Report Prepared by: Derek Parker, Fire Chief, Fire Department
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of Additions and Deletions to Positions, Job Descriptions, and Salaries for the Fire Department
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers approving the additions and deletions to positions, job descriptions, and salaries for the Fire Department.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic job descriptions and salaries in the Fire Department for future; and,
B. Approving the Fire Captain I/II, Engineer I/II, and Firefighter I/II job descriptions and salary schedules and the deletion of Fire Captain, Engineer, and Fire Fighter job descriptions and salary schedules in the Fire Department; and,
C. Approving the addition of 18 Fire Captain I/II, 18 Engineer I/II, and 24 Firefighter I/II positions and the deletion of 18 Fire Captain, 18 Fire Engineer, and 24 Fire Fighter positions in the Fire Department; and,
D. Approving the addition of 24 Firefighter I/II positions to be covered by the SAFER grant for the first three years; and,
E. Approving Resolution 2023-82, A Resolution of the City of Merced, California, amending the Classification Plan by updating the personnel allocation in the Fire Department by adding the Paramedic job classification and salary, adding Emergency Medical Technician job classification and salary, adding the Firefighter I/II job classification and salary, adding the Engineer I/II job classification and salary, adding the Fire Captain I/II job classification and salary; and deleting the Fire Fighter job classification and salary, deleting the Engineer job classification and salary, and Fire Captain job classification and salary; and,
F. Authorizing the City Manager or Deputy City Manager to execute all documents, including any amendments; and,
G. Authorizing the Finance Officer to make the necessary budget adjustments.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended; or
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended (identify specific findings and/or conditions amended to be addressed in the motion); or
3. Deny; or
4. Continue to a future meeting (date and time to be specified in the motion).
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 1105.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Public Safety, as provided for the in 2023-24 Budget.
DISCUSSION
Over the past 26 months the local contracted ambulance provider has not been able to meet their contractual obligations to the community and the County of Merced has placed the organization in material breach of contract. The vision of the Merced Fire Department is, “The City of Merced Fire Department is a progressive organization unified in creating a safe and secure community.” The Merced Fire Department is committed to providing emergency medical care to the citizens of the City of Merced and the surrounding communities as a department goal. The goal reads, “Provide the highest level of emergency response consistent with identified community needs and expectations.”
In 2021, per council direction, the Merced Fire Department laid forth a plan to bring advanced life support (ALS) capabilities to the community through the MFD. The fire engines and fire trucks on duty will have capabilities for paramedic level service. Previous steps taken have been the addition of LUCAS chest compression devices on all apparatus, all-band communications for all personnel and apparatus through AFG funding, the creation of a local paramedic program in cooperation with Merced College, and paramedic education scholarships through AFG funding.
In preparation for the coming paramedic trained firefighters, job descriptions must be created to account for their new duties as well as identification of salary adjustments for ALS trained personnel. The deletion of the existing Fire Captain, Engineer, and Fire Fighter positions shall be replaced with Fire Captain I/II, Engineer I/II, and Firefighter I/II. A journeyman level position (I/II) can be adjusted by the Department head upon completion of the required certification/licensure. A Fire Captain I, Engineer I, and Firefighter I is an EMT level job classification whereas a Fire Captain II, Engineer II, and Firefighter II is a Paramedic level job classification. The salary increase for a level II ALS position is 10%. Based upon the current and active Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Merced and the IAFF Merced Firefighters Association the fiscal impact for base salary is $684/month ($8,208 annually) per Firefighter II, a maximum of $787/month ($9,446.40 annually) per Engineer II, and $906/month ($10,873.20 annually) per Fire Captain II. This does not include benefits. In the current paramedic training program MFD only has Firefighters attending school.
