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Collier fire districts discuss discus how to merge with EMS without raising taxes
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Money was the primary issue as officials from Collier County’s independent and city-operated fire districts continued hammering out agreements this week with the county-run Emergency Medical Services department.
Nearly two years ago, Collier commissioners asked the independent fire districts — as well as those operated by Marco Island and Naples — if they could find a way to merge or consolidate in order to take over the ambulance service operated by EMS.
Fire chiefs around the county have consistently met but earlier this year, commissioners discovered county-run fire departments and EMS were observing the dialogue but not participating. They were ordered to participate.
Though the quality of paramedic training is a heated source of debate, all parties have turned to how to finance a countywide service without increasing property taxes.
Several options have been proposed.
EMS Chief Jeff Page and Marco Island Fire Chief Mike Murphy are working on a hazardous materials fee-recovery ordinance, although two have previously been rejected by Collier commissioners. The two are also working on an ordinance that would enable recovery of fees from someone who has violated laws leading to abuse of emergency services.
For instance, if an accident occurred and a driver was arrested and charged with driving under the influence or reckless driving, that person could be held financially liable for any of the accident’s fall-out.
The draft currently states: “Cost recovery means those necessary and reasonable costs incurred by the county or its agents, in connection with rescue, emergency medical services, mitigation, health, life and safety issues, suppression and investigations of violations of county code, violations of law, investigations, and weapons of mass destruction incidents, including, but not limited to the following: actual labor costs of personnel or its authorized agents, costs of equipment operation, rental, subcontract or purchase; and costs of expendable items.”
Based on an ordinance from Laketown, Michigan, someone could be held financially liable for a false alarm or excessive requests for emergency assistance from police, fire or medical services. Excessive is defined as more than five times in the preceding 30 calendar days.
It could also enable the county to place a lien on that person’s property.
Another idea is attaching a fee to vehicle or boat registration.
Establishment of municipal service taxing units is another option, Murphy said. It would let the growth areas pay for growth, instead of shoving the burden off onto the donor communities.
“Marco, Naples and North Naples generate about 60 percent of (county) tax revenue,” Murphy said this week at an Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council meeting.
EMS is in financial trouble, and had to be bailed out by the county commission to make budget for the next two years. Had commissioners declined to transfer money from one fund into the EMS pot, 24 EMS workers would have lost their jobs.
Friday morning, the joint EMS Advisory Council/Collier Productivity subcommittee didn’t have a quorum so no official action could be taken on any of the fee recovery ordinances.
At the EMSAC meeting earlier in the week, directors voted to take Robert Tober, the county’s medical director, off the EMS Advisory Council as an ex-officio director and list him as staff director.
Several fire chiefs objected to that move, preferring Tober’s opinions to be stated publicly, at the discussion table and in the form of a vote, rather than behind the scenes through memos to EMS staff and county commissioners.
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I heard on the radio today that a city in California will no longer send firetrucks in addition to the EMS vehicle when a person feels faint at a restaurant. Apparently, the cost of diesel fuel has risen such that it is no longer cost effective to send three firetrucks and twelve firemen over to block traffic while observing EMS personnel administer Rolaids to a perspiring old woman.
#1 Posted by yregrus on May 2, 2008 at 11:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The above statement is kind of ignorant of the article. The cost of fuel is on the rise, that is true.
There has to be a way to cut the budget, and they are looking at valid ways.
The whole idea of merging may not be the best option either.
The services that each agency offers is so completely different. To say that one can absorb the other is really not an option.
Can these fire departments all respond equally well at the present level of EMS training they have?
To see tax dollars all thrown together to help the entire county is not the right idea at all. The local tax base supports the services.
So the cost recovery idea is great.
But lets see the Pelican Bay residents send tax money over to Immokalee for fire trucks. The merging idea may be a bit difficult.
Mince the idea of merging, and define how monies can be spent efficiently.
#2 Posted by beetlejuice on May 3, 2008 at 12:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The merger will happen once the districts make sure their jobs are secure and pay raises are in place. Empire building is what it's all about with these clowns. Certain districts are awash with tax money {power) and will not give it up easily.
#3 Posted by cousinjed on May 3, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yregrus, what an ignorant comment. Somebody feeling faint may have major issues going on. Maybe diabetic shock, or maybe they are getting ready to have the big one, or a myriad of other things. I am sure if it was you, you would want the calvary coming. Also, I am sure the EMS trucks are staffed with three people in the city you speak of, instead of two, like the way it is done here. If you have three people on an ambulance, the way it should be, then the fire truck is not needed. I guess this comment just goes to show you how ignorant the public really is.
cousinjed, I hope to you aren't calling firefighters clowns! If so, what do you do for a living or did you do for a living? I didn't know that you were so high and mighty that you could call any firefighter/EMS a clown.
I don't see how the public can show so much disrespect to fire and EMS personnel. They are out there working as hard as they can saving lives, battling brush fires, extricating victims from car wrecks, cleaning the car wrecks, battling house/structure fires, etc. If you think this job is so easy, why didn't you pick the career? O, maybe its because you wanted to sit behind a desk in the air conditioning pushing papers all day. Man, that sounds exciting to me.
Who cares if they have multi million dollar budgets? That just means they can have the best equipment when you are in a time of need. When it comes my time, I would want to know that I had the best coming to me.
#4 Posted by napleska7 on May 3, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
its as simple as this...
look at what Salt Lake City Fire Department did recently with their merge...
#5 Posted by Local20_21_22_23_24 on May 3, 2008 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Napleska7: I respect the Pope and my Mother. You aint either. I musta hit close to home.
#6 Posted by cousinjed on May 3, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You respect the Pope? LOL. Your credibility just went down the dirtter. The Pope, the wonderful individual that he is, slammed the pedophile priests in the Catholic church. Yet, he brought one of these pedophiles over to the Vatican to protect him. Ya, that's a great individual to respect.
Also, you should get out more and realize there are many other individuals to respect out in this world.
#7 Posted by napleska7 on May 4, 2008 at 8:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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