2004/10/13 Council Agenda Packet

5 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE relating to the Everett Fire Department's transporting sick or injured persons; imposing a medical service response fee to recover actual or billed costs associated with such transport; establishing criteria and procedures for billing and member status for Everett residents, business owners and their employees, and amending Ordinance No. 2308-98 (Chapter 5.72 Everett Municipal Code) by adding new sections and amending Section 1. WHEREAS,the City of Everett Fire Department is authorized to provide ambulance services,pursuant to RCW 35.27.370(15) and to levy property taxes for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)under RCW 84.52.069 which levy was approved by the voters of the City of Everett in the years 1982, 1988, 1994 and made permanent by voter approval in 2000; and WHEREAS,both the providing of emergency paramedic/aid units for EMS services and transport service and the providing of such services are an exercise of the City's police power for the preservation of the public health, safety and general welfare of the City and its inhabitants; and WHEREAS,the City of Everett provides Advanced Life Support (ALS)paramedic service and transport within the City and for cities with which it has a contract to do so; and WHEREAS,the City of Everett provides Basic Life Support(BLS)medic service within the City, and for cities with which it has a contract to do so, and provides transport in situations where no other private ambulance service is available to provide such transport or where it is in the best interest of the injured or sick person to have such service; and WHEREAS,Fire Department support of BLS services started in 1974 (Ordinance No. 282-74)with primary financial support from the General Fund; and 1 18