[1. 3:30 P.M. or as soon thereafter as can be heard - Public Hearing on AmeriPro EMS of Florida, LLC's Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for Ambulance Service]
[00:00:07]
>> THIS IS THE STANDING COMMITTEE THAT IS DESIGNATED UNDER ORDINANCE NUMBER 2018-23.
THE PURPOSE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE IS TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH AN APPLICANT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE. WE HAVE CHIEF BOY HERE WHO CAN EXPLAIN THE SUSPECTS --
SPECIFICS OF THE CURRENT APPLICATION. >> I APPRECIATE YOUR EXCELLENT NATION. I WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE THROUGH THAT.
>> I BELIEVE THE CHIEF WILL GIVE YOU A DESCRIPTION. IDENTIFY WHO THE APPLICANT IS
AND SPECIFIC LICENSES THAT THEY ARE APPLYING FOR. >> CHIEF BARI WITH FIRE RESCUE.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE WANTED TO COME IN AND DO BUSINESS WITH THE COUNTY HAS TO MAKE APPLICATION TO THE FIRE CHIEF FOR REVIEW. THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE STANDING COMMITTEE WHICH WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD TO PROCEED OR NOT. WE HAVE THE END OF AUGUST WE RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FROM AMERIPRO EMS OF FLORIDA, LLC. WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT HERE TODAY FROM THEM.
THEY ARE APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATES CLASS B, C, AND D. CLASS A IS RESERVED FOR CLAY COUNTY FIRE RESCUE ONLY. THIS ALLOWS FOR SERVICES IN AND OUT OF THE COUNTY, INTERFACILITY SERVICES AND UPON REQUEST BY THE FIRE CHIEF, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES AS WELL. THEY HAVE PROVIDED EVERYTHING AS REQUIRED BY THE APPLICATION.
GRADED THROUGH THE ORDINANCE, THE SECTIONS REQUIRED IN THE ORDINANCE.
THEY HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED THEIR REQUIRED STATE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT LICENSING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE FINANCIAL IMPACT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AS REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THEIR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY CLAY COUNTY'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
AT THIS POINT THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE APPLICATION 100% AND HAVE MET ALL OF THE
REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS THE FIRE CHIEF IS CONCERNED. >> ONE OF THE SPECIFICS IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE PURCHASING AN EXISTING PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANY.
THE COUNTY ALREADY HAS AN COPCN WHERE THEY WILL BE TAKING OVER. >> THIS IS A CHANGE OF ORDINANC.
EVERY APPLICATION TO THE PROCESSES REQUIRED. >> WHAT COMPANY ARE THEY TAKING
OVER? >> THEY ARE TAKING OVER AMBULANCE SERVICES, INC.
I BELIEVE I SAW HER AN AUDIENCE AS WELL. >> ALL RIGHT, HOW DOES THIS WORK WITH THE EMERGENCY PART OF THIS? I KNOW CERTAIN CLASSES OF FOLKS CAN TAKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN AN ACCIDENT TO A HOSPITAL, FOZ ABSOLUTELY. THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS AS A PARAMEDIC AND EMTS. ALL OF THE SAME LICENSING WE ARE
REQUIRED TO USE FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. >> YOUR HAPPY WITH THIS COMPANY?
>> YES, SIR. THEY HAVE MET ALL OF THE CHECK BOXES YES SIR.
>> IT WOULD BE YOUR DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ACCEPT THIS APPLICATION?
>> YES, SIR. WHERE ELSE ARE THEY HAVE A TRACK RECORD.
ANTONIO DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW THEY ARE IN GEORGIA AND THEY HAVE
APPLIED IN TWO OTHER COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA AS WELL. >> OKAY.
LIKE I SAID, THERE IS REPRESENTATION HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS IS THE PROBLEM.
THAT IS WHY I'M ASKING YOU. >> THEY HAVE MET ALL OF OUR QUALIFICATIONS.
>> THE COST FACTOR, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? >> FOR US -- THE BENEFIT OF IT BEING A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP THERE WILL BE NO REDUCTION OR INCREASE AT THIS POINT.
THERE WILL BE NO ADDED COSTS TO THE COUNTY, OR DECREASE IN COSTS.
FOR US TO REPLACE THE SERVICE IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY $6 MILLION COST TO THE COUNTY.
