New Rochelle FD Puts Out RFP For Ambulance Services

[x635 4,066]

Honestly, I'm kind of surprised and disappointed. I was hoping New Rochelle would take the lead in establishing a fire based EMS service, as they were one of the first departments to do EMS first response in the area.

 

An interesting read on what an EMS contract requires, as New Rochelle is very specific, and here are those specifics http://www.newrochelleny.com/DocumentCenter/View/4857

 

The most interesting to me:

 

Quote

 

7.2 PROPOSAL OPTIONS -

A. Option #1 – Coverage of the entire City of New Rochelle

B. Option #2 – Coverage of the City of New Rochelle from the centerline of

Stratton Road South to the Long Island Sound

 

C. Option #3 – Coverage of the City of New Rochelle from the centerline of

Quaker Ridge Road South to the Long Island Sound

D. Option #4 – Coverage of the entire City of New Rochelle and the Town of

Pelham under a unified City of New Rochelle / Town of Pelham EMS system.

 

a. Option #4 would eliminate the Pelham ALSFR flycar and replace it

with an ALS Ambulance 24/7/365. Stationed in Pelham (or in New

Rochelle, if Pelham is unable to accommodate).

 

 

[stixx 7]

This contract is stupid just give it to empress.

[Bnechis 3,961]

7 hours ago, stixx said:

This contract is stupid just give it to empress.

This is not a contract it's a request for proposals 

 

its illegal to give a no bid contract with government money to a private person or company 

[nfd2004 750]

I am guessing but for ANY fire service to take on the ambulance service for a city involves a lot of behind the scene work.

 

This new duty would also have to be negotiated with the city and firefighters bargaining unit as it is a change in working conditions. Would additional firefighter/emts have to be hired ? Do the current firehouses have the room to house these ambulances ? How many go into service on a shift and who covers the city if those ambulances are tied up on calls ?

 

The fire service is the perfect place to run an ambulance service. The firehouse is manned 24 hours a day, the members are trained to deal with emergency situations, and fire stations are placed throughout the city.  Can it be done ? Of course it can. But not just overnight.

[Dinosaur 844]

9 hours ago, stixx said:

This contract is stupid just give it to empress.

 

Stupid is not exploring options to insure that you're providing the best service possible at the most economical cost to your customers/constituents.

 

[Dinosaur 844]

1 hour ago, nfd2004 said:

I am guessing but for ANY fire service to take on the ambulance service for a city involves a lot of behind the scene work.

 

This new duty would also have to be negotiated with the city and firefighters bargaining unit as it is a change in working conditions. Would additional firefighter/emts have to be hired ? Do the current firehouses have the room to house these ambulances ? How many go into service on a shift and who covers the city if those ambulances are tied up on calls ?

 

The fire service is the perfect place to run an ambulance service. The firehouse is manned 24 hours a day, the members are trained to deal with emergency situations, and fire stations are placed throughout the city.  Can it be done ? Of course it can. But not just overnight.

 

 

Ambulances have been "staged" in firehouses in New Rochelle for years, probably decades.

 

 

[61MACKBR1 222]

3 hours ago, nfd2004 said:

I am guessing but for ANY fire service to take on the ambulance service for a city involves a lot of behind the scene work.

 

This new duty would also have to be negotiated with the city and firefighters bargaining unit as it is a change in working conditions. Would additional firefighter/emts have to be hired ? Do the current firehouses have the room to house these ambulances ? How many go into service on a shift and who covers the city if those ambulances are tied up on calls ?

 

 

 

As well run an operation as Empress Ambulance is and has been, it would a make perfect sense to have NRFD bring back Ambulance Service/EMS Support within the fold of the New Rochelle Fire Department. As was mentioned before, Ambulances covering the City of New Rochelle have been quartered in Station 1 and Station 3 for decades. Look at the possibility of by having EMS directly under the NRFD, could allow NRFD EMS/Ambulance Personnel, to be able to utilize NRFD Rescue 4, when needed, without having to take Ladder 11 out of service.

 

My hope, as well, was that cities like New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, White Plains and even, yes, the City of Yonkers, to eventually bring EMS Services into the cities Fire Department Fold. Word is that the New Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon was looking at the possibility of running EMS Services thru the FDMV. Now with open discussions about NRFD taking on EMS Services, and who knows what Commissioner David Chong might be thinking on the same front, well who knows what the possibilities are.

 

Maybe Barry can add his thoughts and comments to this subject

[Bnechis 3,961]

Funny how everyone thinks it's a fire department decision. It's up to the politicians to determine if they want the FD to do it. And currently under NY States tax cap if it costs more, it means something else must get cut. Even if it were to be a better service, it's all about $$$$

[dmc2007 17]

On the topic of offering to create a joint system with Pelham-that seems like a pretty clear indication that the contract is empress' to lose, no?  Either way that sounds like a great way to improve service to Pelham at the same time by consolidating systems-something Westchester (and mass too, among others) could use more of. 

 

The equipment section of the contract had a few interesting points. Granted, it's been a while since my NY card lapsed, and even longer since I actually spent any significant time volunteering there (and only at the Bls level), but the inclusion of video scopes and BiPAP capable vents was a surprise. Are a lot of services in Westchester moving to video scopes?  As for the vents, are medics in ny allowed to initiate them (either for incubated patients or as NIV)?  Or is that provision there for stat transfers out of SSMC/monte north?

