4.A. Consider approval of a Medical Services Mutual Aid Agreement between the City of Burleson and CareFlite (Texas non-profit corporation). (Staff Presenter: Casey Davis, Assistant Fire Chief)

[4.A. Consider approval of a Medical Services Mutual Aid Agreement between the City of Burleson and CareFlite (Texas non-profit corporation). (Staff Presenter: Casey Davis, Assistant Fire Chief)]

TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION.

THE STAFF PRESENTER, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS NOT CASEY DAVIS, BUT NONE OTHER THAN OUR FIRE CHIEF, KATIE FREEMAN.

THANK YOU, AMANDA. THIS IS MOVING QUITE ALONG VERY QUICKLY AND I WILL NOT DELAY THIS BEFORE I START.

THIS IS A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION.

I JUST WANT TO TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE ALL KNOW, WHERE WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY 22 YEARS AGO, ESPECIALLY OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND ALL THE INNOCENT PEOPLE. SO, I JUST WANT, I'D BE REMISS, I THINK, IF I DIDN'T BRING THAT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION, THAT WE MADE A PLEDGE THAT WE WOULD NEVER FORGET AND HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE ALL THE SACRIFICES THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS MADE AND OF COURSE, THE INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES, UNFORTUNATELY, 22 YEARS AGO.

THIS THIS AGREEMENT, I'LL BE VERY, VERY BRIEF, IS THE SAME AGREEMENT BASICALLY THAT WE EXECUTED JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT YOU APPROVED WITH MEDSTAR.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL ASPECTS OF IT BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY THE TEMPLATE OF IT.

BUT I DO WANT TO CALL TO THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION SOME OF THE UNIQUE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT CAREFLIGHT.

CAREFLIGHT IS AN ESTABLISHED AMBULANCE PROVIDER, HAS BOTH GROUND AND AIR AMBULANCES, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS SUPER IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND IS THE ENHANCEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE OUR SYSTEM SO MUCH MORE ROBUST BECAUSE CAREFLIGHT, MUCH LIKE MEDSTAR NOW WHEN WE TRANSITIONED FROM MEDSTAR'S UNIT, WILL NOT BE AT STATION 16, BUT CAREFLIGHT HAS APPROACHED US AND ASKED US, WILL WE BE WILLING TO ALLOW ONE OF THEIR UNITS TO BE POSTED AT STATION THREE? AND WE SAID, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THE REASON WHY THAT IS AN ENHANCEMENT TO OUR WHOLE SERVICE DELIVERY IS BECAUSE CAREFLIGHT WILL BE ONE OF THE PROVIDERS THAT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP US DO NON-EMERGENCY TRANSFERS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THIS CITY.

THERE'S GOING TO BE QUITE A FEW.

SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE IF YOU'RE AT DIALYSIS OR A NURSING HOME AND YOU DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY, BUT YOU NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A NON-EMERGENCY TRANSFER.

CAREFLIGHT WILL BE ONE OF THE KEY PLAYERS TO DO THAT BECAUSE AS I'VE SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AND OUR AND OUR OWN STAFF, THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR MAIN PRIORITY IS.

IT IS A HIGH PRIORITY TO MAKE SURE ANYONE IN THE CITY THAT NEEDS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A HOSPITAL IS TAKEN CARE OF.

BUT THIS WILL BE A TIERED SYSTEM.

AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BRING THIS TO YOU THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A LAYER IN OUR PROGRAM AND SERVICE DELIVERY THAT CAREFLIGHT IS MOST WILLING TO DO, CAPABLE OF DOING.

IN FACT, THEY HAVE SOME CAPABILITIES THAT WE QUITE HONESTLY DON'T HAVE AT THIS TIME THAT EVENTUALLY WE MAY WE MAY GET TO IN THE YEARS TO COME.

THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US BACKUP, IMMEDIATE BACKUP AND RESPONSE FOR ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY TRANSPORT.

