERE? I FOUND OUT THEY REPORTED, THE SUPERVISOR ARRIVED.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE BEEN REPORTING.
AMBULANCE ARRIVED 30 MINUTES LATER.
IT WASN'T A GOOD DAY FOR THAT, FOR THE EXISTING SERVICE CAUSE I WAS THERE.
AND ONE OF THE, WHEN THE, UH, WHEN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE WAS UPDATED LAST OCTOBER, I WANNA SAY, UM, THE MEDICAL DIVISION, WE WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND TO YOUR, THAT SCENARIO, TO YOUR POINT, THE OR, UM, THE RESPONSE TIME WON'T STOP UNTIL YOU HAVE AN AMBULANCE AND A PARAMEDIC ON SCENE.
SO IN SOME CASES, THE AMBULANCE MAY HAVE TWO EMTS, BUT THE SUPERVISOR IS THE, IS THE PARAMEDIC, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER THE, THE PERMIT OR PERMIT, UH, COMPANY'S GONNA BE IS THEY NEED TO HAVE THE AMBULANCE AND THE PARAMEDIC ON SCENE FOR THE RESPONSE TIME TO START TO STOP.
TO YOU SAYING, TO STOP OR TO START.
WELL, TO, FROM A STATISTICAL STANDPOINT, IT WOULD BE TO STOP.
BECAUSE WHEN THEY, THE AMBULANCE GET, WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE.
MY COURT, WHEN DOES THE RESPONSE TIME START? I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN THEY STOP.
OH, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS BEING REPORTED.
ARE THEY BEING REPORTED RESPONSE TIME WHEN THEY ARRIVE ON THE PARAMEDIC AND THE SUPERVISOR?
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WHEN YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN THE START TIME, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE STOP TIME.THE, THE START TIME IS WHEN THEY GET NOTIFIED, THAT'S WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS.
WHEN THEY GET NOTIFIED OF THE, THE NEED.
AND SO IT STARTS RESPONSE TIMES, IT STARTS WHEN YOU GET THAT, THAT NOTIFICATION OKAY.
TO WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR APPROPRIATE RESOURCES ON THE SCENE, GIVEN THE SCENARIO.
NOW I, I GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING NOW.
SO THAT'S, YES, THE PHONE CALL STARTS AND ONCE THEY GET THERE, IT STOPS.
AL THANKS FOR, UH, UH, THAT SCENARIO.
UM, AND THOSE ARE ALSO THE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN THEN FOLLOW UP TO FIND OUT WHY WAS THERE A, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTE, UH, UM, OR WHATEVER.
UH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, UH, MAYOR PRO, JIM.
NO, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE REGARDING, UM, THE RESPONSE TIME AND THE AMBULANCES BEING, LET'S SAY THEY HAD TO BRING SOMEONE TO THE ER.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS ONE WITH THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AT TIMES, THEY ARE LITERALLY LINED UP HELP, UM, US UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS AND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO HELP THE TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO WAIT THERE.
AND ANOTHER, UM, AMBULANCE BEING GOING OUT TO ANSWER THE FOLLOW CALL, THE NEXT CALL.
WELL, AND THAT, UM, THAT BRINGS UP, UH, A WHOLE OTHER AREA.
AND I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY FLIPPED THROUGH THE, THE SLIDE, BUT THERE WAS A SLIDE THERE THAT SHOWS SOME, SOME RESPONSE TIME STANDARDS THAT ARE DONE BY NFPA.
UM, BUT WE HAVE STARTED TO MEET MONTHLY WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.
WELL, WE, WE IN THE PAST BEEN MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVE FROM ACADIAN FOR A QUALITY ASSURANCE QA, QI, UM, MEETING.
BUT WE'VE NOW STARTED TO BRING IN A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HOSPITAL SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, WHAT THEY REFER TO THAT AS WALL TIME, WHERE THE PATIENT, THEY DON'T HAVE STAFF OR THEY DON'T HAVE A BED TO TRANSFER THAT PATIENT.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'LL CALL THIS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, IT'S ALSO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THERE THAT COME INTO THE, TO THE PLAY.
UM, SO WE'VE STARTED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT IT'S ALSO WHY, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S ALSO WHY HAVING AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF AMBULANCES AVAILABLE IS, IS IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, JUST SO YOU KNOW,
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES? HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THAT? THINGS LIKE THAT ALL NEED TO GO INTO THAT MODEL OF LOOKING AT THE EMERGENCY SERVICES SYSTEM.
SO WITH THIS SYSTEM, ARE THOSE THINGS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH, UM, OUR NUMBERS IN RELATION TO THE STANDARD? IF THERE WAS A FIVE CAR ACCIDENT? IT'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN PLAN FOR.
SO NOT TO NOT THROW IN SHADE ON, ON ANY, ANYONE.
IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND SO IF, LIKE, WHAT'S THE BACKUP PLAN? SO IF OUR, UM, POPULATION CALLS FOR, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT LET'S SAY CALLS FOR 10 BUSES, BUT WE HAD A FIVE CAR POLYP AND WE HAVE ONE EMERGENCY CENTER, SO OUR 10 ARE OCCUPIED.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, MISS, MISS BLUE HAS A HEART ATTACK AND SHE NEEDS SERVICES.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE.
WELL, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY PREVIOUSLY I'D MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS IS WE HAVE TO HAVE BACKUP AND REDUNDANCY SO THAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRAW ON MORE RESOURCES GIVEN WHATEVER THE SCENARIO IS.
UM, WE DID A, UH, A MASS CASUALTY
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INCIDENT EXERCISE HERE, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO.AND WE'RE GONNA DO MORE OF THOSE BECAUSE THE, A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT, TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED A BUS, WELL, WE COULD HAVE A BUS ACCIDENT, YOU COULD HAVE 10 PLUS PEOPLE INJURED, WHICH WE THEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BUT THEN AS YOU ALSO POINTED OUT, SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE CITY HAS, HAS A HEART ATTACK.
AND SO WE NEED TO, THAT'S WHY THIS IS, IT'S VERY DYNAMIC AND IT NEEDS TO BE TRACKED VERY CLOSELY, ENSURING STANDARDS ARE BEING MET, ENSURING THAT THE RESOURCES ARE PROPERLY ALLOCATED AND UTILIZED.
SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEING TRACKED.
BUT WHAT'S THE ACTION PLAN? WELL, THE ACTION PLAN, WHEN, WHEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DETERMINATION IS MADE WITH THE, AS FAR AS THE, UH, WHO THE PERIMETER OR PERIMETERS ARE GONNA BE, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL NEED TO GET WITH THEM AND PUT TOGETHER THAT PLAN SO THAT THERE IS CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY, AND WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, MANAGE, PROPERLY MANAGE THIS INCIDENT AS WELL AS THIS INCIDENT AND WHATEVER OTHER INCIDENTS COME IN.
UH, COUNCILMAN KEN? HEY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
LET, LET ME GO, CHIEF, LET ME GO RIGHT BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, LEWIS.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LIST OF THINGS THAT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS.
I'VE EXPRESSED THAT WITH YOU MM-HMM.
AND I, I'M VERY INTERESTED BECAUSE OF ME GETTING SO MANY PHONE CALLS ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE FOR OUR CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS RESPONSE TIME.
WE'RE SELF-REPORTING, THEY'RE REPORTING THEIR RESPONSE TIME TO YOU.
I, I WOULD IMAGINE, RIGHT? OR YOU GET THIS DATA FROM SOME INFORMATION THAT THEY PROVIDE TO YOU, BUT IS IT WHEN THE SUPERVISOR ARRIVE ON THE SCENE, THAT, THAT TIME STOP THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, WELL, THE CALL WAS MADE, FD GETS THERE, TIME DOESN'T STOP.
DOES IT STOP WHEN THE THE BUS GET THERE? OR DOES IT STOP WHEN, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS MADE EARLIER, WHEN THE SUPERVISOR GET THERE, I NEED A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT RESPONSE TIME.
CAN YOU PROVIDE THAT? THEN I CAN GO WITH THE REST OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS.
UM, SO THE, THE RESPONSE TIME, AS YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S NUMEROUS COMPONENTS.
I'LL SAY THE FIRST IS, WHAT'S THE RESPONSE TIME FOR PORT ARTHUR FIRE TO GET SOMEBODY THERE? THEN THE AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIME IS NOT UNTIL, ACCORDING TO THE NEW ORDINANCE, IT'S NOT UNTIL THE AMBULANCE AND A PARAMEDIC GETS ON SCENE.
SO, AGAIN, IT COULD BE THE AMBULANCE COULD HAVE TWO EMT BASICS IN IT, AND THE, THE, UH, UH, SUPERVISOR IS A PARAMEDIC.
SO THE RESPONSE TIME IS NOT GONNA END UNTIL, BUT IT ALSO, IN THE NEW ORDINANCE, IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR US TO REQUEST RAW DATA FROM THE PROVIDER SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE RAW DATA TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BOTH ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS THE, THE RESPONSE TIMES AND THE, THE STATISTICS.
WELL, CHIEF, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, AND I KNOW WE GOTTA CONTINUE, WE GOT THESE PRESENTATIONS, I HAVE MY, MY LIST OF THINGS.
WE'LL ALLOW THE, THE TWO, UH, COMPANIES TO DO THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
UH, MAYOR, UM, I'M GONNA RESERVE MY, MY OTHER QUESTIONS UNTIL WE HEAR THE PRESENTATION.
[II.A. (2) A Presentation In Response To The City Of Port Arthur’s Invitation To Submit Applications For The Issuance Of Permits And Operation Of Emergency Service Vehicles Within The City Of Port Arthur By: a. Viking Enterprises, Inc. dba City Ambulance Service b. Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc.]
MOVE TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S INVITATION TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AND OPERATION OF EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.WE WILL BEGIN WITH VIKING AND ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED DBA CITY AMBULANCE SERVICE, YOU APPROACH AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, PLEASE.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING COUNSEL.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OVER CITY AMBULANCE, AND I RUN ALL THE E EMS OPERATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME, I DO COME FROM, UH, A DIFFERENT STATE.
I WAS MOVED TO TEXAS AND HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO, UH, JOIN THE TEXAS CULTURE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO.
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I HAVE FUNCTIONED OVER 19 DIFFERENT STATES IN A CAN CONSULTING FASHION, AND IT'S JUST A, A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY.SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, A COUPLE OF POINTS THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF TOUCH ON IF, IF THE COUNCIL WOULD ENTERTAIN FOR JUST A MOMENT FROM, UH, FIRE CHIEF'S PRESENTATION, UH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS I PRESENT TO YOU A PRESENTATION AND A POWERPOINT SLIDE, IT DOESN'T CAPTURE THE QUESTIONS AND REALLY WHAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR NEEDS.
AND SO I WANTED TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, PRIOR TO STARTING.
AND THE FIRST IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
UM, WITH CITY AMBULANCE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE'VE STRIVED FOR IS TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS OPEN BOOKS, OPEN UNDERSTANDING AND OPEN, UH, DOCUMENTS.
UH, AND SO AGAIN, I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK ON ANY OTHER SERVICE.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND SO, UM, HERE TODAY, I WANNA GIVE YOU THAT COMMITMENT THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL GET, UH, WITH CITY AMBULANCE UNDER MY LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS OUR C O MOMA SUD WOULD BE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO OUR GPS TRACKING, AS WELL AS OUR ACTUAL LIVE CAD DATA.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL OFFER AND BE DETERMINED TO OFFER THAT TO YOU.
UH, SO I WANNA DIVE RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION IN THE, I'LL ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AFTERWARDS.
SO WE ARE CITY AMBULANCE, OUR OWN, OUR PARENT COMPANY IS VIKING ENTERPRISES.
WE OPERATE OUT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, BUT WE COVER OVER 85% OF THE STATE CURRENTLY.
YOU REALLY, UH, HOW I DESCRIBE IT IS YOU CAN'T GO TO TEXAS WITHOUT SEEING A CITY AMBULANCE SOMEWHERE.
UM, THE ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE ARE NOT IS IN PORT ARTHUR, AS YOU GUYS KNOW.
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHO WE ARE TODAY.
SO, CITY AMBULANCE, OH, YOU HAVE TO EXCUSE ME.
AS YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M A WALKER, SO YOU HAVE TO EXCUSE ME IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UH, CITY AMBULANCE ESTABLISHED IN 2006.
WE ARE FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE STATE.
WE'RE WITHIN THE TOP THREE, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, FULLY LICENSED AND CREDENTIALED AT THE, UH, MIC U LEVEL HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE DO DO CRITICAL CARE, AND WE'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
AND THE, UH, PRESENTATION, WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN HOUSTON.
WE OPERATE AND COVER OVER 85% OF THE STATE OF TEXAS NOW, UH, WHICH IS A REALLY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO GET TO SEE THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS AND CULTURES IN TEXAS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES ON IS PARTNERSHIP AND NOT VENDORSHIP.
UH, HAVING VENDORSHIP IS EASY BECAUSE YOU'RE MANAGING A VENDORSHIP, BUT HAVING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE STRIVE OURSELVES ON, IS THAT PARTNERSHIP DEDICATED TO PATIENT OUTCOMES.
UH, WE DO HAVE CQI, WHICH MYSELF, WE ALSO HANDLE THAT.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE A SAFETY REVIEW BOARD WHO REVIEWS ALL OF OUR RESPONSE TIMES AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR ACCIDENTS, ANY PATIENT INJURIES, ANY BAD OUTCOMES, OR ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED FURTHER, WE DO HAVE STANDARDS AND METRICS THAT WE DO MONITOR, AND ALL OF OUR 9 1 1 AND I FT MARKETS DEDICATED TO SERVING THE COMMUNITY.
WE DO DO 9 1 1 IN OTHER COUNTIES.
UH, THE BIGGEST THING ABOUT 9 1 1 IS MAKING SURE THAT YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND IS, IS DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY AND NOT TO JUST WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOUR COLLABORATION AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP GOES.
UM, WITHOUT GOING TOO FAR OFF ON THAT TANGENT, UM, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE POINTS THAT YOUR FIRE CHIEF, UH, MENTIONED, WHICH IS PREVENTION, INTEGRATION INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AND ENSURING THAT IT'S ONE HEALTH SYSTEM THAT'S REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND APPROACHES ALL OF THE ISSUES IN YOUR COMMUNITY FROM AN E M S STANDPOINT, WHETHER THAT BE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE, UH, WITH C COMMUNITY PARAMEDICINE, OR WHETHER THAT LOOKS INTO A DIRECTION OF PREVENTION INTO THE HOME, OR WHETHER THAT LOOKS LIKE HAVING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE THAT CAN RELATE AND COMMUNICATE AND BE TRUSTED BY YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S, WE'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WE HAVE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS OF EMS, IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A TRUST IN EVERY PROVIDER THAT SHOWS UP AT THEIR DOOR.
THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US.
WE DO HAVE 846 CLINICAL, UH, PROVIDERS HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
OUR DISPATCH STATION IS LOCATED, OUR PRIMARY ONE, WHICH WE BOUGHT ABOUT, UH, YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UH, IT IS LOCATED IN SPRING, TEXAS.
UH, IT DOES HAVE CAPABILITIES TO COMMUNICATE 800 U HF, VHF.
UH, IT ALSO HAS THE CLEAR TRANSPARENCY ON THE BACKEND THAT ANY OF OUR
[00:40:01]
PARTNERS CAN GO IN AND, AND SEE OUR GRID CAN SEE WHAT OUR TRUCKS ARE DOING, WHERE THEY'RE AT, AS WELL AS IT'S INTEGRATED INTO OUR GPS SYSTEM.THAT GIVES YOUR DISPATCH CENTER, YOUR 9 1 1 S, THE ACTUAL LIVE FEED OF WHAT OUR TRUCKS ARE DOING, HOW FAST THEY'RE GOING, WHAT THEIR CAMERAS LOOK LIKE, WHAT ARE WE SEEING WHEN WE GET ON THE SCENE, THAT IS ALL AVAILABLE TO YOU.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE DO HAVE CRITICAL CARE, UH, WHICH OUR CRITICAL CARE UNITS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR MIC CCU UNITS.
MIC CCU UNITS IS A SPECIALIZED TRAINING.
UH, CRITICAL CARE IS ACTUALLY A BOARD CERTIFIED F P C C C P C, UH, WHO PROVIDES KINDA HIGHER LEVEL MORE INTENSE, UH, PROCEDURES.
UH, WITH THAT YOU HAVE AN A L S, WHICH IS WHAT MOST 9 1 1 SYSTEMS ARE, WHICH IS A PARAMEDIC AND AN E M T.
UM, AND THOSE WILL TYPICALLY CAN HANDLE 95 TO 99% OF ANYTHING THAT'S THROWN AT THEM.
IT'S THAT RARE OCCASION THAT YOU DO NEED THAT.
UH, WE DO PROVIDE 9 1 1 FOR MULTIPLE, UH, COMMUNITIES.
AND AS YOU SEE THERE, THAT IS THE VIKING ENTERPRISE'S, UH, LEADERSHIP.
THIS IS KIND OF THE MAP OF WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE, UH, HERE IN THE, UH, STATE OF TEXAS.
AS YOU GUYS CAN TELL, WE DO GO ODESSA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BORDER.
NOW, UH, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AS AN EXCLUSIVE PROVIDER UP THERE, UH, WHICH COVERS ABOUT A 17 COUNTY RADIUS, UH, WHERE WE'RE SEEING PATIENTS COME IN.
UM, WE DO HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT AND ME MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH GALVESTON, UH, COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN HELPING SOME OUTTA U T M B THERE AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE BIG HUBS IN AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, AND ODESSA.
THOSE ARE ANOTHER BIG, UH, ADMIN OFFICES.
THOSE ARE WHERE WE STATION OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS.
AND THEN OUR REGIONAL SUPERVISORS ARE ON THE GROUND AND IN THE FIELD INTERACTING WITH OUR CREWS AND INTERACTING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, THESE ARE WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU.
WHO AND WHAT AND ARE YOU NEEDING AT THAT TIME? SO WITHOUT GOING TOO FAR INTO THIS, 9 1 1 TYPICALLY FALLS UNDER THE ALS UH, CAPABILITIES.
UH, DEPENDING ON YOUR SYSTEM AND WHAT SERVICES ARE NEEDED AFTER THE EVALUATION OF KIND OF YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE EVALUATION OF YOUR LEVEL OF ACUITY MAY DRIVE THOSE PROTOCOLS TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT MARKET.
OUR BLS LEVEL IS MADE UP OF TWO EMTS.
UH, ALS IS ONE EMT, ONE PARAMEDIC.
C C T IS A C CCPC OR FPC, AND ANOTHER PARAMEDIC AND AN EMT.
UH, WE DO DO ECMO TRANSPORTS, UH, AND WE ALSO DO, UM, IMPALAS AND BALLOON PUMPS.
THIS IS THE CURRENT BREAKDOWN OF WHERE WE ARE AT, UH, IN THE STATE.
UH, WE HAVE IT AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE, HOUSTON IS A PRETTY HEAVY, UH, REGION.
IT'S OUR LARGEST REGION THAT WE SERVE, WHICH IS VERY BENEFICIAL FOR YOU BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONTINGENCY PLANS, UH, THAT GOES INTO BEAUMONT, THAT GOES INTO, UM, YOUR HOUSTON TRUCKS THAT GOES TO PEAK TIME TRUCKS BEING SHIFTED AND MOVED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET ALL THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AMBULANCES WE DO HAVE.
TYPE TWO IS NORMALLY OUR MOST FREQUENTLY HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL USED RIG.
UH, IT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT, IT'S THE LOWEST COST TO OPERATE.
AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS TO THOSE UNITS, BUT THEY ARE GOOD UNITS.
UH, MOST PRIVATE PROVIDERS ARE GOING TO THESE UNITS.
TYPE THREE IS YOUR TYPICAL BOX THAT YOU SEE OUT IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY WHEN YOU SEE, UH, YOUR BIG, UH, TV SHOWS IN HOLLYWOOD.
UH, AND TYPE ONE IS A TRUCK FRONT WITH A BOX BACK.
UH, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS, WHICH ARE THE BIG FREIGHT LINER FRONTS, UH, OR THE BIG CA UH, COYOTES.
UM, WITH THIS, UH, GROUND TRANSPORTATION, WE HAVE NO REAL CLINICAL LIMITATIONS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CURRENT WAY.
WE OPERATE UNDER AN ALS PROTOCOL, AND THEN WE ALSO OPERATE UNDER A CRITICAL CARE PROTOCOL AND WITH A CRITICAL CARE PROTOCOL THAT KIND OF EN FEEDS, UH, OR EMBEDS A LOT OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES IN WHAT WE CAN DO TO REALLY EXTEND WHEN YOU'RE IN A RURAL AMERICA A PEDIATRICS.
UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE, UH, PRIVILEGED PROVIDERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, U T M B WITH ALL THEIR PEDIATRIC CARE NEEDS.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS, UH, ON A CONTRACT FOR SOME MORE, UH, PEDIATRIC CONTRACTS CURRENTLY, BUT THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION SAID WE WANNA REALLY FOCUS THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE ONE MEDICAL DIRECTOR WHO ONLY ADDRESSES ADULTS OR JUST EMERGENCY MEDICINE.
SO WE HIRED ON AND BROUGHT ON ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO AN ACTUAL, UH, PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST MEDICAL, UH, DIRECTOR.
SALIL CHITNIS, AND HE'S ACTUALLY A DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFIED PIM AND PEDIATRIC, UH, UH, PHYSICIAN
[00:45:01]
BARIATRIC CAPABILITIES.WE DO HAVE DIFFERENT BARIATRIC UNITS, UH, AND EACH OF OUR REGIONS, THEY CAN TRANSPORT UP TO 1200 POUNDS.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AS WE'VE SEEN, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HAS REALLY TAKEN A TURN.
UH, IT'S REALLY CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, RATHER THAN INTERVENTION FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, NOT SAYING THAT EITHER DON'T HAVE THEIR PLACE, THEY BOTH HAVE THEIR PLACE AND CAN LIVE VERY MUCH IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH.
SO THE EXPECTATIONS HERE AT CITY AMBULANCES, YOU WILL HAVE DIRECTOR INVOLVEMENT.
YOU WILL BE INVOLVED WITH OUR DIRECTOR ON A DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY BASIS.
ARE DIRECTORS ALWAYS AVAILABLE IN THAT REGION AS WELL AS MYSELF, YOU'LL HAVE MY CELL PHONE NUMBER AS WELL AS OUR CEO'S, CELL PHONE NUMBER, UH, AND DIRECT CONTACT MONTHLY DATA AND STATISTICS WILL BE PROVIDED AS REQUESTED.
ALL OF OUR 9 1 1 SERVICE PROVIDERS TYPICALLY DO NOT, UH, HAVE TO REQUEST INF INFORMATION FROM US, OR, SORRY, OUR 9 1 1 CONTRACT.
UH, DO NOT HAVE TO REQUEST INFORMATION FROM US BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THE INFORMATION, BECAUSE THEY CAN GO IN THE BACK AND PULL THEIR OWN REPORTS OR WHATEVER.
UH, THEY WANT TO REVIEW FOR THAT TRANSPARENCY.
UM, DAILY ACCOUNTABILITY AND AVAILABILITY.
UM, WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN FOR FEEDBACK AS WE KNOW.
WE ALL HAVE OUR DOWNSIDES AND WE ALL HAVE OUR AREAS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE.
THE DIFFERENCE IS, IS WE SEE AND, AND STRIVE TO BE PERFECT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING.
PERFECTIONS NOT ABLE TO BE MET, BUT WE STRIVE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT YOU ONLY MEET THE MARK IF YOU STRIVE FOR PERFECTION EVERY DAY FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
THE LAST ONE IS WE DO HAVE A FULL-TIME PATIENT ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY REALLY WORK WITH THE PATIENTS EVEN AFTER DISCHARGE.
SHOULD IT BE A PRIVATE PAY, SHOULD IT BE SOMETHING WITH INSURANCE NEEDS, GOES TO APPEALS AND SO FORTH.
ALSO, THAT PATIENT ADVOCACY TAKES ACTIVE COMPLAINTS, LIVE COMPLAINTS, AND RUNS THEM THROUGH, UM, TO MY OFFICE DIRECTLY SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED BY THE REGIONAL DIRECTORS.
UH, EVERY COMPLAINT IS INVESTIGATED AND IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT ON THE TABLE.
UH, WE'LL MEET, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE FINDINGS ARE.
PLEASE TELL US IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS CUZ WE ARE NOT PERFECT AND YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMUNITY.
IN CONCLUSION, FULL-TIME AVAILABILITY TO CONTACT WITH AND FOR YOUR CITY AND FOR OUR TEAMS, UH, WITH OUR MEDICAL DIRECTORS, BOTH OUR PEDIATRIC AND OUR ADULT MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
AND YOU HAVE FULL-TIME ACCESS TO YOUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP, THE VICE PRESIDENT, THE CEO, THE CFO, ARE ALL AT YOUR BECK AND CALL.
UH, LAST YOU WILL HAVE A LIAISON WHO WILL MENTOR AND, AND WORK TOWARDS THAT COLLABORATION IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CITY AMBULANCE IN 18 SLIDES WITHOUT TAKING TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, AND SO I WANNA OPEN IT UP IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF, UH, OR IF I CAN DO ANYTHING, UH, AND RESPOND TO ANYTHING TO HELP.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS ON.
UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU MENTIONED HAVING 9 1 1 SERVICES.
PLEASE TELL ME HOW LONG YOU ALL HAVE BEEN PROVIDING 9 1 1 SERVICES AND IF I FOLLOWED YOU, IT WAS BEING OFFERED IN GALVESTON IN HOUSTON ON THE SPREADSHEET, I MEAN ON THE PRESENTATION IT SAID JUST SEVERAL COUNTIES, BUT WHICH CORRECT.
COUNTIES OR WHICH CITIES IN THOSE COUNTIES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, AREAS THAT WE DO IS WE DO A LOT OF BACKUP INTO THE CIPFA ES D 11 AND TO THE HOUSTON MARKET.
WHAT IS E S D? UH, THAT'S THE EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT.
UH, THEY WOULD BE THE GOVERNING BODY OVER THE 9 1 1 FOR SPRING.
AND THEN WE ALSO BACK UP HOUSTON FIRE ON BARIATRIC NEEDS.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME CONTRACTS WITH ST.
JOE'S THAT INTERFACES WITH F D.
WE ALSO DO UPTON COUNTY, AND CURRENTLY WE'RE IN TRINITY COUNTY.
AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU DO THE BACKUP, CORRECT, IT MEANS THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THEIR CURRENT PROVIDER ISN'T AVAILABLE OR NEEDS ASSISTANCE? CORRECT.
SO IN THE ESD 11, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FLEET.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE THE BARIATRIC CAPABILITIES.
THAT'S WHERE WE SEE MOST OF OUR REQUESTS TO.
SPRING AND HOUSTON, UPTON COUNTY, WE'RE THE FULL PROVIDER.
AND IN TRINITY COUNTY, UH, IF, UH, CURRENTLY THE NEWS IS QUITE LARGE RIGHT NOW, BUT UH, THEY CURRENTLY DID NOT HAVE AN E EMS PROVIDER.
AND SO WE ARE FULFILLING THAT VOID FOR TRINITY AND UPTON.
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AND DO YOU, UM, SO YOU MENTIONED BEAUMONT, TEXAS, YOU ARE PROVIDING BACKUP TO WE ARE DOING I FT AND BEAUMONT.SO THOSE ARE MIC U LEVEL TRUCKS THAT PROVIDE, UH, I FT TRANSPORTS FROM HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL, TYPICALLY FROM BEAUMONT TO HOUSTON.
CAN YOU BE CLEAR ABOUT THE ACRONYMS? OH, SORRY.
IF FT IS INNER FACILITY TRANSPORT.
SO THAT IS FROM A HOSPITAL TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL.
IF THEY CANNOT RECEIVE CARE AT A HOSPITAL AND NEED TO GO TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF CALLS THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER I F T OR INNER FACILITY TRANSPORTS.
SO HOW MANY COSTS, LIKE, LET, LET REPHRASE THAT QUESTION.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU HOW MANY, UM, I HEAR THE, THE EXPERIENCE IN THE BACKUP.
I HEAR THE EXPERIENCE IN THE I F T, BUT FOR MS. BLUE HAVING A HEART ATTACK FOR A THE SAME SCENARIO THAT I GAVE TO CHIEF CORRECT.
DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT? YES.
UH, WEST TEXAS IS, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC, UH, AREAS TO HAVE A 9 1 1 CONTRACT.
UH, BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN WHICH YOU COVER, ONE AMBULANCE MAY HAVE A RESPONSE TIME OF, YOU KNOW, 20 MINUTES.
UH, AND THAT'S JUST DUE TO THE LOCALITY OF WHERE THEY LIVE.
