Laserfiche WebLink
Project title: Non-Emergency Lift Assistance Ordinance related to licensed care facilities <br />Council Bill # <br />CB 2506-38 <br />Project: Non-Emergency Lift Assist Ordinance <br />Partner/Supplier: NA <br /> Location: NA <br />Preceding action: None <br />Fund: 153/Emergency Medical Services <br />Agenda dates requested: <br />Briefing 6/25/25 <br />Proposed Action 7/02/25 <br />Consent <br />Action 7/09/25 <br />Ordinance X <br />Public hearing <br />X Yes No <br />Budget amendment: <br />Yes X No <br />PowerPoint presentation: <br />Yes X No <br />Attachments: <br />Draft Ordinance <br />ALTSA: ALF #2024-035 <br />ALTSA: NH #2024-053 <br />Department(s) involved: <br />Fire, Legal <br />Contact person: <br />Dave DeMarco <br />Phone number: <br />425-257-8101 <br />Email: <br />DDeMarco@everettwa.gov <br />Initialed by: <br />Department head <br />Administration <br />Council President <br />Fiscal summary statement: <br />This draft ordinance proposes a penalty fee for licensed care facilities who access 911 for routine <br />patient lift assists when no medical emergency is suspected. The fee is intended to discourage <br />the use of emergency services for this purpose and may produce some small revenue, but it is <br />not intended as a revenue stream and is not expected to have any real fiscal impact for fund 153. <br />Project summary statement: <br />This proposed ordinance penalizes licensed care facilities for accessing emergency medical <br />services to perform routine patient lift assists in cases where no medical emergency exists. <br />Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) routinely reminds licensed care <br />facilities of the WAC requirement to maintain staff able to perform routine lift assists without the <br />use of emergency services (see attached DSHS letter ALTSA ALF #2024-035/ALTSA NH #2024- <br />053.) <br />Despite their obligation to perform these services internally, occasionally licensed care facilities <br />utilize emergency responders to perform this work when no medical emergency exists. The <br />proposed penalty is meant to discourage this practice and reserve valuable emergency medical <br />services resources for medical emergencies only. <br />The penalty fee will be developed internally, based on the community cost to deliver this service <br />and adjusted annually for inflation. The ordinance will not apply to registered adult family homes, <br />nor to licensed care facilities when the patient is also experiencing a concurrent medical <br />emergency. <br />If adopted, the department will undertake an 8-week educational campaign targeting all licensed <br />care facilities within the city before imposing any penalty fees. An facility appeal process in <br />included in the ordinance. <br />Recommendation (exact action requested of Council): <br />Adopt an Ordinance relating to Ambulance and Emergency First Aid Services, adding a Section to <br />Chapter 3.82 of the Everett Municipal Code. <br />City Council Agenda Item Cover Sheet