Sierra Emergency Medical Alliance, doing business as RIGGS Ambulance, has been administering the First Responder Fee on behalf of MFD for many years. MFD has data recording the collection of the First Responder Fee back to 2016. The historical data shows the following revenue returned to MFD:
|
FY |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
Grand Total |
|
2016 |
|
|
$ 9,951.00 |
$ 9,589.00 |
$ 19,540.00 |
|
2017 |
$ 7,826.00 |
$ 8,041.00 |
$ 5,572.00 |
$ 5,314.00 |
$ 26,753.00 |
|
2018 |
$ 4,668.00 |
$ 6,300.00 |
Not avail |
Not avail |
$ 10,968.00 |
|
2019 |
$ 7,582.00 |
Not avail |
$ 7,199.00 |
$ 5,334.00 |
$ 20,114.00 |
|
2020 |
Not avail |
$ 4,520.38 |
$ 4,743.86 |
$ 7,895.08 |
$ 17,159.32 |
|
2021 |
$ 6,747.57 |
$ 12,302.07 |
$ 12,425.85 |
$ 9,921.70 |
$ 41,397.19 |
|
2022 |
$ 7,221.30 |
$ 8,554.86 |
$ 7,736.42 |
$ 7,415.17 |
$ 30,927.75 |
|
2023 |
$ 8,282.27 |
$ 7,647.66 |
Not avail |
Not avail |
$ 15,929.93 |
|
Grand Total |
|
|
|
|
$162,657.19 |
The revenue generated at $125 per transport has been sufficient to cover the 4 members who are attending paramedic school. Any addition to the First Responder Fee will cover additional positions.
The recent FEMA SAFER award of over $8.9MM was written to allow for firefighter/paramedics to be added to the department, at the firefighter rank, without fiscal impact to the city budget due to the 100% grant match. The new firefighter who would have a paramedic license would enter the department as a Firefighter II under the proposed rank change.
In August 2023, MFD purchased an ambulance to transport patients and support the EMS system. The intent of the patient transports is to relieve the stress upon the only hospital within an 80-mile catchment area, Merced Medical Center, Merced. To staff the ambulance single function, single-role Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic job descriptions and salary ranges are being created but the Fire Department is not proposing the additional of budgeted positions be added at this time.
To provide evidence of support and community need, Mercy Medical Center, Merced has approached MFD to enter into a contract to provide ambulance transport services. This would be for patients who need to be discharged from Mercy Medical Center, Merced (MMCM). MMCM averages no less than 10 ambulance transports out of the hospital daily.
On October 2, 2023, City Council approved the award and appropriating funding for the SAFER grant on agenda item 23-851. The award for staffing is for the allocation of 24 additional firefighters to increase staffing and safety within the City of Merced. The position control now needs to be updated to reflect the additional positions to the Fire Department.
On October 9, 2023, the job descriptions and salary schedules were approved by the City of Merced Personnel Board. The next steps are to have the job descriptions, salary schedules, and positions changes approved by council, in order to implement.
MFD remains committed to supporting improved patient outcomes to those in the community.
Summary
MFD recommends and is requesting council approval for:
• Deletion of 18 Fire Captain positions and salary
• Addition of 18 Fire Captain I/II position and salary
• Deletion of 18 Engineer positions and salary
• Addition of 18 Engineer I/II positions and salary
• Deletion of 24 Firefighter positions and salary
• Addition of 24 Firefighter I/II positions and salary
• Addition of 24 Firefighter I/II positions created from SAFER grant to be added to the fire department in the General Fund 1000, Project GR240017
• Direction for Letter of Understanding with IAFF L1479 to remove Paramedic incentive and introduce Fire Captain I/II, Engineer I/II, and Firefighter I/II as recognized positions. Addition of Paramedic and EMT positions IAFF L1479 to the Merced Fire Firefighter’s Association.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
There are no fiscal impacts to the current budget. No eligible Firefighters, Engineers, or Fire Captains are licensed paramedics. Any new hire personnel would be covered with the SAFER grant which reimburses for their salary and benefits. There is currently no proposed EMT and Paramedic positions until a future fiscal year. After an EMS Fee Schedule is adopted, revenue projections can be calculated to maintain fiscal accountability.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution 2023-82
2. Firefighter I/II Job Description DRAFT
3. Engineer I/II Job Description DRAFT
4. Fire Captain I/II Job Description DRAFT
5. Emergency Medical Technician Job Description DRAFT
6. Paramedic Job Description DRAFT
7. IAFF L1479 Labor Agreement
9. DRAFT Salary Schedule