UH, AND SO CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE NOTHING NEW TO US, ESPECIALLY, UH, AS WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
UH, WE JUST RECENTLY HAD A BUS ACCIDENT.
UH, ACTUALLY IT WAS YOUR EXAMPLE, UH, IN TRINITY COUNTY THAT PULLED, UH, FIVE TRUCKS TO TRINITY COUNTY JUST HERE RECENTLY, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH.
AND MYSELF COMING FROM FIRE, UH, AND EMS, UH, PRIOR TO MY TENURE HERE AS WELL AS FLIGHT MEDICINE, UH, THAT IS, UH, MY BACKGROUND.
AND THE SERVICES WITH THE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF IT'S AN MOU OR A CONTRACT, BUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND WOULD YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE PATIENTS TO THAT LOCATION? SO YOU CAN TAKE ANY PATIENT TO THAT LOCATION.
UH, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING OF CONTRACTS AND MOUS, YOU'RE SPEAKING OF I F T CONTRACTS AND MOUS.
UH, 9 1 1 PROVIDERS, UM, OF COURSE, UH, UNDER A FEDERAL REGULATION, AN ER WHO ACCEPTS CMS SERVICES OR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE THOSE PATIENTS.
THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS ON BEAUMONT, HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN BEAUMONT? WE HAVE NOW BEEN IN BEAUMONT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
UH, HOW MANY UNITS YOU HAVE THERE? UH, WE HAVE FOUR UNITS THERE, CURRENTLY 4, 4, 4 FULL-TIME.
AND THEN WE HAVE PEAK UNITS THERE AS WELL.
UH, THE 9 1 1 IS, IS IT, UH, SERVICE, ARE Y'ALL ON A ROTATION BASIS OR WHAT, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO THEY HANDLE THE 9 1 1? YES, COUNCILMAN.
SO AS I SAID TO MAYOR PROTE, UH, BEAUMONT IS A HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL OPERATION.
UH, THEY HAVE ALL THE CAPABILITIES AS A 9 1 1 UNIT, BUT THEY DO NOT CURRENTLY BACK UP BEAUMONT, UH, BEAUMONT CITY.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE AN MOU WITH THEM OR A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT WITH THEM CURRENTLY.
UH, BUT CURRENTLY THERE ARE THOSE FOUR UNITS, UH, 24 7 IN THAT MARKET THAT THEN WOULD BE PULLED HERE AS WELL.
THEY ARE STAFFED WITH AN E MT AND A PARAMEDIC MINIMUM.
SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT? SO WE DO THE I F T AS MAYOR TEMP, UH, KIND OF EXPRESSED.
SO WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH, AS, UH, WITH THE HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL AND THE FREE STANDING ER, UH, MARKET THERE AS WELL.
UH, ON YOUR, ON YOUR AMBULANCE, DO YOU PAY ONE FEE TO BEAUMONT OR DO YOU PAY A FEE PER AMBULANCE? SO IN BEAUMONT HOW IT WORKS IS YOU, YOU DO HAVE TO LICENSE AND PERMIT EACH AMBULANCE.
AND SO WHAT YOU DO IS YOU SUBMIT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THEN PER AMBULANCE HAS A FEE AS WELL.
HOW MUCH IS THAT FEE? TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP FOR YOU.
WHAT ABOUT THE TRANSFER? THAT'S WHAT MOST OF YOU ALL ARE AFTER THE TRANSFER, THAT'S WHERE THE BIG MONEY IS, THAT'S WHERE THE BIG BUCKS ARE? THAT IS CORRECT.
UH, COUNCILMAN, SO, WELL, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PORT ARTHUR.
I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO TRANSFER, TO TRANSFER FROM A NURSING HOME TO A HOSPITAL.
UH, YOU GOT A FEE THEN THE TRANSFER 'EM BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL BACK TO THE NURSING HOME IS, THAT'S ANOTHER FEE.
SO A UNSUBSIDIZED SYSTEM, UH, THAT IS, IS WHAT YOU WOULD
[00:55:01]
LOOK AT IS IF THE CITY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN AN UNSUBSIDIZED SYSTEM? SOMEBODY ELSE GONNA PICK UP THE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, EXPLAIN THAT.SO, UH, THERE ARE MANY, I MEAN, THERE'S HUNDRED SCENARIOS I, I COULD EXPLAIN TO YOU AND, AND THE CONTRACTS OF 9 1 1, BUT YOU DO HAVE SOME CITIES AND COUNTIES WHO OPT TO PAY FLAT RATE FOR AN AMBULANCE TO BE DEDICATED TO THAT COMMUNITY.
SO THEIR CITIZENS NEVER SEE A BILL.
UH, AND SOME REGIONS, UH, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE USE AND UTILIZATION OF AIR, UH, MEMBERSHIPS FOR THAT AS WELL, UM, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT WHEN IT'S UNSUBSIDIZED, THAT MEANS THE, THE GENERATED REVENUE IS CREATED OFF OF PATIENT TRANSPORT, SIR.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY, UH, AMBULANCE SERVICES DIFFERENT COMPANIES ARE IN BEAUMONT? YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I BELIEVE THERE'S THREE CURRENTLY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, QUESTION WITH A CITY ABOUT 60,000 PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, LIKE YOU STATED EARLIER, UH, WHEN THEY'RE IN USE AND THEY'RE TAKING UP TIME AT A HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME OR WHATEVER, THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THOSE 9 1 1 CALLS THAT YOU MAY ENCOUNTER, WE MAY ENCOUNTER IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO I WAS IN A SITUATION WHERE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A BUS AVAILABLE TO SERVICE A FRIEND THAT WAS RIDING WITH ME, THAT WAS GOING THROUGH AN EPISODE, A SEIZURE.
SO I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMON PERSON, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS AND CONTRACTS, UH, THE UNDER MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING.
BUT I'M NOT, I'M ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UH, HOW COULD, OR WHAT COULD YOU DO OR YOUR COMPANY DO? BECAUSE FOR ONE WE DON'T HAVE, WOULD YOU PROVIDE A SUBSTATION HERE IN PORT ARTHUR? YES, WE WOULD.
UM, BECAUSE I'M SEEING THAT YOU WHAT HOUSTON REGION 75 WE'RE BE ASSIMILATED IN THE REGION OF HOUSTON.
BUT I WANT TO KNOW IN OUR JOB AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND LEADERS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ENSURE THAT WE PROTECT PORT ARTHUR.
I UNDERSTAND YOU GOT OTHER CITIES, OTHER COUNTIES.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO AT PORT ARTHUR.
SO IF PORT ARTHUR PERMIT IS, IS GRANTED, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A STATION HERE IN PORT ARTHUR WITH A LEADERSHIP TEAM AS WELL.
AND ATTACHED TO THAT IT WOULD BE A SUBSTATION, WHICH THEN WOULD REPORT, OF COURSE, CORPORATE IS IN HOUSTON, BUT IT WOULD BE YOUR PORT ARTHUR OPERATION.
AND HOW DO YOU, DO YOU RESERVE BUSES? UH, SO I, I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GUIDING YOU IN A DECISION, UH, AND BEING VERY CONSCIENTIOUS OF YOUR, YOUR, UH, NEXT DECISION THAT YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE, I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION, UH, BUT I BELIEVE IN A SYSTEM LIKE PORT ARTHUR, UH, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS THAT THE FIRE CHIEF HAS EXPRESSED, OR I BELIEVE, UM, IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, UH, SOMEONE WHO HAS RAN MULTIPLE COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, UH, IT WOULD BE MY GUIDANCE THAT YOU MANDATE A MINIMUM DEDICATED UNITS TO JUST 9 1 1.
THAT THEY ARE NOT DOING THE IFTS AND THE DISCHARGES FOR A MARKET OF SUCH SIZE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT YOU ON THE RECORD, UH,
YOU GOT THOSE STARS ON YOUR COLLAR.
SO, UH, UM, SELF-REPORTING, AND MAYBE I MISSED THIS, BUT HOW DO YOU SELF-REPORT TO OUR FIRE CHIEF OR SO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE? ARE YOU IN YOUR COMPANY IS IN COMPLIANCE TO CORRECT WHAT WE AGREED UPON? YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THAT.
I BELIEVE IT STARTS WITH TRANSPARENCY AND GIVING AC DIRECT ACCESS TO OUR ACTUAL CAD SYSTEM.
UH, OUR CAD SYSTEM GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE BUSINESS PARTNERS.
YOU, YOU SAID CAD SYSTEM? YEAH, OUR CAD, OUR, UH, CAD CAD.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE DISPATCHING, UM, SYSTEM THAT WE USE.
UH, IT'S COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS CAD.
UH, BUT WITH IT WE HAVE THAT CAPABILITY TO GIVE THE FIRE CHIEF OR HIS, HIS DESIGNEE THAT ACCESS TO ACTUALLY REAL TIME SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND THIS IS A REPORT THAT WE'RE PULLING.
AND THEN ALSO OUR GPS SYSTEM IS DIRECTLY TIED TO OUR CAD SYSTEM, WHICH THEN GIVES THEM DIRECT LIVE FOOT, LIVE FOOTAGE AND LIVE FEED OF WHERE OUR UNITS ARE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
ARE THEY ON A CALL? HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN ON THE SCENE? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE 'EM TO GET THERE?
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HOW LONG DID IT TAKE 'EM TO TURN THEIR WHEELS TO HEAD THERE? WAS THERE ANOTHER CALL THAT THEY WERE ON THAT THEY GOT CLEARED TO GO TO THAT DID THEY GET DIVERTED? I THINK THOSE ARE ALL REALLY BIG POINTS OF TRANSPARENCY WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A DECISION AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S SUCH A LARGE DECISION OF SUCH.AND YOUR RADIO INTEGRATION, IS THAT YOUR CAD SYSTEM THAT, DOES THAT COME WITH A COST IF THE CITY CHOOSES YOU? LIKE YOU'VE BEEN WITH BEAUMONT FOR TWO YEARS, DID THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT INTEGRATION AT RADIO INTEGRATION WITH YOUR SYSTEM? NO.
OR HOW DOES THAT GO? NO, SO THERE'S NO FEE TO IT, SIR.
SO OUR CAD SYSTEM, WE, WE PAY A SET RATE FOR THAT, RIGHT.
UH, FOR OUR ORGANIZATION TO USE THAT AND THAT FEE DOES NOT GET PASSED ON TO, TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
HOW WOULD, UM, I DO BEST IN SCENARIOS.
UM, IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WAS A NINE ONE ONE CALL AND YOU ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN AND YOU'RE UP NEXT FOR 9 1 1, HOW, HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK? IF WE HAVE TWO SERVICES, THREE SERVICES, HOW DOES BEAUMONT DO IT WITH THREE AMBULANCE SERVICES AND THEM BEING ON ROTATION? SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT MAYOR PROTE CUZ I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT PUSH MY, UH, PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL THOUGHT PROCESS ONTO YOUR IMPLEMENTATION.
I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, IN MY OPINION, I NEED TO RESPECT THE FIRE CHIEF AND, AND HIS DECISION AND THAT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WHEN I CONSULTED WITH THE CITY OF DETROIT, UH, WHEN THEY HAD THEIR BIG BANKRUPTCY AND IT WAS, WE BROUGHT THREE OR FOUR PROVIDERS INTO THE SYSTEM AND SAID, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED FOR THE SYSTEM.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, HONESTLY, THE CITY DID NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITIES AT THAT TIME TO AFFORD TO CONTINUE TO HIRE SWORN PERSONNEL.
THAT'S WHERE, WHAT SITUATION WE WERE IN.
AND SO WHAT IT DONE WAS IT INTEGRATED THE GPS OF EVERY SERVICE INTO THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM AND THEN THEY DISPATCHED THE TRUCKS AND THE CITY OF DETROIT BASED OFF OF HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO THE CALL.
UH, AND SO IT'S BASED OFF OF GPS METRICS.
WHO GETS THE CALL? WHOEVER IS THE CLOSEST, IF YOU'RE IN THE SAME SPOT, WHOEVER IS THE CLOSEST AND WHATEVER GPS SAYS IS THE CLOSEST.
CLOSEST IS THE CREW AND THE TRUCK.
ARE THEY BOTH IN THE TRUCK, ARE BOTH CREWS.
AND THE TRUCK HAS ONE OUT OF THE TRUCK AND THE TRUCK IS OFF AND GPS HAS SHOWN ME THAT THE TRUCK IS OFF AND THEY'RE IN WENDY'S, UH, OR THE TRUCK IS ON AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE IN THEIR, THEIR UNIT READY TO GO.
UM, AND THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT IT WILL SAY, WELL HEY, I DESERVE THAT CALL CUZ MY CREW WAS RIGHT THERE.
BUT THE REALITY IS, DOES A CONSTITUENT GET THE LEVEL OF CARE THAT THEY DESERVE AND THE RESPONSE TIME THAT, THAT I BELIEVE IS YOUR RIGHT AS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, DID YOU GET AN ACCURATE RESPONSE TIME FOR YOUR EMERGENCY AND DID YOU GET A CREW CAPABLE, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMERGENCY? AND REALLY AT THAT POINT, POLITICS HAVE TO GO OUT THE WINDOW.
YEAH, I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD, BUT IN REALITY THEY DON'T.
SO IT WOULD MAKE ME EXTREMELY LEERY FOR, UM, A A CALL TO BE ANSWERED ON A HUMAN BEING'S DISCRETION.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WOULD INTEGRATE THE GPS.
SO IT'S NOT A HUMAN DECISION, IT'S AN AUTOMATED DECISION CREATED OFF THE CAD SYSTEM.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOUR LIGHT STILL JUST ONE UH, QUESTION.
UH, IT'S AN OBSERVATION, REALLY? YES SIR.
SO YOU, WHY YOU'RE HERE IS OBVIOUSLY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNDERSERVED AND YOU SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET YOUR COMPANY.
SO IT'S GOTTA BE, YOU CAN MAKE A PROFIT HERE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S UNDERSERVED.
I THINK THAT'S, AND COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION CUZ I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE MAKING DECIS DECISIONS FROM AN ELECTED POSITION.
AND SO WHY WE ARE HERE IS BECAUSE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR THE PORT ARTHUR, WHICH WE DO SEE
[01:05:01]
IT TO BE A VERY ADVANTAGEOUS BUSINESS DECISION.UM, WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE DO PROVIDE SUPERIOR SERVICES AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN, UH, SERVICE YOUR COMMUNITY AND SERVICE IT TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR EXPECTATION.
