CITY/COUNTY JOINT MEETING ON EMS SERVICES
Monday, October 31
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Petersburg College EpiCenter
The Pinellas County EMS System is a highly coordinated, single tier, dual response, Emergency Medical Services System consisting of Paramedic First Responder Services and Countywide Paramedic Ambulance Service.
The system is designed to provide exceptional and rapid response and on scene patient care by Paramedics staffing Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Responder Units from municipal fire departments and fire districts. Patient transport and continued patient care is provided by Paramedics staffing the County's ALS ambulances.
The ALS First Responder component is designed to be funded by a dedicated EMS millage. The Ambulance Service component is funded by user fees, which are collected by the EMS Authority. By deign, there is no property tax subsidy allocated for ambulance service in Pinellas County.
Since the establishment of the Pinellas County EMS system, it has evolved into a nationally recognized, highly efficient, world class EMS system.
Due to the continuing fiscal pressure from the economic downturn, Pinellas County and the EMS Authority have proposed a series of system efficiencies to reduce costs while maintaining current levels of service.
It is St. Petersburg's position that the current County proposal:
- Disproportionally impacts St. Petersburg and its residents
- Shifts costs from countywide EMS funding to city-funded fire services
- Will impact response times and decrease current service levels
A joint meeting between the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners and the City of St. Petersburg will be held on Monday, October 31, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Collaborative Labs at the St. Petersburg College EpiCenter to discuss the County's proposal.
The attached briefing book and appendices were prepared to ready participants for the discussion.