Statements regarding Medic One services

Posted: June 16, 2010 1:15:06 PM PDT

Recent actions and statements by Whatcom County government officials about how Medic One services are provided to our community are once again in the news. Countywide Medic One services are provided by Whatcom Medic One, operated by the City of Bellingham Fire Department under an interlocal agreement with Whatcom County.

The City and County recently resolved a Medic One budget dispute through formal mediation. The proposed settlement was publicly debated by the Whatcom County Council at two recent Council meetings. After the June 8 meeting, County Council Chairman Sam Crawford stated to local media representatives that while the City plays an important role in the system, it needs to be administered through Whatcom County and not the City of Bellingham. This is the latest in a series of statements by County officials indicating the County may wish to dissolve the current agreement with the City of Bellingham and assume responsibility for providing countywide paramedic service.

City officials have long advocated that operating a single, integrated Medic One system is the most medically sound and cost effective way to provide quality paramedic care for all Whatcom County residents. While this concept has been debated regularly during the 35-year history of the Whatcom Medic One system, the City and County most recently came to agreement on a unified approach in 2005. This agreement is reflected in the Emergency Medical Services Plan developed by the Whatcom County Emergency Medical Services Working Group. Subsequent to the plan's adoption, the City and County spent considerable time and effort crafting the interlocal agreement in place today.

Since then, the City has been working hard to meet these agreements and maintain unified, cost-effective and high quality paramedic service for City and County residents. These efforts have been complicated by a bitter labor dispute between Whatcom County Fire District 7 firefighters, who have formed an independent guild, and Bellingham Firefighters IAFF Local 106. This dispute remains unresolved, and no further discussions are planned between the two work groups.

Fallout from this dispute has included conflict over training and supervision of paramedic certification and strained relations among paramedics who must work side-by-side in providing patient care. It also has led to District 7 establishing separate medical billing, supervising physician contracts, quality assurance processes, and operational/administrative support. While the City has worked with District 7 to create a workable system despite these changes, these operations are not part of the Emergency Medical Services Plan to which we all agreed.

The City's efforts have been further complicated by statements and actions by the Fire District 7 administration, the District 7 firefighters' guild and Whatcom County officials, maligning the City's efforts and bringing unnecessary political manuevering to bear against the Medic One system.

For the record:

The City's priority is providing quality, cost-effective public safety services to whomever we are called upon to serve.
The City will continue to advocate for an integrated, county-wide paramedic program because we are confident this is the most cost-effective and medically sound way to provide quality paramedic care for all Whatcom County residents.
Over the past 11 years, County officials routinely have questioned the operation and cost of the City-administered Medic One program. The City has continued to cooperate with the County and fire agencies in expensive, extensive planning processes in an effort to maintain high quality emergency medical services throughout Whatcom County, and has demonstrated time and time again our ability to do so.
The City is required to follow state labor laws in working with our collective bargaining units, which are autonomous organizations with rights and obligations that are outside the control of the City. This precludes the City's direct involvement settling the labor dispute. We stand ready to work with District 7 if and when the labor dispute is settled.
As the provider of nationally-recognized Medic One services for the past 35 years, City officials know what it takes to fund and operate this program and are proud of the high level of service we have consistently provided over the years. Turning this service over to the County, which has no experience and limited resources to maintain quality, effective paramedic services, may potentially jeopordize public safety and ultimately be more expensive.
The County has a history of both charging administrative fees to taxpayer funds and siphoning interest from those funds to the County General Fund, despite rulings from the state Auditor's Office about the inappropriateness of these practices.
As a last resort, regardless of what changes may take place, the City of Bellingham's priority will be ensuring that quality, cost-effective paramedic services are provided to Bellingham residents.
We await formal word from Whatcom County officials on their desires regarding the Whatcom Medic One program.

For more information, contact the City of Bellingham Mayor's Office at 778-8100.