AND IF THERE IS EVER ANY CHANCE THAT WE CANNOT OR WE FALL SHORT, THAT THERE IS COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP FOR REC FOR RECONCILIATION QUICKLY AND NOT BASED OFF OF, OF, UM, POST-INCIDENT COMPLAINTS.
COUNCILMAN THERE, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? THERE IS, THERE IS A LOT OF INSURED, UM, IN INDIVIDUALS IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU THANKING, APPRECIATING MY RESPONSE.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'LL NOW HAVE A KATIE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE IN COOPERATION.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, VERY REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT FOR ARCADIAN AMBULANCE, I OPERATE THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND HOUSTON MARKETS.
BUTCH HOME 37 20 CORLEY BEAUMONT, BEFORE WE START OUR 20 MINUTE PRESENTATION, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL ASKED DID NOT GET ANSWERED.
YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS THOSE NOW OR YOU WANNA COME BACK TO 'EM? IT'S ON YOUR WELL.
NO, YOU GOING DO THE PRESENTATION? WE BOTH GOING, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
YEAH, YOU ALL ARE GOING TO DO IT THEN, THEN WE'LL TALK.
SO, UH, JUST SOME BRIEF HISTORY ON ACADIAN IN PORT ARTHUR.
WE DID START OPERATIONS IN 2006.
UM, ACTUALLY SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND PORT ARTHUR WERE OUR ENTRY INTO THE TEXAS MARKET IN THAT YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL EMPLOYEES IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AREA.
SEVERAL OF THEM LIVE IN, IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VERY TENURED GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, UM, IN THIS AREA JUST SINCE WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2006.
UM, IN 2010, WE BECAME THE ONLY PERMITTED PROVIDER BEFORE THAT THERE WERE TWO OR EVEN THREE AT TIMES, CORRECT? YES.
UM, AND SO WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN THE ONLY PERMITTED PROVIDER SINCE 2010.
UM, IN THOSE 16 YEARS WE'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE RESPONDED TO 250,000 CALLS AND IT'S ABOUT 15,500 CALLS A MONTH ON AVERAGE.
THIS GRAPH THAT YOU SEE HERE IS A COMPLIANCE TREND LINE.
AND SO WE, UM, THE COMPLIANCE STANDARDS IN THE PERMIT ARE SEVEN MINUTES AND 59 SECONDS OR LESS 90% OF THE TIME.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LINE THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE BEEN MEETING OR EXCEEDING COMPLIANCE FOR THE PAST 12 MONTHS.
THAT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO APRIL OF 2022.
UM, AND OUR AVERAGE IS 91% OVER THOSE 12 MONTHS.
UH, THE AMBULANCE STOPS THE CLOCK JUST TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS.
NOT A SUPERVISOR, NOT A RURAL RESPONSE UNIT OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S WHENEVER WE HAVE AN AMBULANCE ON SCENE.
UM, AND THAT'S IN PORT ARTHUR.
THERE ARE OTHER MODELS IN TIERED RESPONSES THAT ALLOW US TO STOP A CLOCK WITH A SUPERVISOR OR A BL S UNIT OR SO FORTH.
BUT WE DO NOT OPERATE CURRENTLY IN PORT ARTHUR THAT WAY.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE GPS TRACKING ON OUR REPORTS.
AND SO IF AT ANY TIME IT HAS THE COORDINATES ON IT THAT SHOWS YOU WHERE THE AMBULANCE IS AND WHAT TIME THEY GOT THERE, THE SPEED OF THE AMBULANCE, SO YOU CAN SEE WHENEVER THEY STOPPED.
AND THAT'S HOW WE VERIFY OUR COMPLIANCE REPORTS.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR LOCAL, UM, CAPABILITIES AND FOOTPRINT.
SO IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, WE HAVE 42 AMBULANCES.
SO FROM HERE, UM, UP TO SILSBY, YOU'VE GOT A TOTAL OF 42 AMBULANCES.
WE HAVE ONE A BUS, WE HAVE THREE SUPERVISOR VEHICLES THAT ARE, UM, TWO OF THOSE ARE 24 7 AROUND THE CLOCK SUPERVISION.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE A FLEET OF WHEELCHAIR VANS, WHICH ARE FOR AMBULATORY TRANSPORTS, UH, MOSTLY FOR NURSING HOME PATIENTS THAT NEED TO GET BACK AND FORTH POSSIBLY TO THE HOSPITAL.
UM, WE HAVE 300 EMPLOYEES IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AREA AND IN HOUSTON WE HAVE ANOTHER, UM, 200.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 500 REGIONALLY EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND WITH THAT WE HAVE 273 AMBULANCES TOTAL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
CLICKING YOUR POWERPOINT TO REFLECT.
SO, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ACADIAN HAS 273 AMBULANCES.
WE OPERATE FROM EVERYWHERE FROM SOUTHEAST TEXAS, HOUSTON,
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AND THEN WE GO OVER TO, UM, AUSTIN, DALLAS, AND SAN ANTONIO, AND AREAS AROUND THERE.AND BETWEEN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND HOUSTON, WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED AMBULANCES.
AND SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, I I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
SO THE RESOURCE CAPACITY THERE IS THERE SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO EVENTS, WE CAN RESPOND TO HURRICANES, NATURAL DISASTERS.
WE CAN ALSO, UM, SELF MUTUAL AID USING THOSE AMBULANCES BY BEING ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS BORDERS, WHICH WE DO REGULARLY FOR STAFFING PURPOSES.
UM, STAFFING IS LOW IN ONE AREA, PERHAPS FOR A REASON.
WE SOMETIMES BRING PEOPLE FROM OTHER MARKETS INTO THE MARKET, UH, TO HELP GET US OVER THAT HUMP.
UM, AND WE DO, UM, WE HAVE UTILIZED THE ABUS, UM, HERE LOCALLY AS WELL AS DONE, YOU KNOW, EVACUATIONS FOR HURRICANES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF IN THE PAST.
SO I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH PORT ARTHUR.
SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PORT ARTHUR EDC AND PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, ACADIAN HAS HOSTED EMT SCHOOLS IN THE PAST FOR CITIZENS AND ARE WORKING TO SCHEDULE ADDITIONAL CLASSES IN THE FUTURE.
WE MAINTAIN OUR NATIONAL EMS ACADEMY IN THE AREA AND, UM, WE HIRE, WE HAVE HIRING PROGRAMS FOR CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE 16 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
THE LOCAL TEAM OF CATON AMBULANCE HAS SUPPORTED LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES IN VARIOUS WAYS, AND THOSE INCLUDE COLLABORATIVE TRAINING AMONGST PORT ARTHUR AGENCIES ON VARIOUS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS DURING FREE STANDBYS FOR LARGE FIRES OR LARGE SCALE EVENTS.
AND ALSO RECOGNIZING FELLOW FIRE, POLICE AND DISPATCH TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAVE ASSISTED ON MEDICAL CALLS.
ALSO, THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF A CADEN BELIEVES THAT WE SHOULD DO MORE THAN JUST EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD COM, WE SHOULD MAKE COMMITMENTS TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
AND CADEN HAS CONTINUED TO MEET THIS COMMITMENT TO BRING EDUCATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE BEING OFFERED CURRENTLY BY CADEN TO ALWAYS HIRE MORE PORT ARTHUR CITIZENS IS CURRENTLY WE ARE OFFERING 12 ECA CLASSES A YEAR.
WE'RE DOING ONE A MONTH, WE'RE DOING SIX EMT CLASSES A YEAR.
AND WITH THOSE, WE'RE OFFERING FREE TUITION AND PAID WAGES FOR CITIZENS TO BECOME ECAS.
THEY CAN SIT THROUGH THE CLASS AND GET PAID AND NO TUITION.
THE PARAMEDIC CLASSES WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING FOUR YEAR, AND THAT'S A TRADITIONAL AND ACCELERATED CLASSES, THE TUITION ASSISTANCE AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FOR EMT AND PARAMEDIC PROGRAMS. THE RECENTLY WE HAVE MET WITH PORT ARTHUR ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO, PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION.
STARTING NEXT YEAR, THEY WILL OFFER AN EMT CLASS FOR THE SENIOR STUDENTS THAT WANT TO TAKE THAT CLASS, AND THEY WILL UTILIZE ONE OF THEIR FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS TO TEACH IT.
AND WE WILL HELP OUT BY HAVING ADJUNCT GUEST SPEAKERS TO HELP TEACH THAT CLASS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE MET RECENTLY WHERE LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR WILL BE STARTING AN EMT CLASS AT LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR DOWNTOWN TO THE CITIZENS.
SO WE'RE GOING, WE'LL GEAR ONE CLASS FOR SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THE SECOND CLASS AT LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR, WHICH WILL BE STARTING, WILL BE FOR ANY CI ANY CITIZEN WANTS TO START THAT.
THEY WILL HAVE A FULL-TIME LAMAR INSTRUCTOR FOR THAT.
BUT THEY HAVE ASKED US TO HELP BE GUEST SPEAKERS AND HELP GET THAT PROGRAM STARTED.
SO ALSO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE HAS BEEN A FOUNDATION OF ACADIAN FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT TRADITION IN PORT ARTHUR FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
DURING THE PAST 16 PLUS YEARS, ACADIAN HAS DONATED HUNDREDS OF HOURS ANNUALLY TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR FREE STANDBYS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
ALL RIGHT, SO I WANNA TOUCH ON OUR DISPATCH CENTER.
SO OUR DISPATCH CENTER IS LOCATED IN BEAUMONT ON CORLEY STREET.
UM, IT'S IN THE SECOND FLOOR OF OUR MAIN OFFICE THERE.
UM, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
WE HAVE 40, 40 EMPLOYEES AND THEY ALL HAVE EMD CERTIFICATION.
ALL OF THE DISPATCHERS HAVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH CERTIFICATIONS.
UM, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S STRATEGICALLY LOCATED TO WHERE IT'S A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE GULF AND ANY POTENTIAL THREAT OF A STORM, SIR.
SO WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FLOODING TO THAT BUILDING.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ROLL THAT TRANS ROLL THAT ENTIRE COMMUNICATION CENTER OVER TO ONE OF OUR OTHERS.
SO WE CAN ROLL IT TO AUSTIN, DALLAS, OR LAFAYETTE.
AND THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS WE CAN NOT HAVE ANYBODY IN THAT BUILDING.
[01:15:01]
WE CAN HAVE THE PERSONNEL THEN MOVED, OR WE BRING ANOTHER PERSONNEL FROM THOSE AREAS TO ANOTHER DISPATCH CENTER.AND EVERY PHONE CALL DISPATCH WOULD TAKE PLACE THERE IN THE EVENT OF SOME CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
UM, WE ALSO OFFER THE ABILITY TO PORT ARTHUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TEMPORARILY USE OUR COMMUNICATION CENTER IF NEED BE.
IF THE 9 1 1 CENTER HERE GOES DOWN, WE HAVE THREE CONSOLES IN THAT COMMUNICATION CENTER DEDICATED FOR THEM.
TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF OUR, UM, CAPABILITIES, UH, CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORT.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED CRITICAL TRANSPORT MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
UH, AND WHAT THAT IS IS IT'S THINGS LIKE VENTILATORS, IV PUMPS, VERY ACUTE PATIENTS, UH, BEING TRANSPORTED, TRANSPORTED MOST OF THE TIME FROM A HOSPITAL TO ANOTHER FACILITY FOR CARE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING THAT THOSE CRITICAL CARE PARAMEDICS GO THROUGH.
AND AGAIN, THEY ALL HAVE A DEDICATED MEDICAL DIRECTOR WITH THEIR OWN SET OF PROTOCOLS.
UH, WE DO BARIATRIC TRANSPORTS, WHICH, UM, IS A RAMP.
UH, IT'S A WINCH IN A RAMP SYSTEM FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE TOO HEAVY CUZ WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PATIENT AND FOR OUR CREWS.
UM, SO YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT ON A, ON A REGULAR STRETCHER.
AND THEN NEONATAL, NEONATAL AND PEDIATRIC TRANSPORTS WE DO FOR HOSPITALS, UM, WHERE WE TRANSPORT THE BABIES WITH A NICU TEAM OR A PICU TEAM MOST OF THE TIME.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY'RE IN THE, UH, INCUBATORS FOR THE BABIES.
AND THEN THE PEDIATRIC TRANSPORTS, UM, ARE JUST TRANSPORTED.
ALL RIGHT, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
ONCA AND I GAVE Y'ALL SOME TEXAS, UM, HISTORY, BUT ON ACADIAN.
SO, UM, 1971, IT WAS STARTED IN LOUISIANA.
UM, WE EXPANDED TO TEXAS, SOUTHEAST TEXAS, AND PORT ARTHUR IN 2006.
UM, WE ARE AN ESOP COMPANY, SO WE ARE OWNED MAJORITY BY THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PARTICIPATE IN OUR RETIREMENT PROGRAM.
AND SO WE ALL FEEL LIKE THAT GIVES US A MORE VESTED INTEREST IN THE COMPANY BECAUSE WE ALL OWN A PIECE OF IT AND THE SUCCESS RELIES ON US.
UM, WE HAVE 9 1 1 CONTRACTS IN 56 MUNICIPALITIES, AND THOSE ARE ALL, UM, NOT BACKUP PROVIDERS.
THOSE ARE ALL MAIN PROVIDERS IN THOSE, UH, CITIES AND PARISHES AND COUNTIES.
CAS IS AN ACCREDITATION OF AMBULANCE SERVICES.
IT'S A NATIONAL ACCREDITATION.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK ON YEARS AGO TO SHOW US THAT, TO, TO PROVE THAT WE STOOD ABOVE AND IT HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF STANDARDS.
EVERY AMBULANCE HAS A STATE STANDARD.
THEY ALL HAVE NATIONAL STANDARDS, AND WE, OF COURSE WE FOLLOW THOSE.
WE GO A LITTLE BIT ABOVE AND BEYOND AND DO CAS.
UM, AND THAT'S EVALUATED EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND THEN OUR COMMUNICATION CENTER IS ACE ACCREDITED, JUST A, UM, IT'S A SIMILAR TYPE OF PROGRAM WHERE THERE'S HIGHER EXPECTATIONS AND THAT'S HOW THEY GET ACCREDITED.
ALL RIGHT, SO, UM, WE, THIS, HERE'S SOME ENHANCEMENTS THAT HAVE WE'VE DONE THROUGH THE YEARS.
UM, AND HERE'S, THERE'S SOME IN HERE THAT WE DO IN PORT ARTHUR.
THERE'S SOME THAT WE DON'T, BUT I'LL KIND OF TOUCH ON 'EM.
