Page 18 - 2022-04 Courier.pub

Recap of Neighborhood Watch

Fire Department Presentation

By Mia Winter, Neighborhood Watch Director
Photos by Debbie Ferris

Photos from the Neighborhood Watch Special Meeting on March 15th at The Retreat. The Roseville
Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Responder Fee program presented by Acting Ad-
ministrative Battalion Chief Michael Bradley drew a packed crowd of 70 in-person and 50 online
ZOOM Attendees. Rounding out the panelists were Fire Chief Rick Bartee, who made his first ap-
pearance at The Club, accompanied by Assistant City Attorney Joe Speaker and Public Information
Officer Jamie Garrett. I served as the host.

"The principle rationale for the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee is that local govern-
ment fire department services have expanded well beyond the traditional fire suppression generally
supported by the City's share of sales and property tax revenues," said Bradley. The change in balance
from fire suppression to medical services has shifted the rationale for funding fire department opera-
tions from primarily tax revenues to a combination of tax revenues and user fees. Taxpayer dollars
cover calls for lift assists, fire alarm checks and related. The $353.71 first responder fee is an industry
standard across the nation and for nearby cities including Lincoln, Granite Bay, Rocklin and Sacra-
mento.
According to Assistant City Attorney Joe Speaker, "a public agency cannot profit from a fee." The
City of Roseville has been absorbing these costs for years. On October 7, 2020, the Roseville City
Council adopted Section 9.27 of the Roseville Municipal Code – Emergency Medical Services Re-
sponder Fee. The code adoption allows the City to collect fees related to the cost of providing emer-
gency medical services that require transportation to the hospital by ambulance for both city residents
and non-residents. Most insurances cover the responder fee. Chief Bartee is in talks with Medicare. A
“compassion clause” is also included to provide relief to private payers without the financial ability to
pay.

Every Roseville Firefighter is certified as a Paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician and with at
least one Paramedic on every unit. Patients with even the most serious conditions can be stabilized
prior to being transported to the hospital. According to Bradley, “In Roseville there is only one
AMR ambulance for every 3 or 4 stations here. The ambulances are stationed at Mahany Park, Down-
town Roseville, The Galleria and Rocklin. AMR is headquartered in Colfax and contracted by Placer
County. With eight fire stations and 10 fully staffed firefighter/paramedics, Roseville engines are able
to respond to 9-1-1 medical emer-
gencies with paramedics and med-
ical services at your door within
minutes.”

All eight stations are equipped
with state-of-the-art Lucas de-
vices, safer for administering CPR
as it allows for automatic com-
pression, brain pro-fused oxygen
keeping the heart beating when
moving the patient. According to
Bradley, the Lucas Device is 2 to
3 times better in saving lives than
the national average. These de-
vices were obtained through
grants by the City of Roseville
Fire Department, and not covered
by taxpayer funds. Contact
Michael Bradley
mbradley@roseville.ca.us or
916-774-5806.

April 2022 Page 18