[Medic442 15]

It is a interesting read I must say. It guarantees the city a lot and new buses 1 & 3s. Out of the 4 no maybe only 3 companies can bid. They ask for 3 years with no bankruptcies. The company is going to be sending its employees to DMV Will the company pay for the lic upgrade. I have my class E, but never have I ever had a company request. That ands money on the renewal.

Vent onboard, why not. The company I work for requires this. Yes dmc2007, we are able to. Makes easy work on a arrest with little help available.

[sympathomedic 383]

The RSI  requirement sure limits the  field of bidders.

Barry:  I assume this was 80 % you and maybe 20% legal dept?

 

Does anyone have the LAST RFP for a side-by-side comparison of how it has changed?

[trauma74 111]

I read the RFP. It is pretty extensive, but very thorough. I wonder how many companies are going to meet all of the qualifications? As far as the statements like "They should just give it to Empress", it is very obvious that some people do not understand the first thing about how local government works.

[trauma74 111]

As far as the requirements for employees to have a class E Drivers License. I do not understand this requirement. A class E license is a chauffeur's license, which is needed to operate a taxi or ambulette. I highly doubt that any of the companies will pay for the upgrade to a class E license. When I was employee of Empress back in the late 90s, I was told that I needed to get a class E license. I did get it and I had to pay for it myself. I can see some companies telling their employees that if they want to work in that system, then they will have to pay for the license upgrade to class E.

[Bnechis 3,961]

A request for proposal is just that...a request for proposals. The municipality can and should put in its wish list. The potential vendors do not have to comply with every component. The municipality wants to hear the vendors ideas. 

 

This is is no different from when we do an RFP for a truck and get many different options. And the city has the right to pick what it feels is best, and it's not always cost.

[nfd2004 750]

The City of Mount Vernon was mentioned as having the fire dept run the ambulance service. As I understand it, the City of Mount Vernon doesn't even have enough firefighters to do their primary job of fighting fires.

[61MACKBR1 222]

11 hours ago, nfd2004 said:

The City of Mount Vernon was mentioned as having the fire dept run the ambulance service. As I understand it, the City of Mount Vernon doesn't even have enough firefighters to do their primary job of fighting fires.

 

I know that this is a played out/sore subject with many on EMTBravo.net, but I will again say, if the "Powers to Be" (Politicians) would all get together, abolish the "Home Rule" permanently, and develop and implement a 100% County Run EMS and Fire Operation, with every county tax payer being held responsible for the costs of running such operation, you would stop such comments, as "The City of Mount Vernon doesn't even have enough firefighters to do their primary job of fighting fires". If you take the LOCAL BULL-DINKY POLITICS (both Governmental and Unions) out of the equation and put it in the hands of a Group of EMS and Fire Professionals throughout the county (such as say 5 to 7 "Leaders" coming out of say Yonkers, New Rochelle, White Plains, Mount Vernon, Eastchester, and possibly 1 or 2 Northern Westchester County Towns/Villages) to oversee the day to day operation of such a "Consolidated County Run EMS/Fire Service" you would never have to worry about Private Companies going bankrupt. 

 

When will people wake up and say "This is Enough" ?????

[trauma74 111]

99.9% of the time, a municipal EMS system is going to better than having a private for-profit ambulance provide these services. If you look at the municipal/quasi-municipal systems in Westchester County, they seem to run very well. Thier employees seem well paid & fairly satisfied with their jobs. These systems appear to be worth the money to the taxpayers who are covered by them. 

The stability of private ambulance services can change at any moment, leaving municipalities holding their ****s & scrambling to find coverage. Even when Transcare started having money troubles last year, nobody ever thought such a large ambulance service with many years in business, would have gone bankrupt. If this could happen to Transcare, it could very well happen to any of the other private companies that operate in Westchester County. 

In a perfect world, we should have a County Run EMS System, but as mentioned earlier, home rule gets in the way of this happening. Maybe something like starting a County system & at first, have the Cities contract with the County for EMS services & maybe have the VACs contract with the County to staff their ambulances when they don't have enough volunteers to staff them properly. It would be something to start with & then eventually things can start transitioning to a full County EMS system.  Just my 2 cents. 

[Bnechis 3,961]

3 hours ago, trauma74 said:

Even when Transcare started having money troubles last year, nobody ever thought such a large ambulance service with many years in business, would have gone bankrupt.

The only ones who thought that were the ones with blinders on. We were very aware of what Lynn Tilton was up to. And we knew it was coming.

[sympathomedic 383]

Very interesting how someone makes an assumption and then it becomes an (incorrect fact). 

Someone who THOUGHT the knew what they were talking about told me that New Rochelle fueled the NR Transcare rigs for free as part of the contract, as they fueled at the City yard.

     Looks like the city tracks and bills the EMS fuel costs back to the provider. 

    Oops:  I just realized that makes NR a creditor to TC.

Barry, how much money is NR out for unreimbursed fuel consumption?

[Bnechis 3,961]

I have no idea, but at the same time we just deduct it from their payments