SO RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLES WE DO UTILIZE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
UM, AND WE HAVE UTILIZED THEM IN PORT ARTHUR AND ALL THAT.
NOW, AGAIN, THAT WON'T STOP THE CLOCK, BUT IT PUTS A PARAMEDIC ON SCENE TO TREAT THE PATIENT.
IN THE EVENT WE HAVE A DELAYED RESPONSE FROM AN AMBULANCE, UM, TIERED RESPONSE SYSTEM, THAT RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE PLAYS HEAVILY IN A TIERED RESPONSE.
SO IN A TIERED RESPONSE SYSTEM, WE PUT AMBULANCE ON SCENE, WHETHER IT BE BLS OR ALS.
AND THEN WE DO AN INTERCEPT WITH A PARAMEDIC.
IF IT'S AN ALS CALL, IF IT'S A BLS CALL, THEN THEY WOULD TRANSPORT THAT PATIENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
SO JUST TO WRAP, UH, THIS SLIDE UP.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS COUNCIL MEMBER KINLOCK HERE.
SO JUST TO WRAP THAT UP, UH, THE LAST TWO ARE MOBILE HEALTH AND TREAT AND PLACE.
WE ACTUALLY DO PERFORM, TREAT AND PLACE CURRENTLY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, UM, AND IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY AND IT COULD BE A VERY LOW ACUITY AND THEY HAVE A, UM, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH THE PHYSICIAN AND WE MIGHT DECIDE TO TREAT THEM RIGHT THERE, UM, INSTEAD OF BRINGING THEM TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH PLAYS INTO THE WALL TIMES IN TRYING TO REDUCE THAT.
UM, AND ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE A DIABETIC PATIENT WHO IS HAVING A DIABETIC EPISODE,
[01:20:01]
POSSIBLY THEIR SUGAR'S LOW.THEY MIGHT EVEN BE UNCONSCIOUS, BUT ONCE YOU GIVE THEM SUGAR, THEY'RE BACK.
AND THEN WE FEED THEM, TALK TO A PHYSICIAN.
OF COURSE, WE STILL CHECK OUT EVERYTHING.
WE'LL DO EKGS, MONITOR THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE AND EVERYTHING, GIVE THEM THE MEDICATION THAT THEY NEED, AND THEN WE COULD POSSIBLY LEAVE THEM AT HOME RATHER THAN GOING TO THE ER.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE OTHER LOW ENHANCEMENT THERE.
AND THEN OUR MOBILE HEALTH PROGRAM, UM, IS A COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE PROGRAM.
A LOT OF IT IS FACILITY OR HOSPITAL BASED DRIVEN, UM, OR COMMUNITY DRIVEN.
AND SO WITH THAT DOES, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THAT IN SOME AREAS.
WE DO, UH, WORK WITH MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS WHERE INSTEAD OF JUST PICKING A MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT UP AND EITHER PD BRINGING THEM TO JAIL OR US BRINGING THEM TO AN ER, WE PLACE THEM IN A FACILITY WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GET THE HELP CUZ THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HELP OR DOESN'T TREAT MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, SO WE WOULD BRING THEM DIRECTLY TO A MENTAL HAIR MENTAL CARE FACILITY.
AND ALSO THE TREATMENT IN PLACE COMPONENT OF THAT IS PART OF MOBILE HEALTH AS WELL, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY SPEAK DIRECTLY TO A PHYSICIAN OVER A VIDEO CALL.
I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
UM, YOU ALL BEEN HERE SINCE 2006? YES SIR.
YOU RECALL HOW MUCH YOUR FEE WAS? IN 2006? OUR FEE FOR PROVIDING A SERVICE BEING PERMITTED IN, IN, IN, IN, UH, PORT ARTHUR.
I DON'T OH, SO Y'ALL MUST BE FAIRLY NEW SIR.
WHEN Y'ALL, HMM, ABOUT IT WAS THE FEE WAS, THE FEE WAS $50,000.
AMBULANCE WAS TRYING TO COME IN HERE EVERY SIX MONTHS WE WAS FIGHTING.
YOU ALL WAS A PART OF THAT COMING IN HERE.
AND WE STARTED WORKSHOPPING EVERY SIX MONTHS.
IT HAD TWO TO THREE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICE WANTS TO COME IN.
SO IN THE PROCESS OF WORKSHOPPING, I DISCOVERED ONE OF THE EXISTING AMBULANCE SERVICES HAD CROSSED OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN ONE MONTH DEALING WITH TRANSFERS.
SO THAT'S WHEN I INITIATED AND THE COUNCIL PASSED IT AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WROTE THE OPINION ON IT.
BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED TO GO FROM A $35 PER AMBULANCE, WE WENT TO $50,000.
AND THE CITY OF PORT AL ARTHUR IS THE ONLY CITY IN TEXAS CAN USE IT, NOR OTHER CITY CAN USE IT BECAUSE AT THE TIME WE WAS, WE WAS INVESTING IN PARAMEDIC OVER, OVER $150,000.
SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID THAT WAS REASONABLE, $50,000 WAS REASONABLE.
SO I THOUGHT THE 50,000 THAT WENT AWAY.
BUT IT HASN'T, IT HAS NOT GONE AWAY.
YOUR, YOUR COMPANY HAS DONE, Y'ALL TRADED OFF.
Y'ALL STARTED TRAINING AND FEE AND STARTED REDUCING AS Y'ALL PROVIDED MORE AND MORE THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE FEES DROP, DROP DROPPED.
TO WHERE'S TO WHERE IT'S AT NOW.
NOW MY THING IS NOW THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SEND FOR VAL WHAT I WANT.
THAT'S, SHE'S THERE, VAL, YOU RECALL THE 50,000 WHEN WE FIRST INITIATED? THAT'S WHY I HAD, WHEN I SAW THESE APPLICATIONS, THAT'S WHY I HAD YOU TO RESEARCH.
I RECALL, UH, AND I DON'T HAVE MY FILE WITH THE, THE PRIOR FILE, BUT WE DO HAVE A OLD FILE MM-HMM.
WE DID HAVE A, A DIFFERENT FEE A LONG TIME AGO.
THERE WERE FRANCHISE FEES, WHICH YOU CALLED IT BACK THEN.
THE POINT I WANNA MAKE IS YOU DID HAVE A DIFFERENT FEE.
I I HAVE TO PULL MY RECORDS, BUT I DO HAVE RECORDS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE CITY ATTORNEY, BASED ON WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING FOR THE COMMUNITY, THAT UMBRELLA IS STILL THERE, BUT Y'ALL ARE PROVIDING OTHER ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THAT FEE IS STILL IN PLACE FOR, AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU, YOU MAY WANNA RESEARCH IT CAUSE THEY, BASED ON WHAT YOU, Y'ALL PRESENTATION AND I'M LOOKING AT ALL THE THINGS Y'ALL ARE PROVIDING, THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, THE TRAININGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, I THINK THAT 50,000 IS STILL THERE.
NOW WHAT THE NEW COMPANY IS GOING TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY ADDITIONAL BESIDES MAKING MONEY AND WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? ARE THEY GOING TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS LIKE YOU ALL HAS IMPLEMENTED? OKAY.
WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? THANK YOU MA'AM.
UM, MR. BUTCH, YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION THERE WERE SOME PREVIOUS QUESTIONS THAT HAD BEEN ASKED THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD ANSWERS TO.
SO I DON'T, I JUST DON'T WANNA REPEAT SOME OF THOSE SAME QUESTIONS IF YOU NO, YOU HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
ONE OF THEM, THE, UM, GENTLEMAN SAID HE, HE DIDN'T WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
I I DON'T MIND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT GOING TO SKATE AROUND 'EM.
[01:25:01]
YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH, UM, WE HAD SO MANY, I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK.WHICH ONE WAS IT? SO ONE, ONE OF MY EXTREME CONCERNS IS IF I KNOW PREVIOUSLY BEFORE YOU ALL BECAME THE, UM, PRIMARY PROVIDER IN 2010 THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO OR THREE AMBULANCE PROVIDERS.
WHAT WAS, WHAT ISSUE WAS RECTIFIED WHEN YOU ALL BECAME THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE MY TIME, SO I'M ASSUMING IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TWO OR THREE.
SO I WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT ISSUE WAS AND HOW HAS IT BEEN RECTIFIED? SO, OKAY.
SO MYSELF, I STARTED IN PORT ARTHUR WORKING ON THE AMBULANCE IN 1989 FOR DIAMOND AMBULANCE SERVICE IS WHEN I'VE STARTED.
I'VE BEEN WORKING IN PORT ARTHUR AND EMS. EVER SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE THERE'S BEEN ONE, THERE'S BEEN TIMES THERE'S BEEN TWO AND ONE FOR A VERY SHORT TIME.
WE HAD THREE AT ONE TIME, BUT IT'S BEEN ONE, IT'S BEEN TWO.
EVERY TIME WE'VE HAD TWO, IT'S BEEN THE SAME ISSUES.
AND THE ISSUE IS YOU NEVER GET THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE ON A CAUSE IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, TRUE EMERGENCIES, YOU HAVE TO SEND THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE.
I'M GONNA REVERT BACK TO CHIEF BENSON'S SLIDE.
HE SHOWED THE SEVERAL CITIES, THE SI HE HAD 16 THAT HE POLLED, BUT HE ONLY SHOWED I THINK EIGHT OR 10 OF 'EM UP THERE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE CITIES FROM GALVESTON, EVERY ONE OF THEM, NONE OF THOSE CITIES UTILIZES TWO PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE 9 1 1 SERVICE.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK, DON'T LISTEN TO ME.
THAT'LL BE YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TONIGHT.
YOU WILL NOT FIND ANOTHER CITY, WHETHER IT BE HOUSTON OR BAYTOWN OR GALVESTON, ANYBODY ELSE THAT UTILIZES TWO SERVICE TO PROVIDE 9 1 1 SERVICE AND YOU ROTATE THOSE CALLS.
THE REASON NOBODY ELSE DOES THAT IS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK.
THE YOUNG MAN TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO YOU ABOUT GPS AND TRACKING.
WELL, I HAVE A CELL PHONE HALF THE TIME IT WORKS IN PORT ARTHUR.
HALF THE TIME IT DOESN'T WORK.
ELECTRONICS ARE NOT 100% FOOLPROOF.
WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES, YOU CANNOT RELY ON ELECTRONICS TO BE THE ALMIGHTY, WE'RE GONNA PUT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR FAITH IN A GPS SYSTEM TELLING US WHERE CLOSE AMBULANCE IS.
SO THE, TO YOUR ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS IN THE PAST, THE PREVIOUS FIRE CHIEFS, I'M TALKING ABOUT CHIEF KERN OR CHIEF UH, ARD, THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST WHEN THEY HAD TWO AMBULANCE SERVICES TRYING TO COMPETE FOR THE CAUSE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A SERIOUS PATIENT, IT COULD BE A BABY CHOKING OR SOMEBODY HAVING A HEART ATTACK, YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE TO THAT CALL.
YOU GONNA GET WHOEVER'S UP NEXT ON ROTATION.
THERE, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT.
ELECTRONICS IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE ONSITE SERVICE.
SO I MAY BE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT, UM, SITUATIONS, BUT WITH AN ONSITE SERVICE, THAT MEANS THE PATIENT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO A FACILITY.
SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE TRANSPORTED TO A FACILITY AND IT SO HAPPENS TO BE A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SITUATION, IS THAT PHYSICIAN THAT'S COMING UP ON THE VIDEO CALL ABLE TO ASSESS, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TELL THE EMS PROVIDER IF THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO A, A MENTAL HEALTH MEDICAL FACILITY VERSUS THE CORRECT.
WITH TREATMENT IN PLACE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PARAMETERS ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO AND WHAT WE WILL TREAT IN PLACE AND WHAT WE WON'T.
UM, MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT ONE THAT WE WILL TREAT IN PLACE JUST BECAUSE OF THE VARIETY OF THOSE CALLS.
UM, AND, AND HOW DETRIMENTAL IT CAN BE IF WE CHOOSE TO TREAT SOMEBODY IN PLACE OR MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT IT'S NOT THE ULTIMATE TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED.
IF THEY'RE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, THEY ULTIMATELY NEED TO GET HEALTH FROM A PSYCHIATRIST, PSYCHOLOGIST, OR IN A MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION.
UM, AND LAST QUESTION, ARE THERE, UM, ANY ADVOCACY GOING ON? AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS TO THE OTHER COMPANY TOO.
I JUST WANNA KNOW ABOUT ADVOCACY FROM THE AMBULANCE SERVICE COMPANIES THAT WILL HELP WITH LEGISLATION SO THAT YOU ALL WON'T ONLY BE ABLE TO BRING 9 1 1 CALLS, UM, PATIENTS WHO, PATIENTS THAT YOU'RE TRANSPORTING FROM A NINE ONE ONE CALL TO THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER WHEN WE HAVE THESE OTHER FREESTANDING ERS.
BUT THEY MAY NOT BE, I UNDERSTAND THEY MAY NOT BE CAPABLE TO HELP THEM WITH THAT SPECIFIC NEED, BUT IF THEY ARE FREESTANDING ER, WHEN I HEAR THAT, I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION IT'S AN EMERGENCY ROOM SO THEY CAN HELP US.
BUT AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO THE WALL TIME, WHICH IS NOT THE, YOU KNOW, AMBULANCE SERVICES ISSUE, IT'S THE FACILITIES ISSUE.
BUT OUR CITIZENS, US, MY MOM, MY DAD, YOU KNOW, YOUR FAMILY.
SO WE, UH, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE LEGISLATION, YES WE ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UM, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO, THAT IS HIS FULL-TIME JOB.
HE'S AT THE CAPITOL DURING ALL LEGIS LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.
[01:30:01]
UM, BUTCH OBH IS HIS NAME.SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH HIM.
UM, CUZ WE DO THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAYS, UM, WHENEVER YOU ALL GO.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO ACTIVE WITH, UM, THE TEXAS AMBULANCE ALLIANCE, WHICH IS A GROUP OF AMBULANCE PROVIDERS WHO COME TOGETHER AND LOBBY FOR THINGS SUCH AS THAT.
EMILY KIDD IS ALSO A VERY BIG ADVOCATE OF ALTERNATE DESTINATIONS SUCH AS FREESTANDING EDS.
AND WE HAVE MADE SOME, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
AND WE CAN ACTUALLY TRANSPORT TO SOME FREESTANDING EDS HERE.
THIS IS RECENTLY? YES, THIS IS RECENTLY.
SOME OF THE FREE STANDING, NOT ALL OF 'EM, SOME OF THE FREE STANDING CENTERS DO NOT WANT US TO BRING PATIENTS TO THEM MM-HMM.
