FY 2007 Proposed Bydget Summary - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Safety Services ~. Service Issues and Accomplishments 1. The Ambulance Transport Fund (ATF) is facing decreasing reimbursements from the Center for Medicare Services (CMS). Nationally, the ambulance service industry is in the process of rapid change and retooling in response to the implementation of this aggressive cost containment measure undertaken by CMS. Full implementation of the new reimbursements to the department by CMS happened in January 2006. FY07 will be the first full fiscal year of the reduced revenues. Currently, 44% of the patients transported by Eugene ambulances are covered under Medicare: 2. In 2001, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) adopted a new staffmg and deployment recommendation for both career and volunteer fire departments across the country. NFPA 1710 .(career department) and 1720 (volunteer department) sets standards for emergency response, fire ground operations, and single company staffing. In response, the Oregon Fire Chiefs' Association (OFCA) took the proactive step of developing a comprehensive community- based risk analysis process to consistently address this national initiative on a state-wide basis. The resulting Oregon Fire Resource Deployment Standard Process provides for a detailed assessment tool that allows each agency to systematically evaluate its specific public safety resources, community risks, target hazards and fire problems, and then develop a staffing and _, deployment plan that meets the particular needs of the community. The Eugene Fire and EMS Department first completed this extensive process in early FY04. The department continues to measure itself against this new standard and annually updates the document with the latest operational data and performance measures. The entire Standards of Response Coverage document is updated every four years. In addition, during FY05 the organization completed the rigorous process of achieving formal accreditation from the Commission for Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). This 18-month effort involved reviewing and documenting all aspects of the department's operations against best practices in the industry and then was evaluated by a peer assessment team before gaining accredited agency status from the commission. 3. Continuing development activity is extending our primary coverage area in the northern and western portions of the community, which also increases the service demands on the organization. In response, the department continues the planning and preliminary development work for the eventual addition of a new Fire Station 4 (Willow Creek) slated for location on the City's rapidly developing west side. The next steps in this process are to identify the funds necessary to acquire a suitable site for a future facility. 4. Ongoing community growth is also placing new burdens on the city's established Urban Growth Boundary. As a result, there is less land available for development and the central city is beginning to experience the increasing density of infill development. This often necessitates high-rise .construction, which- creates unique stresses on a fire and EMS agency, as it takes additional time and resources to marshal sufficient firefighting and emergency medical forces to the upper floors of taller structures. This type of urbanization brings increased congestion. More vehicles sharing an aging street network. The proliferation of enhanced traffic control systems/techniques, and the construction of narrower streets all serve to reduce the overall response and reliability capabilities of 54