SO IF WE NEED A FOURTH AMBULANCE, IF WE NEED A FIFTH AMBULANCE, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE FOR US TO THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ALSO SEND

[00:15:08]

RESOURCES DOWN THERE BASED VERY CLOSE.

AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH THE COUNCIL.

THEY'LL ALSO HELP US WITH EMERGENCY TRANSFERS.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT 1300 THAT THAT TAKE PLACE OUT OF FB ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

WE WILL ALSO, IF WE'RE AVAILABLE, I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO MAKE THE EMERGENCY AND THEN THE NON-EMERGENCY TRANSFERS.

WE WILL ALSO BE TRANSPORTING EMERGENCY TRANSFERS OUT OF FB IF NECESSARY IF WE'RE AVAILABLE AND WE'LL BE COORDINATING ALL OF THAT INTERNALLY THROUGH OUR PROCESS, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.

SO THAT'S THE BIG TAKEAWAY THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, THAT IT'S PART OF THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PROVIDED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THIS MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT.

WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE GREAT PARTNERS.

THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS.

AND SO AT THIS TIME, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL, I'LL BE GLAD TO ASK.

BUT WE DO HAVE AN ACTION ITEM SINCE IT IS A MUTUAL AID FOR YOU.

AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THIS MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT WITH WITH CAREFLIGHT.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, CHIEF.

ONE, WILL WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH LIKE CRAWLEY, CLEBURNE OR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST? WILL THOSE COME BEFORE US AS WELL? THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION AND WE HAVE THOSE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH CRAWLEY SPECIFICALLY.

CRAWLEY KNEW THAT. OR RYNDON AND.

WE WILL HAVE THEM EXECUTED WITH IN WHAT WE DID, WE FOCUSED ON OUR MAIN BENCH.

MEDSTAR HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY GOOD PARTNER MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE AUTO AND MUTUAL AID.

CAREFLIGHT ALSO BACKS THEM UP AS WELL.

SO, WE FOCUSED ON THE MAIN COMPONENTS, KIND OF THE PILLAR OF OUR SYSTEMS, THE ONES THAT ARE THE LARGER PROVIDERS, AND IT'S GOT A DEEPER BENCH.

BUT ALL OF THOSE MUTUAL AID AND AUTO AGREEMENTS ARE IN PLACE AS WE SPEAK.

AND THIS ONE WOULD WOULD BE, OF COURSE, WITH YOUR ADDITION TO.

YES. OKAY.

MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WHEN I WAS IN ROTARY CLUB FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE HAD THE CLUB PAID, I THINK A DOLLAR A MONTH FOR EVERY SINGLE MEMBER TO HAVE CAREFLIGHT COVERAGE. AND IT REALLY WAS THAT ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY LEVEL OF EVEN THOUGH WE HAD MEDSTAR COVERING AMBULATORY THAT THE HELICOPTER SERVICE. SO DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT STANDS, IF IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO OUR CITIZENS? IT WILL BE MY FAMILY.

WE'RE A MEMBER OF THAT.

TO ANY OF THE SERVICES THAT AN AGREEMENTS THAT A PERSON HAS WITH, IN THIS CASE CAREFLIGHT, IT WILL BE IN PLACE.

THEY WILL BILL SEPARATE.

SO WE HAVE BY JUST LIKE MEDSTAR, THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN BILLING.

CAREFLIGHT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN BILLING.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAREFLIGHT, JUST TO MAKE A CLEAR DISTINCTION AND MEDSTAR THE MEMBERSHIPS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WITH MEDSTAR THAT OUR CITIZENS MAY HAVE.

YES, YOU'RE ONLY ELIGIBLE FOR THAT IF YOU'RE A MEMBER CITY, SO YOU CAN ONLY YOU CAN ONLY RENEW.

