HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance #3616 ORDINANCE NO. 3616
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
AMENDING CHAPTER 8.68 OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH MUNICIPAL
CODE RELATING TO THE FIREMED PROGRAM
The City Council of the City of Huntington Beach does hereby ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 8.68.020 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.68.020 Definitions Unless a different meaning is apparent from the context or is
specified elsewhere in the code,the following definitions shall be used:
(a) FireMed Services: Those services provided by the Huntington Beach Fire
Department and its designated ambulance provider related to treatment and
transportation provided during the course of an emergency medical incident.
(b) FireMed Program: A voluntary membership plan where its members shall prepay at a
fixed price, the uninsured portion of emergency medical and ambulance services
provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department, or its equivalent.
(c) Member: Residents of Huntington Beach households, resident businesses and their
employees, who have registered with the City and prepaid the Voluntary Membership
Fee.
(d) Advanced Life Support (ALS): Any Advanced Life Support medical treatment
performed by paramedics (EMT-P) outside of a hospital. This treatment shall follow
the current "Advanced Life Support Treatment Guidelines" as specified by the
Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency.
(e) Basic Life Support(BLS): Any Basic Life Support treatment which is authorized by
the State of California Department of Health to be performed by Emergency Medical
Technicians I (EMT-I) and/or paramedics (EMT-P) at the scene of medical
emergency.
(f) Ambulance: The designated ground ambulance service, licensed by the State of
California and the County of Orange,which provide services for the Huntington
Beach Fire Department.
SECTION 2. Section 8.68.050 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.68.050 Enrollment Each resident and business of the City will have the opportunity to
join the FireMed program at any time throughout the year.
(1) Persons receiving a residential utility billing from the City may enroll in the FireMed
Program and place the monthly charge on their bill.
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Ordinance No. 3616
(2) Households,resident businesses, and employees of resident businesses not receiving a
utility bill may enroll in the Fire Med Program and establish an annual bill.
SECTION 3. Section 8.68.060 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.68.060 Member benefits FireMed members shall receive the following benefits by
joining the voluntary membership program:
(1) If the member is insured, prepayment of the Uninsured portion of
(a) ALS charges
(b) BLS charges
(c) Emergency ambulance transportation.
(2) If the member is uninsured,prepayment of twenty percent (20%) of
(a) ALS charges
(b) BLS charges
(c) Emergency ambulance transportation.
Member benefits may be added and modified at the discretion of the Fire Chief.
SECTION 4. Section 8.68.065 is hereby added to the Huntington Beach Municipal
Code, said section to read as follows:
8.68.065 Additional member benefits
(1) CPR Class
(2) Emergency medical information program.
SECTION 5. Section 8.68.070 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.68.070 Authorization for fees Advanced Life Support, Basic Life Support and
Ambulance fees are hereby authorized and shall be charged in connection with
emergency medical care and ambulance services provided by the Huntington Beach Fire
Department.
1. The "Fee for Services" shall be a user fee designed to recover costs associated with
the delivery of emergency medical care and ambulance services. Such fees shall be
based on:
(a) Emergencies requiring Basic Life Support(BLS) services; and
(b) Emergencies requiring Advanced Life Support(ALS) services; and
(c) Emergencies requiring ambulance transportation to the nearest medical facility
best suited to meet the patient's emergency medical needs.
2. The "Voluntary Membership Fee -FireMed" shall be a membership offered to
Huntington Beach residents and resident businesses on a voluntary basis for the
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Ordinance No. 3616
purpose of allowing its members to prepay, at a fixed price,the uninsured portion of
emergency ambulance and emergency medical charges for services provided by the
Huntington Beach Fire Department.
(a) Payment of the voluntary fee by households shall entitle membership to
permanent residents of that household, related or not. Household guests who
receive emergency medical care at a residential FireMed address will be regarded
as a FireMed member.
(b) Fees paid by resident businesses and employees of non-member resident
businesses entitle membership to the employee only. Customers,patrons, visitors
or others using the facilities of such businesses shall be charged directly for
paramedic and ambulance services.
SECTION 6. Section 8.68.100 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.68.100 Exemptions Determination for an exemption or reduction of"Fee for Services" or the
"Voluntary Membership Fee" by persons claiming a hardship shall be determined by the Fire
Chief.
SECTION 8. This ordinance shall become effective 30 days after its adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach at a
regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of September , 2003.
&Xti., )aVA4aOt/
Mayor
ATTE T:
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Clerk
�3 ity Attorney
REVIEWED AND APPROVED:
f�
TED AN OVED:
City A inistrator
Fire Chief "OZ21P
03ord/chap 8-68 ord/8/4/03 3
Ord. No. 3616
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH )
I, CONNIE BROCKWAY, the duly elected, qualified City Clerk of the
City of Huntington Beach, and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of said City, do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach is seven; that the foregoing ordinance was read to said City Council at
a regular meeting thereof held on the 18th day of August,2003, and was again read to
said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on the 2nd day of September,2003,
and was passed and adopted by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all the
members of said City Council.
AYES: Sullivan, Coerper, Boardman, Cook, Houchen, Hardy
NOES: None
ABSENT: Green
ABSTAIN: None
I,Connie Brockway,CITY CLERK of the City of
Huntington Beach and ex-officio Clerk of the City
Council,do hereby certify that a synopsis of this
ordinance has been published in the Huntington Beach
Fountain Valley
y�Innde�peen�ydeent on
Q�
)P C/11 D W I 1 U '2003.
In accordance with the City Charter of said City
CQmie Brockway, Ci1y Clerk City Clerk and ex-officio C rk
b- A/L' Deputy City Clerk of the City Council of the City
of Huntington Beach, California