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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 200:� (EMS) uring the study of the Rosevillc Pire Department, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for Roseville were revicwed. Since 1979, the League of Wotnen Voters KoMaFH has held a position in support of the use of an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance in the city of Roseville_ A study donc by the LWV in 1978 was %Ilowed by a recon�mendation to the Roseville City Council that the City "institute a feasibility study for devel�ping a plan for emergency medical services jointly wath a pri- vate pravider and emergency hospi- tal personnel." In T'ebruary J 980, thc City madc an agreement with an Emergency Medical Service provider for full. tirne, 24 hours per day, seven days per week Advanced Lifc Support Service (ALS) throughout the City of Roseville, with the provision for payment by user fee, normally paid by users insurance. Cily staff revicws this service regularly. LWV RoMaFH periodically rcviews information about this scrvice and presents findings to the rtxember- ship. Some changes have been madc over the years. This service meets EMS slandards. �111ina Medical Transportalion of Allina Hospitals and Clinics currently scrves Roseville. Ambulances wil] delivcr paticnts to the hospital of their choice. The "hozne base" for the �unbulances serving Koscville and other nearby communilics is near Lexington Avenue and Highway 694 in Arden Hilis. Vehicles are often cruising in or near Roseville. During 2002, Allina answcred 2,398 emergency cails in Roseville with an average response time of seven minutes thirty five seconds, never being tnore than ten minutes fifty nine seconds except in unusual cir- cumslances. In the six month period from 8/1/02 to 1/3]103, lhcy answered l, l 84 calls in Roseville, with an average response time of six minutcs nine seconds. When an aimbulancc is responding lo a call, additional ambulances are available for any follow-up calls_ Allina has a tleek of vehicles and staff to provide backup for a major cxnergency. Curr�ntly Aliina serves Roseville at no cost to the City. The user pays for the service, usually lhrough insurance_ ltoscville f'olice Departtnent squad cars are always dispatchcd for 91l calls and are the "tirst responder," usually arriving in less than four minutes. All police officcrs are trained as firsl responders, (in first aid and in the use of defibrillators which are part of the equipment in each squad car). Police Chief Carol Sietner bas stated khat thc Police Department should keep its rale as first responder. Squad cars are already on the road and can arrive at the scene quickly_ In addition, thc nature of the emergency is not always cicar from the tirst call for help and police presence is useful. lluring the review of EMS, the LW V commitlec met with Neal Beets, Roseville City Manager and with lhree of the staff inembers from Allina Medical Transportatian Services, including the Medical Director. I WV RoMaFH toured the Allina facil�ty in nearby Shoreview. The staff frosn Allina responded to many yuestions frotn the group_ Primary Ser�ice Area (PSA) Roseville's Er�nergency Medical Scrvices are provided by a Yrirnary Scrvice Area. During the mid 1980's, the Minnesota Lcgislature passcd a statutc which provides that all atnbulance services in Minnesota are liccnsed lo serve a specific Primary Service Area, and only the servicc so aulhorized can work in that area. A new a►nbulance service cannot obtain a license lo serve in an area that is already covered unless there is a demonslrated need for another or different ambulance service. A new arr►bulance scrvice would not receive a license to com- pete against an existing provider unless it could show a demonstrated need. According to Mary Hedges, Fxecutive Director of the EMS Regulatory Board, there is nothing in the slatc law to prohibit a city from running their own ambulance service, and tl�ere is nothing in the law that hars a city-run ambulance service from obtaining insurancc rein�bursemcnt. The EMS regulato- ry board inay choose not to grant a liccnse to a ciry to run its own serv- ice if the 1'rimary 5ervice in which the city is located is already covered by a iicensed ambulanee service. League ot Women Voter RotulaFH 12 RoseviHe Fire Department 2003 & Beyond