Agenda - Council Work Session - 05/01/2012

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communicate with other communities about fiscal concerns. Major financial decisions will be a joint/cooperative decision verses a singular board decision. This different way of doing "business" may be portrayed as a loss of local control. Part of the financial control issue will be addressed during any further process of a Joint Fire Service Area. The perception must be kept in check. We must all remember that at the time of your emergency, NO ONE cares about the name on the side of the emergency vehicle; they care about the quality and quantity of care. 8. Division of Buildings, Equipment, and future repairs Part of moving forward with the shared services will include the decision on how to handle the ownership of existing buildings and equipment and also how to pay for on -going maintenance. Research has shown that existing fire districts questioned utilize 3 basic methods of ownership: • Fire District owns the buildings and equipment. Although from the dept.'s researched, this method represents the minority, it works efficiently for the communities that have chosen this model. One detail that would need attention is to find an equitable process to divide the communities past purchases and investments. Currently there is a difference in how much each community has invested in their fire service. • Cities continue to own the buildings and equipment and budget for improvements and repairs. This model represents the majority of those researched. Using this model the individual cities would have more decision authority as to improvements and replacement. • When major equipment and apparatus is replaced, the replacement becomes the property of the fire district. Prior to that the individual communities maintains ownership. As far as maintenance to equipment and buildings are concerned, these costs can either be the responsibility of the host community, or the cost can be incorporated into the Joint Fire Service Area operating budget. Districts questioned have had shown both ways can be utilized successfully. 9. Differing levels of service One of the goals of shared services is to provide the same level of service at a better value to the general public. Among the communities exploring the shared services option, Bethel and St. Francis provides a different level of service to its citizens, by responding to general medical emergencies and rescues as opposed to Oak Grove, Nowthen and Ramsey who respond only to major medical/rescues or unless requested by police or ambulance. In general, major medical/ rescues are many times considered cardiac related where CPR is likely or where a major injury is suspected such as traffic crashes. A general medical emergency is considered in most cases non -life threatening in nature. However, these types of emergencies could also include suspected stroke, diabetic reactions or other similar type emergencies where some level of intervention maybe necessary to save or preserve the quality of life. The barrier is how much more the communities who wish to continue increased care levels would need to pay compared to those that will not increase service levels. 9