BUT YES, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MET WITH THEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM TO ACCEPT MORE PATIENTS.
THERE'S NOT ALL, NOT ALL 9 1 1 CALLS OR EMERGENCIES.
WE GET 9 1 1 CALLS FOR RUNNY NOSE AND, UH, FEVER.
THE MEDICAL CENTER, SOUTHEAST TEXAS ER SHOULD NOT BE TIED UP WITH THAT TYPE OF PATIENT.
WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT PATIENT TO A FREESTANDING ER ON THE STREET CORNER TO FREE UP THE HOSPITAL.
RECENTLY, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH OR TWO, WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THE FREESTANDING HOSPITALS TO, TO START THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, AGAIN, I'M GONNA SAY THE SAME THING I SAID TO THE PREVIOUS, UH, COMPANY.
OUR JOB IS TO SERVICE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR NO MATTER WHAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNTIL I GOT ON COUNCIL AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE POLICIES AND, UM, RULES THAT YOU GUYS DO AS A SERVICE TO THE CITY.
I DIDN'T KNOW AS A CITIZEN, BUT TWO OCCASIONS THAT I NEEDED SERVICES AND I PROVIDED THAT TO, UH, BUTCH, UH, KIND OF UPSET ABOUT IT.
FIRST CALL I CALLED GUY, WE WENT FISHING.
HE WAS HAVING A SEIZURE IN MY PASSENG TO SEAT.
I CALLED, TELL ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE A A BUS AVAILABLE.
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW, NEVER HAD THE CALL BEFORE.
AND TO GET OTHER CALLS FROM THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR MEANS THAT IT'S A SI SITUATION THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
YOU GUYS SAYING THAT YOU, YOU'RE GREAT, YOU'RE A GREAT COMPANY.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A LOT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT EVEN IF IT'S ONE PERSON OR A HUNDRED PER PEOPLE THAT HAD SITUATIONS, THAT ONE, IF IT WAS YOU, WE GOT A SITUATION.
I HAVE CONCERN WITH REPORTING, UM, TIMES TO EITHER THE CHIEF OR, YOU KNOW, TO THE COUNCIL OTHER THAN WHEN WE HAVE TO COME BEFORE A CONTRACT NEGOTIATION.
UM, I SEE THAT WE HAVE A, A BUS THAT'S PARKED AT THE, I'M A FISHERMAN.
SO I I FISH A LOT AND I'M IN DIFFERENT SPOTS.
BUT YOU HAVE A BUS THAT'S AT THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE ALMOST EVERY TIME I TAKE MY BOAT OUT.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DON'T HAVE RESIDENTS OVER THERE RIGHT IN THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE.
NOT UNTIL I GOT ON COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS SERVICE THAT AREA ALSO.
AND YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR BUSES IN AREAS THAT WOULD HELP YOUR RESPONSE TIMES.
DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I GOT ON COUNCIL.
UM, THE DATA, I MEAN, I ALWAYS TO ASK THE CHIEF, WHERE'S THE DATA BECAUSE OF THE PHONE CALLS THAT I GET, HAVING PATIENTS STAY AT THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE A UNIT OR A BUS, YOU HAVE YOUR EMPLOYEES TIED UP BECAUSE THEY CAN'T LEAVE THAT PERSON UNTIL THEY ADMIT IT.
SO GUESS WHAT, DO YOU HAVE OTHER RESERVE BUSES TO COME IN PORT ARTHUR? ARTHUR? NO.
UM, AND I'LL SPEAK ON THAT ON THE ISSUE OF WALL TIME SPECIFICALLY.
SO WE WORK WITH THE HOSPITAL CHIEF BENSON KIND OF MENTIONED THIS AS WELL AS MEETING WITH US AND WITH THE MEDICAL CENTER IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
WE ALSO DO OUR OWN WORK THERE.
WE PROVIDE THEM WITH REPORTS MONTHLY OF WHAT THEIR WALL TIMES ARE.
WE DO THAT FOR EVERY HOSPITAL THAT WE BRING ER PATIENTS TO, UM, AND WORK WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP AND OUR LEADERSHIP TO TRY TO REDUCE THOSE.
ONE PROGRAM THAT WE DID START DOING TWO YEARS AGO RIGHT, WAS UM, SO NOW IF WE'RE IN AN ER DROPPING OFF A PATIENT AND IT'S AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA BE THERE, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE A REPORT TO THE NURSE AND THEN AT TIMES WE WILL DROP OUR STRETCHER AND LEAVE THAT PATIENT IN THE HALL AND COME BACK AND GET THE STRETCHER LATER TO GET THAT UNIT BACK IN SERVICE.
AND, AND THAT, AND THAT'S JUST MY CONCERN.
UH, I GET THE CALLS FROM THE CITIZENS JUST LIKE A LOT OF MY COHORTS DO.
BUT AGAIN, OUR JOB IS TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE HAVE, WE ARE CITY ALMOST 60,000
[01:35:01]
PEOPLE.AND YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE SERVICES HERE AS PREVIOUS STATED, THAT WE GET SO MANY CALLS.
200, WHAT'D YOU SAY? 250,000? YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT LETS ME KNOW THAT YOU ARE BUSY HERE.
AND IF YOU'RE BUSY AND WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE NEED, WHAT DO WE DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS? WELL, IF YOU GUYS CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT AND WE, YOU GOT OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND YOU COULD TAKE UNITS AND PLACE THEM BASED UPON EMERGENCY CALLS, YOU HA CAN'T LEAVE IN, UH, PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL.
OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU IS TO HAVE EIGHT, NINE BUSES IN THE CITY.
OUR RESPONSE TIME IS ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES.
SO TELL ME WHAT DO WE DO AND HOW WE CAN FIX THOSE THINGS INSTEAD OF JUST PASSING OVER THOSE THINGS AND NOT TRY TO ADDRESS.
AND THAT'S MY STANCE WITH ANY COMPANY THAT COMES BEFORE THIS PODIUM.
SO IF YOU GUYS CAN HELP ME OUT A LITTLE BIT AND UNDERSTAND, I'LL HELP YOU OUT.
SO NUMBER ONE, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT SAYS WE NEED TO HAVE EIGHT OR NINE OUNCES.
IT'S BASED ON, IT'S BASED ON RESPONSE TIME.
THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR SET THE RESPONSE TIME AT EIGHT MINUTES OR LESS 90% OF THE TIME AS WE SHOWED IN THAT GRAPH, WE MEET THAT RESPONSE TIME.
SO, AND THAT GOES BACK TO YOU WERE A LITTLE CONCERNED, YOU AND, UH, MR. LEWIS BROUGHT UP ABOUT WHEN DOES THE CLOCK START AND WHEN DOES THE CLOCK STOP.
I'LL, I'LL JUST RUN YOU THROUGH IT REAL QUICK HOW THAT WORKS.
SO IF YOU CALL 9 1 1 FROM RIGHT HERE AND SAY YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, AS SOON AS A PORT OFF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DISPATCHER HEARS THAT CALL THAT IT'S A MEDICAL CALL, THEY WILL PUSH A BUTTON AND INSTANTLY IT WILL TRANSFER THE PHONE CALL TO OUR DISPATCH CENTER.
THE PORT ARTHUR POLICE SLASH FIRE DISPATCHER WILL STAY ON THE PHONE.
OUR DISPATCHER WHO IS EMD TRAINED AND EITHER EMTS OR PARAMEDICS WORKING IN THERE, THEY TAKE THE INFORMATION.
BUT AS THEY'RE TYPING AND THEY, AND THEY SAY, UH, THIS IS THOMAS KEN LAW, I NEED YOU AT 4 44 FIFTH STREET, YOU KNOW, I NEED AN AMBULANCE.
THEY TYPE THAT IN AFTER THEY POPULATE JUST A COUPLE FIELDS, IT SENDS THE INFORMATION OVER TO THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE.
AND SO THAT AMBULANCE WILL GET THAT INFORMATION AND LET DISPATCH KNOW THEY RECEIVED A CALL AND THEY'RE EN ROUTE.
THEY HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY SWITCH THEIR RADIO, THEIR CHANNEL TO PORT ARTHUR FIRE DEPARTMENT CHANNEL AND SAY 4 71 PORT ARTHUR WE'RE EN ROUTE TO 4 44 FOURTH STREET.
THEY JOT IT DOWN, LOG IT, HOWEVER THEY DO IT.
MR. BOLAND HERE CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW HE DOES THAT.
WHEN WE ARRIVE AT THAT SCENE, THE CREW WHERE THE MEDIC IN THE, IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WILL TELL DISPATCH 4 71 WE ARRIVED AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET.
HE SWITCHES A CHANNEL REAL QUICK.
HE SAYS 4 71 PORT ARTHUR WE'RE SCENE 4 44 FOURTH STREET.
THEY SAY RECEIVED, THEY JOTTED DOWN, THEY LOG IT.
SO AT THE END OF THE MONTH, I'M SORRY.
SO THIS MONTH WE WILL REPORT LAST MONTH SINCE 2006, WE HAVE ALWAYS REPORTED OUR TIMES.
THIS DIDN'T COME START IN OCTOBER.
WE HAVE ALWAYS REPORTED OUR TIMES.
PORT ARTHUR HAS ABILITY AND THEY LOOK AT IT, WHAT WE TURN IN VERSUS THEIR STATS THAT THEY HAVE ON A PIECE OF PAPER OR COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT THEY RUN.
THEY LOOK AND MAKE SURE WHAT WE TELLING THEM IS THE EXACT SAME THING THAT WHEN WE CALLED EN ROUTE AND WE CALLED ON SCENE, WE CAN'T CALL ON SCENE BECAUSE 95% OF THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THERE FIRST.
SO WE CALL ON SAYING WHEN WE GET THERE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HEARS THE FIREMEN THAT ARE THERE TREATING THE PATIENT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T TREAT THE PATIENT PRIOR TO US GETTING THERE.
AND THEY'RE DOING THAT, DOING A GREAT JOB.
THEY HEAR US, THEY'RE INSIDE A HOUSE OR BUSINESS, THEY HEAR, ALRIGHT, 4 71 JUST PULLED UP AT THE CURB.
THEY'LL BE INSIDE IN JUST A, JUST A MINUTE.
SO THERE'S TWO SETS OF DATA THERE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS TURNED THAT IN.
SO, UH, MR. LEWIS HAD MENTIONED ABOUT SELF-REPORTING.
YES, WE DO SELF-REPORT, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF DATA THAT THEY HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO.
DOES THAT HELP YOU? A LITTLE BIT? YEAH.
UH, BUT I, I JUST WANT ENSURE, AND I KNOW I'VE CALLED YOU AND, AND NOT ONE TIME YOU HAD NOT ANSWERED, LET ME BE ON THE RECORD WITH IT.
EVERY TIME I CALL YOU WITH A SITUATION WITH A BUS, ANYTHING YOU'VE ALWAYS CALLED OR RETURNED MY CALL.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
BUT I ALSO GET THE CALLS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I'VE EXPRESSED THAT WITH OUR CM HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SERVICES IN THE CITY, UH, LIMITS WITH OUR SERVICE, WITH THE AMBULANCE SERVICES.
I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS, WHO COMES BEFORE US.
OUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS SUPPORT ARTHUR PERIOD.
HOWEVER, I DO GET THE CALLS ABOUT, HEY, MY MOM HAD TO WAIT 30 MINUTES.
LIKE MAYOR PRO TIM STATED EARLY.
I MEAN, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER THESE? BECAUSE I WOULDN'T BE WANT TO WAIT AT MY HOUSE, 4 44 FOREST STREET WAITING FOR
[01:40:01]
30 MINUTES FOR A BUS TO COME AND TREAT ME.EITHER I NEED TO GET TO THE, MY, YOU KNOW, HOSPITAL OR WHEREVER THOSE, THOSE STANDUP URGENT CARES YOU TALKED ABOUT.
BUT OUR JOB AS A CITY COUNCIL, AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR, OUR CITY GET THE SERVICES THAT WE AGREED UPON.
AND I, I DON'T DUNNO IF I'VE TOLD YOU THIS, BUT I'VE TOLD A COUPLE OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UM, I THINK MAYOR PROTI HAD MENTIONED IT, WE'RE DOWN TO ONE HOSPITAL IN SOUTH JEFFERSON COUNTY AT ONE TIME.
MARY'S, WE HAD PARK LANES, WE HAD MIDGE, WE HAD DOCTOR'S HOSPITAL.
WE'VE GONE FROM FOUR HOSPITALS TO ONE HOSPITAL EVER SINCE THE MEDICAL CENTER IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS HAS BEEN THE, THE ONLY HOSPITAL ONLY HOSPITAL WITH FULL CAPABILITIES.
THEY HAVE NOT INCREASED THEIR BED CAPACITY IN THE ER.
AND SO WE'VE GONE FROM FOUR HOSPITALS TO ONE HOSPITAL IN SOUTH JEFFERSON COUNTY.
EVERYBODY HAS TO GO THAT ONE FACILITY.
AND THEY, THEY WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING.
JUST LIKE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A STAFFING ISSUE LIKE EVERY OTHER S AGENCY DOESN'T ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THE MED CENTER IS DOING LIKE A LOT OF OTHER HOSPITALS, THEY'RE HAVING A VERY LARGE NURSING SHORTAGE AT THAT HOSPITAL.
THERE ARE SOME FLOORS AT MED CENTER THAT ARE, ARE SHUT DOWN.
SOME WES ARE SHUT DOWN CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF FOR IT.
SO YES, WE DO HAVE MORE HOS IF, IF YOU DRIVE BY THE MED CENTER AT ANY GIVEN TIME, SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT SEE FOUR AMBULANCES THERE.
SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT SEE SIX AMBULANCES THERE.
AND, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT OR A NEWER PROTOCOL WHERE IF WE'RE GETTING BUSY AND WE DON'T HAVE AMBULANCES AND THEY GET STACKED UP THERE, IT'S LIKE ERIC EXPLAIN TO Y'ALL, WE HAVE A FORM, WE CALL IT A MIS FORM.
WE DON'T JUST DROP ANYBODY AND PUT 'EM IN THE, IN THE ER AND LEAVE THEM.
WE GIVE THE THE CHARGE NURSE A REPORT AND TELL 'EM, WE BROUGHT IN MS. DAISY, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HER AND THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WE HAVE, WE NEED TO GET BACK OUT ON THE STREET.
AND SO THERE MIGHT BE 10 BEDS IN THE ER THAT ARE EMPTY, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO WATCH 'EM.