SO THOSE CLARIFICATION TO CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT IF, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE NO LONGER WHEN WILL OUR MEMBERSHIP IN WHEN WILL WE NO LONGER BE A MEMBER CITY, DOES THAT END ON SEPTEMBER 30TH SO THAT CITIZENS CAN BE PREPARED AND MAKE APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS, WHETHER THAT'S CANCELING MEMBERSHIPS OR MAKING SURE THAT THOSE DETAILS ARE IRONED OUT WITH MEDSTAR AND THEY'RE NOT CONTINUING TO RECEIVE A BILL FOR SERVICES, THEY WON'T BE ACCESSIBLE TO CORRECT THOSE SERVICES.

THEY WILL HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE.

AND SO WHATEVER THE PERSON'S RENEWAL, THEY WILL BE NATURALLY TREATED ON WHENEVER THAT RENEWAL DATE WOULD BE FORTHCOMING BECAUSE WE WILL NO LONGER BE A MEMBER CITY AND WE CAN WE'LL PUT SOMETHING OUT WITH OUR IN OUR COMMUNITY.

TO BE HONEST, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF BURLESON RESIDENTS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE MEDSTAR SYSTEM.

CAREFLIGHT. THAT'S A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT CASE BECAUSE IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CAREFLIGHT MEMBERSHIP, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PART OF THE MEMBER CITY.

SO, I THINK THAT'S A REAL BENEFIT, SURE.

FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO, BUT THAT'S A VERY, VERY GOOD POINT AND DISTINCTION TO BE MADE.

SO, WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR WHEN WE WILL NO LONGER OFFICIALLY BE A MEMBER CITY FOR MEDSTAR? SO CITIZENS, OCTOBER 1ST.

OCTOBER 1ST. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHIEF.

AND JUST TO RECAP, WE'RE GOING TO GO LIVE I THINK I MENTIONED TO THE COUNCIL WE'RE GOING TO HAVE KIND OF A SLOW ROLLOUT.

WE'RE GOING TO GO LIVE SEPTEMBER 29TH, BUT IT'S 29TH.

IT'S A FRIDAY.

AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IS WE WILL BE DISPATCHED, BUT WE WILL ALSO BE PASSING THAT CALL ON TO MEDSTAR AS WELL.

SO WE'LL BE WE'LL BE DOING OUR OWN AND WE'LL DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE SENT.

AND THEN IF THERE'S A TRANSPORTATION THAT'S NEEDED, WE'LL PASS THAT INFORMATION ON TO MEDSTAR AND THEN THEY'LL SEND THE BOX.

[00:20:02]

AND THEN OCTOBER 1ST, AT MIDNIGHT, WE'LL MAKE THE HARD TRANSITION WHERE WE'LL ACTUALLY NOT BE TRANSFERRING ANYTHING TO MEDSTAR ANYMORE.

OKAY. YOU MADE A STATEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HOUSING SOME OF THEIR EQUIPMENT.

ARE WE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A LANDING SITE AT THREE.

WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? YES, SIR.

THAT'S, AGAIN, ANOTHER VERY, VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION TO BRING TO LIGHT.

THERE'S A LANDING PAD AT NB THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY USED IN THE PAST AND THAT WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO USE.

AND AGAIN, I JUST GOT MORE ASSETS.

THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL AIR AMBULANCES AND THEY'VE GOT A DEEP BENCH INTO THE GROUND, AMBULANCES.

BUT WE WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TRANSPORT VIA AIR AMBULANCE IF NECESSARY.

OKAY. BUT STATION THREE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO KEEP AT STATION THREE FOR THEM? ARE THEY GOING TO USE IT AS A LANDING SITE? THEY'LL HAVE THEY'LL HAVE A BOX THERE.

THEY'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO PLACE JUST LIKE MEDSTAR HAS A UNIT AT STATION 16.

WE'RE LITERALLY GOING TO HAVE CAREFLIGHT IS WILLING TO PRE-STAGE FULLY STAFFED 24 OVER SEVEN AND AMBULANCE THERE THAT WILL COMPLEMENT OUR RESOURCES.

OR IF THEY NEED TO GO, THEY ALSO GO DOWN INTO CLEBURNE AS WELL.

THEY ALSO RUN MUTUAL AID AND AUTO AID WITH AMR. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A SYSTEM STANDPOINT AND THAT THEY COULD BE GOING INTO JOSHUA, THEY COULD BE GOING INTO THE DIFFERENT COUNTY.

