DEPARTMENT: SAFD
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Charles N. Hood
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 9
SUBJECT:
Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 for automatic aid first responder services along annexed portions of the 281 corridor.
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes an Interlocal Agreement between the City of San Antonio and Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 for a period of five years, with the option to extend for as many as three (3), five year terms, under the terms and conditions established, upon the mutual agreement of the parties.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
With the annexation of the U.S. 281 corridor, The City of San Antonio has negotiated an Interlocal Agreement for automatic aid with Bexar County Emergency Services District 3 for the Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 to provide first responder services to the newly annexed area inside the incorporated city limits of San Antonio. In exchange for service, the City of San Antonio will pay an annual fee based on the number of responses inside the incorporated city limits of San Antonio multiplied by the cost per run for Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3. The term of this agreement is for 5 years with 3 five year extensions allowed.
Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 currently provides services for the contracted area and has for over 50 years. There are 2 stations that service the area with a 3rd station planned and should be operational by November 2017. The average response time to the contracted area in fiscal year 2016 by the Bexar Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department was 5 minutes and 38 seconds. By following the Operating Guidelines attached to the contract, the level of service provided by these first responders will be comparable to services provided by the San Antonio Fire Department (i.e. 4-person staffing on all responding units, similar medical protocols and fire tactics).
ISSUE:
The State of Texas requires the City of San Antonio to provide “like services” to any newly annexed area. In this case the San Antonio Fire department would respond to both fire and EMS incidents, however Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 would provide first responder services to this area. As part of the contract, the first responders from Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3 would be required to be trained to an equal level of San Antonio Fire Department personnel and have “like” equipment to the San Antonio Fire Department with staffing comparable to the San Antonio Fire Department.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City has the option not to award this contract and to direct staff to create an alternative service plan for the newly annexed area.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The base fee will be calculated annually by the actual Bulverde Bexar Volunteer Fire Department expenses and total calls for service. This amount will be applied to the total number of calls for service within the contracted area.
This will be an annual contract with semiannual payments in January and July. The base fee will be figured using numbers and statistics based on Bexar County Computer Aided Dispatch numbers and figured by the San Antonio Fire Department from the previous fiscal year. The base fee will allow service a maximum number of runs, after that point a per run fee will be paid for the rest of the calendar year. The maximum increase in fee from year to year will be 5%.
The fee for calendar year 2017 will be $312,500 with a maximum runs allowed of 175. A per run fee of $1,980.00 will be paid per run for each run thereafter.
RECOMMENDATION:
The staff recommends the approval of the contract for first responder services with Bexar County Emergency Services District No. 3.