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Requesting that the Administration submit a budget resolution funding the super medic service at Station 5.
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WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul provides fire suppression and paramedic service through its Department of Fire and Safety Services; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the 4-person paramedic and fire suppression units located throughout the City, to more efficiently and safely provide paramedic services, the Department of Fire and Safety Services provides an additional 2-person paramedic unit, called “super medic” units, at three stations: Station 8 at 1924 West Como Avenue; Station 8 at 65 E. 10th Street; and Station 9 at 1624 E. Maryland Avenue; and
WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of the Council that the Department of Fire and Safety Services intends to discontinue the super medic service at Station 9 in order to establish a super medic service at Station 5 located at 860 Ashland Avenue in response to increase demand in that area due to service calls related to the Green Line on University Avenue and in response to the anticipated increase in service demands due to the development of the Ford site in the southwestern corner of the City and the development of a major league soccer facility at University and Snelling Avenues; and
WHEREAS, the service needs in the vicinity of Station 9 have not decreased so moving the super medic unit from Station 9 leaves that area unacceptably underserved; and
WHEREAS, based on the foregoing, the Council believes that public health and safety would be best served by increasing the staffing in the Department of Fire and Safety Services to accommodate the increase in staffing at Station 5 without reducing the service at Station 9.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council requests the Administration to prepare an amendment for the 2016 budget consistent with City Charter § 10.07.1 for the Department of Fire and Safety Service to increase the staff sufficiently to maintain super medic service at Stations 5 and 9 and certifying revenues available in excess of those estimated in the existing budget to appropriate for said increase; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council requests that the Administration cause this budget amendment to be on the Council Agenda for public hearing on March 2 16, 2016, or in the alternative if revenue cannot be identified, that the Director of Finance appear before the Council on that date to report on his efforts to identify revenues for this purpose and to offer alternative options to achieve the Council’s intent as stated in this resolution.