I'M NOT TRYING TO BE COLDHEARTED, BUT THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM.
SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW THING THAT WE WILL LEAVE THE PATIENT, WE WILL GIVE A, A REPORT TO THE NURSE AND SAY, THIS IS A REPORT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA LEAVE A CRITICAL PATIENT THERE.
WE'RE LEAVING A PATIENT ON THAT EMPTY BED RIGHT THERE IN THE HALLWAY FOR YOU TO WATCH FROM THE NURSE'S STATION.
AND WE'RE GOING BACK IN SERVICE.
AND SO WE'VE STARTED THAT AND THAT HAS HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY BETWEEN THAT AND BRINGS BRINGING SOME PATIENTS TO THE FREESTANDING NEW YARDERS.
GET MORE AMBULANCES ON THE ROAD.
UH, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A SUBSTATION FROM ACADIANA HERE IN PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION.
DO WE HAVE A SUB? THEY'LL CENTER ON NINTH AVENUE RIGHT ACROSS OLD ST.
AND YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR AMBULANCE STATIONED THERE.
WELL, YEAH, THE ONLY THING I WAS TOLD IT WAS IN BEAUMONT THAT NO, NO, NO.
WE'VE GOT A STATION A LONG TIME.
SO WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MODEL WORKS GREAT FOR THEM, BUT WE, ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT YEARS AGO DECIDED TO GO WITH THE SAME MODEL THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ONLY HAS ONE STATION RIGHT HERE DOWNTOWN.
IF THEY GET A CALL, RESPOND FROM THE POLICE STATION, THEY HAVE POLICE CARS OUT IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS OF THE CITY AND THEY RESPOND FROM, WE DO THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE ONE STATION, BUT WE HAVE AMBULANCES WORKING IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
AND UH, DISPATCHER CAN SEE WHAT UNIT IS AVAILABLE.
BUT YEAH, OUR, OUR MAIN OFFICE IS IN PORT ARTHURS ON NINTH AVENUE IN THE SNAILS SHOPPING CENTER.
AND SOMEONE IS THERE 24 7 TO MAN THAT OFF.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE NOT THERE, THEY'RE RIGHT DOWN STREET.
CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE POLICE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
BUT I'M GONNA HAVE TO JUST CORRECT YOU ON THAT.
THOSE GUYS LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS AND THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE CARS HOME BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN THE CITY.
NOW THEY DON'T, IF THEY GET A CALL, THEY OFF DUTY, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO THE STATION OR THEY HAVE TO COME WHEN THEY'RE THEIR TIME TO WORK.
YEAH, BUT I'M SAYING IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE STATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
LIKE WE CAN'T PUT A SUBSTATION.
WE CAN'T PUT A SUBSTATION BREAKER.
NO, I'M NOT AT, THAT'S NOT MY ONE.
WE HAVE ONE STATION IN PORT ARTHUR, MR. HOLMES, MR. THAT'S WHERE EVERYBODY GOES AND PARK.
THAT'S NOT MY CONCERN WITH SABINE KNEELING GROVES.
NOW I, THAT'S WHY I SAID BEING PASSED.
WHAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT NOW ON NINTH AVENUE ACROSS FROM ST.
MARY'S, IS THAT A, YOU CONSIDER THAT AS A SUBSTATION THAT YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S THERE 24 7, THAT'S MAN, AND YOU HAVE YOUR BUSES PARKED THERE SOMETIMES THAT CAN SERVICE THE PARK.
MY MY MY REASON FOR ASKING YOU THAT BECAUSE I WAS TOLD, JUST LIKE I RELAYED THE MESSAGE THAT SOMETIMES BASED UPON THE EMERGENCIES, THOSE BUSES ARE TAKEN TO OTHER SURROUNDING CITIES BASED UPON THE TYPE OF EMERGENCIES.
I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO ME.
THOSE BUSES CAN BE MOVED BASED UPON SEVERITY OR NATURE OF THE CALLS.
YOU GUYS MAKE THE DETERMINATION.
ALL I'M SAYING, MY JOB AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO SERVICE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ALONG WITH THESE COHORTS.
[01:45:01]
I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL YOU JUST CORRECTED ME THAT IT'S NOT EIGHT UNITS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN THE CITY LIMITS.I I WAS ALWAYS TOLD AT LEAST EIGHT YOU SAID RESPONSE TIME.
OUR RESPONSE TIME IS EIGHT MINUTES.
I'M LEARNING JUST LIKE A LOT OF MY COHORTS ARE LEARNING IF THAT'S THE CASE.
BUT I'M GONNA CHECK, I FACT CHECK THOSE THINGS.
BUT MY JOB IS, LIKE YOU SAID, WHATEVER WE AGREED UPON, IT SHOULD HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND I'M GONNA TALK WITH THE CM ABOUT IT AFTER WE HAVE THIS, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVICE THE CITY.
UH, YOU SAID THE RESPONSE TIME BY ORDINANCE, IT'S, IT'S EIGHT, EIGHT MINUTES.
WHEN, WHEN DID THEY CHANGE IT? WHY DID THEY CHANGE IT? I THINK THE, THE, UH, FIRE CHIEF WOULD PROBABLY BE THE PERSON TO ANSWER IT.
I'LL ASK YOU WHEN I CATCH OVER WITH YOU.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TRANSFER COST FROM A NURSING HOME TO THE HOSPITAL? WHAT'S THE AVERAGE COST TODAY? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST TO TRANSFER, JUST TO BRING SOMEBODY, JUST TRANSPORTING IT FROM A NURSING HOME OR POSSIBLY FROM A HOSPITAL BACK TO THE NURSING HOME, FROM A HOSPITAL TO THE NURSING HOME, FROM A NURSING HOME TO THE HOSPITAL OR TO THE HOUSE.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST TODAY? SO IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON A LOT OF THINGS.
SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF INSURANCE THEY HAVE.
IF THEY HAVE MEDICARE OR MEDICAID OR IF THEY HAVE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE OR IF THEY HAVE NO COM NO, UM, INSURANCE AT ALL.
A AN AVERAGE CHARGE FOR THIS AREA, FOR THAT TYPE OF TRANSPORT IS PROBABLY JASON, ME CAN 25 A WHEELCHAIR THEN? UH, YEAH, WHEELCHAIR
WHAT'S THE MEDICARE? HOW MUCH? 25.
SO THAT'S FOR, SO FOR THIS TYPE OF TRANSPORT, MR. LEWIS, IT WOULD BE AROUND THREE.
WHEN YOU ALL FIRST CAME TO TOWN, WHEN WE INITIATED THAT $50,000, THE TRANSFER FROM, FROM THE NURSING HOME TO THE HOSPITAL WAS $400.
AND THAT'S WHEN THE COUNCILMAN WAS SITTING IN HIS CG.
THAT'S HOW I GOT HIM TO COME ALONG WITH SUPPORTING THAT, UH, THAT, THAT INITIATION OF $50,000.
HIS, THEY CHARGED HIS, THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AT THE TIME.
IT WASN'T YOU ALL CHARGED HIS MOTHER TO, FROM THE NURSING HOME TO THE HOSPITAL.
$400 TRANSFERRED BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL BACK TO THE NURSING HOME WAS ANOTHER $400.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S HOW I GOT THE SUPPORT.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY LIKE ME AND THE OTHERS, WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE KIND OF MONEY WAS OUT WAS OUT THERE.
THAT WAS $800 FOR ONE PATIENT.
AND FROM, SO I KNOW IT HADN'T GONE DOWN.
WHAT'S THIS $25 GUN FROM? NO, NO, NO.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORTS.
UM, SO FOR A MEDICAL TRANSPORT, CMS, WHICH IS MEDICARE AND MEDICAID IS BASICALLY OUR LIMITING FACTOR THERE.
UM, UNLESS IT'S COMMERCIAL INSURANCE OR PRIVATE PAY.
UM, SO THEY ONLY REIMBURSE UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT JUST LIKE FOR ANY OTHER HEALTHCARE COSTS THAT YOU INCUR.
AND YOU HAVE THOSE, ONE OF THOSE TWO COVERAGES, JUST LIKE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE, UM, THAT WE ARE IN NETWORK WITH.
YOU'RE NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
DID YOU WANNA APPROACH THIS? COME ON MAYOR.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRESENTATION IS ABOUT THEIR, NOT JUST IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW.
WHAT THEY, WHAT THEIR, THEIR SERVICE AND THEIR APP.
THIS IS ABOUT THE APPLICATION.
NOT THAT WE DON'T WANNA ANSWER.
I'M JUST SAYING JUST TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T WHAT COST, COST FACTORS, IS THAT PART OF THE APPLICATION? IT IT IS.
IS THAT PART OF THE APPLICATION? IS THAT A PART OF THE APPLICATION COST FACTORS? THIS IS PART OF THEIR PROPOSAL.
CUZ YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COST OF A, OF A AMBULANCE SERVICE BETWEEN PRIVATE PARTIES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PART OF THE APPLICATION, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT US TO GET TOO BROAD.
WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE APPLICATION THEY SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE JUST TO ADDRESS IT, YOU KNOW, PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND THE SAME WOULD APPLY FOR US OR, OR FOR CITY.
SO THE MEDICARE BASE RATE FOR THE KIND OF TRANSPORT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS PROBABLY AROUND $225.
AND THE MILEAGE FEE IS AROUND $8 PER MILE.
SO IF YOU ASSUME IT'S A 10 MILE TRANSPORT, THE 2 25 PLUS 80 GETS YOU ABOUT 300, A LITTLE OVER $300 FOR THAT ONE WAY LEG.
THAT'S NOT A, AN ACADIAN THING.
THAT'S A, A MEDICARE THING THAT WOULD APPLY TO ANY EMS PROVIDER.
UM, OH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WALL TIMES AND THE IDEA OF MORE AMBULANCES BEING AVAILABLE.
[01:50:01]
IT MAKES SENSE TO GET TO THE PERSON IN THE EVENT THAT, UM, THE ONSITE ASSISTANCE COULD BE AVAILABLE.BUT IF WE ADDED 10 MORE BUSES TO THE CITY, WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH WALL TIME.
SO WE'RE, I'M I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T NEED MORE BUSES, BUT I AM SAYING IS THAT REALLY THAT THAT CAN'T BE THE ONLY ANSWER BECAUSE THEY STILL DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO NO.
FOUR MORE PLACES Y'ALL JUST MENTIONED.
AN AVERAGE OF FOUR MORE FREESTANDING ERS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THEM.
SO MOVING FORWARD THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP US DECREASE.
SO OUR ORDINANCE STATES THE EIGHT MINUTES OF, UM, RESPONSE TIME IN THE ORDINANCE.
IS THAT NOT SOMETHING WE CAN HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BUSES ACCORDING TO OUR POPULATION AND THE AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF CALLS? YES.
UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WANNA STRUCTURE THAT CONTRACT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHENEVER YOU START GETTING INTO DEDICATED NUMBER OF AMBULANCES, UM, BECAUSE WE MOVE THINGS AROUND SO MUCH AND, AND HELP PORT ARTHUR FROM BEAUMONT NEEDLE AND GROVES.
UM, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT DEDICATING AMBULANCES, THERE MIGHT BE A SUBSIDY FEE THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IF IT WOULD TURN US NEGATIVE.
SO HOW WOULD WE DETERMINE WHAT AN AVERAGE NUMBER OF BUSES WOULD BE FOR OUR POPULATION? HOW DO CITIES ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT? HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY YOU SHOULD BE HAVING IN A CITY FOR OUR POPULATION WITH THE AVERAGE NUMBERS OF CALLS THAT WE RECEIVE? SO TO BE IMPARTIAL, WHAT I'VE SEEN DONE IS EMS SURVEYS.
A CITY WILL HIRE A, UM, CONSULTANT TO COME IN AND GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS HOPING INGRID WAS STILL IN HERE AND I DON'T SEE HER.
CURRENTLY, CITY OF BEAUMONT, THEY'RE BUDGETED FOR EIGHT AMBULANCES FOR THEIR POPULATION.
THEY RUN EVERY DAY, EITHER FOUR OR FIVE AMBULANCES EVERY DAY.
CUZ THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF.
THIS IS, THIS IS A FIRE DEPARTMENT BASE.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO RUN AS MANY AMATEURS THAT THEY WANNA RUN.
BUT ACCORDING TO THEIR POP, I'M ASSUMING THEY DID THIS STUDY.
SO BETWEEN HIRE AND CHIEF, EARL WHITE MM-HMM.
SO IT, WE WILL BE HIRING A CONSULTANT TO RUN, I MEAN TO, UM, PERFORM A STUDY TO KNOW ACCORDING TO OUR POPULATION HOW MANY BUSES COULD HELP BEST SERVE US.
UM, THE OTHER PARTS OF THE QUESTION IS THE DATA IS A MONTH BEHIND.
HOW DO WE GET REAL TIME DATA SO THAT WE ARE NOT WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT MONTH TO KNOW IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WE NEED TO CORRECT LIKE RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN INTO ORDINANCE IS WE, THE NEW ORDINANCE IS YOU TURN IT IN, I DON'T KNOW, LOU 15TH THE FOLLOWING MONTH, CHIEF, UH, YOU HAVE UNTIL THE 15TH OF THE NEXT MONTH TO TURN IT IN IF YOU WANTED IT SOONER.
YOU KNOW, CHANGE THAT TO SAY, I I NEED IT BY THE FOURTH WORKING DAY OR THE SIXTH WORKING DAY OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANTED THAT SOONER, BUT YOU HAVE THE DATA ALREADY BECAUSE YOUR DISPATCH CENTER IS KEEPING TRACK.
EVERY TIME WE GET DISPATCH ON A CALL, WHEN WE CALL EN ROUTE AND WHEN WE CALL ON SAYING YOU'RE WAITING ON OUR DATA, BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR DATA.
WE'RE JUST COMPARING YOUR DATA.
WE HAVE THROUGH THE FD HAVE OUR OWN DATA.
BACK UP TO BEAUMONT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IT WAS MENTIONED A WHILE AGO, SO THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR EMS SERVICES IN BEAUMONT.
SO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT DOES ALL THE 9 1 1 CALLS, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY ONLY HAS ONE PRIMARY EMS PROVIDER FOR 9 1 1 CALLS.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE PRIVATE COMPANIES OURSELVES, CITY AND REPUBLIC DO THE TRANSFERS.
BUT EVEN WITH HAVING THE CITY DOING ALL THE 9 1 1 CALLS AND THEN THE THREE PRIVATE PROVIDERS EVERY SINGLE DAY, MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, CITY OF BEAUMONT IS LEVEL ZERO MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
WE HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT.
