HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11g - Budget Appropriation for Paramedic SuppliesDATE: April 19, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Barry Spriggs, Fire Chief
By: Chen Suen, Deputy Fire Chief
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7425 AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-22
GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND AUTHORIZING A SUPPLEMENTAL
BUDGET APPROPRIATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF PARAMEDIC
SUPPLIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $12,500, OFFSET BY A REDUCTION IN
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT ("ARPA") FUND, AND
APPROVING A CHANGE ORDER TO THE PURCHASE ORDER WITH
LIFE-ASSIST, INC.
Recommendation: Adopt and Approve
SUMMARY
On June 20, 2017, the City Council approved a five-year purchase order with Life-Assist,
Inc. with annual renewals through June 2023 for the purchase of paramedic field supplies.
The current purchase order is in the amount of $65,000. Due to the unexpected increased
use of paramedic supplies caused by the ongoing pandemic and resulting in further
expenses that are not covered in this Fiscal Year’s Fire Operating Budget, it has become
necessary to issue a change order for additional funds.
Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7425 amending
the Fiscal Year 2021-22 General Fund Budget and authorizing a supplemental budget
appropriation for the purchase of paramedic supplies in the amount of $12,500, offset by
a reduction in the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) Fund, and approving a change
order to the Purchase Order with Life-Assist, Inc.
DISCUSSION
The Arcadia Fire Department has been providing paramedic ambulance service to the
Arcadia community since the early 1970s with quality pre-hospital care for medical and
trauma-related emergency calls. Critical to this service is ensuring an adequate and
necessary inventory of paramedic supplies are readily available in stock.
The Fire Department maintains an inventory of paramedic field supplies, including
medications, intravenous fluids, assorted needles, bandages, splints, tape, gloves,
PO Change Order to Paramedic Supplies
April 19, 2022
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oxygen masks, EKG paper, electrodes, and other miscellaneous medical supplies.
These items are used on a regular basis during medical treatment of a patient and
standard emergency operations. The Fire Department also maintains in its inventory
additional paramedic field supplies to mitigate larger-scale incidents in the event of a
disaster. Traditionally, paramedic field supplies utilized by the Fire Department are re-
stocked using a private medical supplier.
On June 20, 2017, the City Council approved a five-year purchase order with Life-Assist,
Inc. with annual renewals through June 2023 for the purchase of paramedic field supplies.
The current Fiscal Year 2021-22 purchase order is in the amount of $65,000.
During this past Fiscal Year 2021-22, a noticeable increase in both call volume for
emergency medical services and subsequent increased use of paramedic supplies have
caused the need for additional funds. These increases are mostly attributable to the
ongoing COVID pandemic. Between July 2021 to December 2021, as compared to the
similar time frame in 2020, emergency medical services calls increased from 1,580 calls
for service to 1,982, or a 21% increase.
Additionally, the following heavily used supplies and procedures had a noticeable
increase ranging from 6% to even 70%:
Item July 2020 to
December 2020
July 2021 to
December 2021
Percentage
Increase
Intravenous Procedures 1,580 1,982 21%
Positive Airway Procedures 1 4 25%
Bag-Valve-Mask Procedures 36 38 6%
Fentanyl 51 57 11%
Albuterol 14 46 70%
Narcan 3 10 70%
Further, during the last six months of the Fiscal Year 2020-21, the Fire Department
ordered approximately 12,500 gloves from Life-Assist, Inc. In comparison, the Fire
Department ordered 19,300 gloves during the first six months of the Fiscal year 2021-22,
which is a 35% increase.
In addition to increased usage, a national shortage on various medical gloves
necessitated the Fire Department to seek and purchase more expensive options. With
the need to protect Fire personnel and patients from various medical-related exposures
including but not limited to the COVID-19 virus, these purchases were necessary.
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April 19, 2022
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental
Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the
environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current purchase order for Life-Assist, Inc. is $65,000. For the better part of the
current Fiscal Year 2021-22, a noticeable increase in both call volume for emergency
medical services and subsequent increased use of paramedic supplies necessitated the
need for additional funding. These increases are mostly associated with the Fire
Department’s paramedic response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, a
supplemental budget appropriation in the amount of $12,500 is being requested from the
City’s ARPA Funds to adequately fund the purchase of these essential supplies.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a
project and is therefore exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”);
adopt Resolution No. 7425 amending the Fiscal Year 2021-22 General Fund Budget and
authorizing a supplemental budget appropriation for the purchase of paramedic supplies
in the amount of $12,500, offset by a reduction in the American Rescue Plan Act
(“ARPA”) Fund; and approving a Change Order to the Purchase Order with Life-Assist,
Inc.
Attachment: Resolution No. 7425