IF THE COUNTY NEEDS MUTUAL AID, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE ENHANCEMENT BECAUSE STATION THREE IS SO CENTRALLY LOCATED.

AND THEN WHEN WE GET LAKEWOOD AND WE GET THESE DEVELOPMENTS, YOU KNOW, ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR SO WE CAN INCREASE OUR DECREASE OUR RESPONSE TIMES.

IT'S A PERFECT LOCATION.

SO SO THEY'VE ALREADY GOT A LANDING PAD AND EVERYTHING SET UP READY TO GO.

SECURITY AND ALL THE SECURITY WAS WHAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT.

SO THEY'VE ALREADY GOT SECURITY SET UP AND THE WHOLE THING.

THEY'RE READY TO GO. THEY HAVE GOT THEIR BOXES READY.

WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM ALMOST FOR FOR A YEAR.

AND THEN AS WE'VE JUST GOTTEN CLOSER AND CLOSER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THE LAST THREE MONTHS, WE JUST KEEP, YOU KNOW, FINE TUNING THE PROGRAM.

WE MET WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CAREFLIGHT.

THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS IT OUR INTENTION TO ALSO HAVE A BOX AT THREE? YES. OKAY. AND THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE IN THE BAYS FOR TWO BOXES.

JUST ENOUGH. JUST ENOUGH.

YES. THANKS, CHIEF.

CAN YOU GIVE US A KIND OF A 35,000 FOOT VIEW OF JUST EXACTLY HOW THESE VARIOUS SERVICES OVERLAP? NOW, YOU MENTIONED CAREFLIGHT PROVIDES NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORT.

IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION TO GET INTO NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORT WITH OUR UNITS, BUT I BELIEVE YOU SAID WE ALREADY HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT IN PLACE WITH MEDSTAR.

CORRECT? YES, SIR. MEDSTAR WOULD BE EMERGENCY TRANSPORT.

ARE THEY ALSO NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORT? YES, SIR. AND SO IF CAREFLIGHT IF CAREFLIGHT WASN'T AVAILABLE AND WE WOULD MAKE THE CALL THAT PAUL AND HIS GROUP ARE GOING TO BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF THE CENTRAL COMMAND.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING, VETTING WHAT THE NEED IS, DETERMINING WHAT THE NEED IS, CONTACTING CAREFLIGHT.

IF CAREFLIGHT DOESN'T HAVE A UNIT AVAILABLE AND THEY SAY WE DON'T HAVE A UNIT AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER THE LENGTH OF TIME IS, AND WE FEEL LIKE BASED ON THE CRITERIA, THAT WOULD BE AN EXTENDED PERIOD, THEN WE WILL GO TO WE WILL GO TO MEDSTAR.

SO, WE WILL JUST KEEP BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF SYSTEMS THAT HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE HIGHER LEVEL OF NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW.

AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.

BUT IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO BE A 2- OR 3-HOUR DELAY OR A SCHEDULE PICKUP.

SO, IT'S NOT THAT'S WHY WE'RE CALLING THEM.

THEY'RE NON-EMERGENT.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT CRITICAL.

OKAY. THANKS. YES, SIR.

YOU KNOW THE QUESTIONS.

ANYBODY ELSE? I'LL RAISE THE QUESTION.

IS THERE A MOTION? I HAVE A MOTION BY VICTORIA, SECOND BY DAN.

PLEASE VOTE. AS IS UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

THAT BRINGS US TO SECTION FIVE, WHICH IS EXECUTIVE SESSION.

IS THERE A NEED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, THERE'S NO NEED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO SECTION SIX ADJOURNMENT, WHICH REQUIRES A MOTION AND A SECOND, BUT NO VOTE, AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF TIME OF ADJOURNMENT.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

I GOT A MOTION BY ADAM.

SECOND BY RONNIE.

WE CLOSE AT 9:56.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Sep 11, 2023 City Council Special Session

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