EMS Agreement Review Project Charter

December 2018

Purpose:  The purpose of this project is to review the current Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agreement between the City of Lawrence and Douglas County with an end goal of having the Governing Bodies of both entities approve an updated agreement with a reasonable implementation timeframe. 

The parties recognize the value of preserving the partnership between the City and County in providing these valuable services to the public.  The parties recognize the need to update various provisions in the current agreements that are no longer applicable or are outdated, and also to create an arrangement that is financially equitable and fair to both entities. We recognize that EMS and Fire has evolved on a national level since the original agreement. The new agreement should reflect this evolution of emergency medical services.

The parties understand that the main goal is a complete and thorough update of the EMS agreement, however such review and updating may necessitate discussions about other related agreements, such as dispatch agreement, coroner scene investigations agreement, first responder agreement, City of Eudora agreement, hazard materials response agreement, and ambulance fee agreement. 

Timeline:  The parties agree to work toward a recommended agreement diligently and expeditiously, meeting on a regular schedule.  However, both recognize that the process may require communications with other cities, which could impact the timeline.  There could also be other unanticipated complexities encountered which could impact the timeline.  However, both parties agreement to dedicate the staff resources needed to bring the project to resolution as expeditiously as possible. 

Communication:  The parties agree to provide regular brief status reports to the City Manager and the Douglas County Commission during the process.  There will likely be appropriate touch points during the process where a more formal check in with the Governing Bodies will be needed.  These will be coordinated between the parties.  Communication may also be necessary with other affected entities.

Approach to Review/Activities and Deliverables:  The parties will work to identify important steps and deliverables/milestones and action steps in the process.  While subject to change, the following has been identified:

Timeline	Deliverables/Milestones*	Action Steps*
By end of 2018	Project Charter complete
By end of 2018, and ongoing as needed		Gather existing agreements and data
Early 2019		Review current EMS practices. Review financial models in other communities for EMS
		Identify sections of agreement which need updating
		Need to define equity
Sometime in February	Touch point with Governing Bodies
		Examine methodologies related to equity- such as levels of service, call volume and types of responses, etc.
		Cost allocation discussion- direct service cost and overhead
		Draft updated language
By end of March, subject to caveats in timeline section above	Agreement to City and County Commissions

*additional deliverables/milestones and action steps will likely be necessary, and will be added as needed through the process.