DEPARTMENT: Fire
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Chief Charles Hood
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
STRAC ILA Amendments
SUMMARY:
This ordinance amends a contract with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) that provides software access and maintenance to the Fire Department through the Clinical Informatics Division. This amendment to the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) will correct the name of STRAC from South Texas Regional Area Council to the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council and extend the term of the agreement through annual renewal based on budgetary allocations. The initial estimated cost of new extended software and licensing accessed through this ILA is $400,000.00 annually.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Submitted for City Council consideration and action is an ordinance to amend The Interlocal Cooperative Agreement concerning a Trauma Data Project System with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) to provide software access and maintenance of various software applications hosted at STRAC that provide clinical and fire incident response data reporting capability. The software is from Zoll Data Systems, APEX, and VINELIGHT currently. This amendment will correct the name of STRAC from South Texas Regional Area Council to the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council and extend the term of the agreement with annual renewals as long as there are budgetary allocations.
In 2007, the Emergency Medical Services (SAEMS) Division of the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) was provided licenses for the software from STRAC with the understanding that SAFD would pay STRAC an annual maintenance cost based on the number of licenses issued. These licenses allowed SAEMS to join the regional Trauma Registry Data Project funded by STRAC to collect billable patient care records utilizing a more efficient, standardized and State/Federal compliant software.
Originally on May 10, 2007 through Ordinance #2007-05-10-0528, the City Council approved a contract that established this Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with South Texas Regional Area Council to provide the Fire Department with fifty (50) software licenses for the period of July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010. This contract made the Patient Contact Registry available to EMS paramedics.
As an improvement to SAFD service, the Fire division is now providing Advance Life Support (ALS) service when Fire Department arrival is prior to SAEMS arrival. To allow for the billing of this ALS service, Amendment One provided the fire apparatus' with pen tablet computers utilizing the same software as SAEMS. On April 17, 2008 through Ordinance #2008-04-17-0306, the City Council approved the purchase of 100 additional licenses for a total of 150 licenses utilized by the Fire Department.
This current council ordinance request would further increase the Fire Departments capabilities in Fire Incident reporting, trauma reporting, facility preplanning response, and statistical analysis.
ISSUE:
This is an amendment to Ordinance No. 2007-05-10-0528, passed on May 10, 2007, which established this Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC). This agreement provides the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) with software access and maintenance to collect and maintain patient contact and billing records for the entire emergency response personnel; collect and report the fire incident reporting; more effective and accurate preplanning drawing software; and a full statistical suite for quicker analysis. This amendment to the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between SAFD and STRAC is for maintenance of all software offerings from the STRAC Clinical Informatics Division. This amendment will also correct the name of STRAC from South Texas Regional Area Council to the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, the City would not be able to access or have support for the software utilized by Fire and EMS paramedics assigned to the ambulances and fire apparatuses. For the last several years, SAEMS has utilized the STRAC servers and hosted application for the PCRs. The City does not have the infrastructure or server based software to host internally. Additionally, STRAC provides the State with the City's Trauma Registry data (a state mandate) on an annual basis as part of the support they provide to the users of the STRAC system. Additionally, Fire will not have a supported fire reporting and preplan system.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The initial license maintenance cost in the amount of $400,000 is included in the FY 2015 Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) Budget.
Future on-going annual maintenance appropriations will be subject to City Council approval as part of the budget process. The table below identifies the FY 2015 - FY 2017 projected costs for the remaining contract obligation period.
FY 2015 |
$ 400,000.00 |
FY 2016 |
$ 375,000.00 |
FY 2017 |
$ 375,000.00 |
|
|
Total Costs |
$ 1,150,000.00 |
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this amendment with Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) for an initial estimated cost of $400,000.00 annually for license maintenance.
This contract is procured by means of cooperative purchasing; therefore, a Discretionary Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.