LEVEL ZERO MEANS A ZERO S IS AVAILABLE.
LEVEL ZERO MEANS THERE'S ZERO AMBULANCES AVAILABLE.
THEY'RE ALL ON CALLS OR JUST SITTING AT THE HOS.
ONE OF THE HOSPITALS IN BEAUMONT, THERE'S NO AMBULANCES AVAILABLE.
THAT'S, IT'S IT'S PUBLIC RECORD.
THEY'LL BE SH THEY'LL THEY'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY, MULTIPLE TIMES A DATE OR LEVEL ZERO.
WE HAVE AN MOU WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED TO BEAUMONT FOR SOME TRANSFERS, BUT SOME OF THOSE ARE PARAMEDIC TRUCKS.
AND SO WE HAVE CHOSEN, IF WE DO NOT NEED ONE OF THOSE PARAMEDIC TRUCKS TO COME HELP OUT IN PORT ARTHUR WHEN WE'RE BUSY, LET'S SAY WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EIGHT TRUCKS AVAILABLE IN BEAUMONT, EXCUSE ME, IN PORT ARTHUR NOT ON CALLS AND WE HAVE ONE IN BEAUMONT AND WE GET AN NINE ONE ONE CALL FROM BEAUMONT FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYING WE'RE LOCAL ZERO.
CAN YOU, I THINK WE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE
[01:55:01]
SCOPE OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.THAT'S WHAT OUR WORKSHOP IS FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
I'M SURE WE COULD ASK AND ANSWER IN ANOTHER FORM, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AND THEIR ACTUAL SUBMITTED APPLICATION.
BUT WE ARE GETTING INTO THE CITY OF BEAUMONT SO WE MIGHT WANT TO KIND OF STEER IT BACK IN CUZ I DON'T THINK THAT IS, UM, EQUI EQUIVALENT TO WHAT WE HAVE POSTED.
BUT YOU CAN AL YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER FORMATS WHERE WE CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT THIS IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT THE APPLICATION THAT THEY'VE SUBMITTED AND QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO THE APPLICATION.
WELL YOU ANSWERED IT ALREADY THOUGH, BUT THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE ARE NOW PREPARED ON THE ACTION ITEM, UH, WITH THE, UH, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF.
WOULD YOU RE-APPROACH NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UH, WHO, OH, OH OH, EXCUSE ME.
MAY I APPROACH SPEAK ON BEHALF OF DEPUTY? YEAH, COME ON.
MAY WE NOT SPEAKER? THANK YOU.
I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR OF CASCADES AT PORT ARTHUR.
WE ARE A SKILLED NURSING HOME.
UH, WE HAVE TWO FACILITIES ACTUALLY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, SENIOR REHABILITATION RIGHT THERE ON 365 AND CASCADES AT PORT ARTHUR ON NINTH AVENUE.
UM, I COME TODAY AS A USER OF OUR AMBULANCE SERVICES HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
HAVE WE GOTTEN THE ITEM ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE ON THE FLOOR? THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING TO.
SO WE ARE NOT AT ANY POINT IN THEIR AGENDA WHERE WE CAN BRING SOMEONE UP.
THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE POSTED ARE FOR THE VIKING AND ACADIAN.
UM, WE HAVE TO GO TO THE NEXT ACTION ITEM.
WE ARE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
I SEE ITEM B THAT SAYS COMMUNICATIONS.
I WAS, IT IS NONE AWARE THAT THIS WAS TIME TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A A IT SAYS NONE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT'S ON THERE, BUT THAT'S, UH, COMMUNICATION IS NONE.
NO, BUT, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT'S KINDA STANDARD WITH COMMUNICATIONS PROBABLY WITH, WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
IF YOU, THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE IS TO DISCUSS THE 30 DAY EXTENSION.
THAT'S WHAT I TAKING TO MOVE TO WHEN YOU TAKE ACTION ONCE YOU GET THE ITEM ON THE FLOOR, IF SOMEONE WANTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT, THEN YOU WOULD'VE, BUT WE HAVE TO ONLY TALK ABOUT THE ITEMS POSTED UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET THE ITEM ON THE FLOOR FIRST SO WE CAN GET ITEM NUMBER THREE ON THE FLOOR.
MY COMMENTS DO HAVE, UH, REGARDING THE, THE ACTION ITEMS. OKAY.
WELL AS SOON AS YOU GOTTA GET IT ON THE FLOOR.
ONCE, ONCE IT'S NOT ON THE FLOOR.
ONCE LEMME GET A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND WHEN I GET THE QUESTIONS THEN, THEN I CAN RECOGNIZE YOU.
[III. (1) To Discuss And Possibly Take Action Regarding A Final 30 Day Extension Of The Existing Ambulance Services Between The City Of Port Arthur And Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc., To Facilitate Deliberations Of The Application Process]
NOW WE ARE PREPARED NOW TO GO TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, WHICH IS THE ACTION ITEM.AND THAT'S WHY I WANT ASK THE, UH, FIRE CHIEF TO COME UP BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, CHIEF WOULD BE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
WE'VE HEARD THE, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHERE I WAS.
WE'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATIONS OF THE, UH, OF BOTH PRESENTERS.
NOW WE HAVE A, A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY TAKE ACTION REGARDING A FINAL 30 DAY EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING AMBULANCE SERVICES, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANAD AND AMBULANCE INCORPORATED TO FACILITATE, UH, A DELIBERATION OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO WE WOULD STILL NEED TO HAVE A ANOTHER 30 DAYS BECAUSE ANOTHER 30 DAYS HAS ALREADY EXPIRED.
YEAH, WE'RE AT THE, I THINK WE'RE THERE.
HOW DID YOU SO WE, WE, WE NEED TO RENEW THE 30 DAYS SO THAT WE CAN NOW GO BACK AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS, UH, ON THE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT WE WERE, UH, PRESENTED ON TODAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
I'D LIKE TO GET A MOTION TO, UH, ASK, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE, BEFORE THE MOTION.
BEFORE, BEFORE NOW WOULD BE THE TIME IF SOMEBODY HAS A QUESTION RELATED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
[02:00:01]
YEAH.WE CAN TAKE SOMETHING FROM THE AUDIENCE CUZ SINCE WE'RE TAKING ACTION, IF SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE LIKE TO SPEAK THEY COULD.
YEAH, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO GET IT PROPERLY.
AND I'M, I, IM WANNA DO IT CORRECTLY.
SO I'M GOOD NOW, NOW, NOW YOU MAY.
I DO WANT TO KEEP IT ORDERLY SO WE JUST GOTTA PULL IT BACK DOWN FOR YOU.
I DO WANT TO KEEP IT ORDERLY, SO THANK YOU.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS ANDY HILL.
I AM THE ADMINISTRATOR AT CASCADES AT PORT ARTHUR NURSING HOME.
UH, I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF CASCADES AT PORT ARTHUR AND SENIOR REHABILITATION, BOTH OUR, UH, NURSING HOMES HERE IN THE CITY AS A USER OF AMBULANCE SERVICES, LITERALLY DAILY AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY.
I FEEL THAT ADDING AN ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICE IS GONNA CAUSE CONFUSION FOR MY FACILITY TO OPERATE.
UH, 9 1 1 CALLS OUT OF OUR FACILITY ARE NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE UTMOST IMMEDIACY.
JUST AS WITH YOUR SITUATION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW.
SO IF WE HAVE TWO COMPANIES AND MY NURSES ARE TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH ONE TO CALL OR CALL AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT THE CLOSEST ONE THAT'S ONLY GOING TO IMPEDE RESPONSE TIME TO MY FACILITIES.
AND IT'S GOING TO ALSO IMPEDE RESPONSE TIMES OUT IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO I PERSONALLY THINK WE NEED TO MAINTAIN WITH JUST ONE SERVICE.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE SERVICE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, LET'S LOOK AT HISTORY, LET'S LOOK AT RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND LET'S LOOK AT WHO HERE IN THE COMMUNITY IS LOCAL PART OF US, PART OF PORT ARTHUR THAT IS WITH THAT SERVICE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US.
SO I PERSONALLY, AS A USER AND OPERATOR, DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANY MORE CONFUSION WITH RESPONSE TIMES WHEN IT'S CRITICALLY NEEDED.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UH, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME AS AN OPERATOR, WELL JUST, JUST A MINUTE.
I'M GOING, I'M GOING ASK THAT PART.
I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO HAVE DIALOGUE.
WE JUST WANTED YOUR PRESENTATION AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS.
OKAY, NOW WE WOULD WANT TO, UH, HAVE THE POLICE, I, I KEEP GOING.
UH, FIRE CHIEF BENSON, UH, CLOSING REMARKS.
YEAH, BUT I'M CLOSING REMARKS ON ON WHAT, UH, IT'S GOING ON.
UM, JUST A, A COUPLE OF ITEMS HERE JUST TO, UH, MAYBE PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARIFICATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE SIX MINUTE RESPONSE TIME.
SO N F P A HAD ESTABLISHED A SIX MINUTE RESPONSE TIME FOR THE FIRST ENGINE ON THE SCENE.
AND SO THAT, THAT BROKE DOWN INTO ONE MINUTE FOR, FOR CALL PROCESSING TIME, ESSENTIALLY ONE MINUTE FOR TURNOUT TIME, FOUR MINUTES FOR TRANS, UH, TRAVEL TIME.
THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE MODIFIED THAT WITH, FOR AMBULANCES FOR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCES.
THEY'VE MODIFIED THAT UP TO NOW EIGHT MINUTE RESPONSE TIME, UH, WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU WILL GET A CREW ON THE SCENE WITHIN THAT SIX MINUTE RESPONSE TIME TO START TAKING INITIAL ACTIONS, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
SO THERE, THE, THE TIME CHANGES THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY, UH, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, THE SIX MINUTES THERE, UM, I ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT, UH, I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE GPS SYSTEM, WHAT'S THE CLOSEST AMBULANCE? AND IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK.
I'VE UTILIZED THOSE SYSTEMS. I'VE BEEN PART OF THOSE SYSTEMS. UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD SUCCESS WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY PHYSICALLY, WHERE, WHERE'S IT SHOW THEY'RE AT, WHO'S THE CLOSEST, WHO'S THE CLOSEST WITH THE RIGHT CAPABILITY.
AND, UH, SO IF THERE ARE SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES, THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT THE SYSTEMS THEMSELVES, THEY, THEY DO WORK, UH, VERY WELL.
AND JUST, UH, REAL QUICK TOO, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, RECENTLY GOVERNOR ABBOTT SIGNED HOUSE BILL 6 41, WHICH WILL ALLOW STARTING JANUARY 1ST, 2024, IT WILL ALLOW FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT PATIENTS
[02:05:01]
TO THE HOSPITAL UNDER CERTAIN CRITERIA.RIGHT NOW THAT IS SEEN AS ILLEGAL, BUT STARTING JANUARY 1ST, THAT'S GOING TO BE LEGAL, BUT THERE HAS TO BE CRITERIA DEVELOPED AND EVERYTHING.
THAT'LL ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY WILL BE COMING BEFORE COUNSEL WITH.
UH, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEING SO, UM, ISSUES WHERE THERE'S PROLONGED AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIMES AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T NOT DO SOMETHING.
SO IT JUST, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT TOO.
THE, UH, UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT YOU DID MENTION, I THINK MAYOR PROTIME YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, DOING A POTENTIAL STUDY, UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION BECAUSE A THIRD PARTY CAN COME IN, TAKE A REALLY IN DEPTH LOOK AT THINGS AND WHAT MIGHT BE A, A, YOU KNOW, AN OPTION FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH,
WE WANT WHOMEVER TO BE TRANSPARENT AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, BUT ALSO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CRITERIA THAT THE, UH, THE COUNCIL HAS AGREED ON.
SO MODIFY OR MONITORING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT TRANSPARENCY AND THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAD SOMETHING FOR CHIEF, YOU SAID THAT'S HOUSE BILL 6 31 6 6 41.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO TRANSFER? YES.
IN THE RESPONSE TO THAT, THE PERSON THAT SPOKE EARLIER, MAYOR, ABOUT ONE SERVICE, WE DON'T HAVE A FRANCHISE.
HE JUST, THAT WAS HIS, WE WERE ALLOWED TO MAKE THOSE REMARKS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSS THOSE.
NOW, UH, WITH, UH, I THINK THE, THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION OF THE FILE CHIEF, UH, AND ATTORNEY, LET ME KNOW IF I'M CORRECT.
I CAN, UH, ENTERTAIN A, UH, A MOTION TO EXTEND THE, UH, EXISTING AMBULANCE, UH, SERVICE BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ARCADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICES, UH, TO FACILITATE, UH, THIS SERVICE FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS.
UH, WHILE WE ARE YET UNDERSTANDING AND NEGOTIATING THIS, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU, UH, MOTION TO EXTEND, UH, CADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR 30 DAYS.
AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD EXTEND THE, UH, AMBULANCE SERVICE CONTRACT WITH, UH, ACADIAN.
UH, WE READY FOR QUESTION? OH, MARY, AND I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, DURING THAT TIME, IF Y'ALL NEED TO HAVE MORE, UH, WORKSHOPS, TIME TO POST SOMETHING AND TO DELIBERATE, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS RIGHT.
Y'ALL WILL WORK WITH HIM SO Y'ALL CAN MAKE THE DECISION.
ANY, ANY OTHER, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS COUNCIL OR MAYOR? PROTON CITY MANAGER.
WITHIN THIS 30 DAY PERIOD, CAN WE AT LEAST REACH OUT TO CONSULTANTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BALL ROLLING TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE WILL BE ASKING FOR, FOR WHICHEVER COMPANY WE WILL HAVE AFTER THIS 30 DAY PERIOD? LET ME HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE FIRE CHIEF ON THAT TO SEE, UM, WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, THAT MAY, THAT MAY HAVE SOME SORT OF COST IMPLICATION THAT, UM, WE REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL, YOU KNOW, BUT LET, LET ME HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE FUTURE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THERE AREN'T ANY, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF EXTENSION? AYE.
ANY OPPOSERS? OUR JUDGE AS HONOR THE EXTENSION IS GRANTED FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS, AND I WOULD NOW INTEND A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT OF THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILOR KEN LAW SECONDARY.
IT IS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDARY WITH END THIS MEETING.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? THERE AREN'T ANY.
ANY OPPOSERS A HAVE TO RESULT? THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE FOR THE LAST FEW HOURS IN PROVIDING US WITH INFORMATION ON YOUR EXPERTISE.