[00:05:03]
>> OKAY. >> THAT IS THE SAME SLOT YOU HAVE IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION AS
WELL. >> BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE YOU AS A STANDING COMMITTEE ARE CHARGED WITH RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD EITHER AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE COPCN WITH ANY CONDITIONS YOU MAY WANT, DENIAL OF IT, OR THAT IT BE PRESENTED AS A PUBLIC HEARING IN FRONT OF THE BOARD. AT WHICH THE BOARD COULD THEN MAKE ITS OWN DETERMINATION.
>> WE HAVE THE OPTION OF MAKING IT A CONSENT ITEM? >> BASICALLY.
>> OKAY. >> AM GOOD WITH THAT. THEY HAVE SIX UNITS, OR
SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT? >> PER THE ORDINANCE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF
TWO IN THE THEY HAVE MORE THAN EXCEEDED THAT, YES. >> HOW ARE THEY PAID
>> JUST LIKE US. >> THEY ALSO HAVE TO COLLECT MORE THAN 40% TO GET THE FULL?
>> RIGHT. >> I AM GOOD WITH IT. >> WE WILL PLACE IT NONCONSENT
ITEM FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS. >> WE WON'T ACTUALLY HAVE IT AS A CONSENT, IT WILL BE AS AN ITEM. BUT IT WILL NOT BE AS A PUBLIC HEARING.
OR, IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE IT AS A PUBLIC HEARING YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
>> THIS WILL BE A BOARD DECISION AT THE NEXT MEETING? >> CORRECT.
>> JUST AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCEDURE. >> THE STATUTE LAYS OUT THE
DIFFERENT. >> PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT IS AGAINST
THIS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD OF? >> I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING OFFICIAL.
WE SENT OUT NOTICES VIA CERTIFIED MAIL TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES AND ALL THE PRIVATE AND OF -- ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING OFFICIAL YET.
I HAVE RECEIVED ONE E-MAIL IN SUPPORT OF THIS TRANSITION. >> NOTHING AGAINST IT?
>> NOTHING AGAINST THAT. >> I DON'T THINK WE WILL NEED A PUBLIC HEARING EITHER.
>> UNDER THE ORDINANCE MAKE SURE THE COMMISSIONER OPENS IT. FOR TODAY, IT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TODAY MAKE SURE YOU OPEN IT AND SEE IF APPLICANT WANTS TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.
>> WE NEED A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. IS THAT ALL, JASON?
>> YES. >> THANK YOU. >> ANYONE WANT TO SPEAK?
>> YES, SIR, JAMES [INAUDIBLE] CLAY COUNTY FLORIDA HOTELS.
I AM GLAD THAT THE BOARD IS WORKING ON THE ORANGE PARK HAVING THEIR OWN AMBULANCE.
IT IS GREAT THAT THE CITIES, THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN AMBULANCE.
I WOULD LIKE THEM TO TOUCH ON THE OPIOID THING. THEY ARE TRYING TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY SO IF WE COULD GET A FEEL ON WHAT THEY ARE THINKING, I THINK THE CHAIR SAID THAT THERE WASN'T ANY MONEY SPENT BY THE COUNTY ON THE OPIOID LAWSUIT IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT AND, YOU KNOW, THE AMBULANCES COVER EACH OTHER, I GUESS, ORANGE PARK WILL STILL COVER IF IT IS NEEDED OUTSIDE OF ORANGE PARK. I GUESS YOU COVERED JACKSONVILLE A LITTLE BIT. MAYBE THEY COVER YOU. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU TOUCH ON THAT. THAT IS GREAT THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND I HOPE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THE AMBULANCES AND THE MEDICAL ISSUES WITH TAKING THEM TO THE HOSPITAL, AND STUFF. THAT WOULD BE A BETTER IDEA THAN ALL OF THESE CARS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED FOR LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS. THE AMBULANCES ARE HERE.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT MANY KIDS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AND TO THE JAILS.
IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT WITH WITH THE SCHOOLS, TO.
EVERYBODY WORKED TOGETHER, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHEN THE KIDS IN THE AMBULANCES TAKE KIDS TO THE HOSPITAL SO MAYBE JUST BILLBOARDS ON THAT. YOU KNOW, PARENTS CAN HELP OUT TO DO RELIEVE THE STRESS ON THE AMBULANCES AND THE SHERIFF, IF THEIR KIDS ARE ACTING UP THEY CAN GO TO SCHOOL AND CARRY THEM TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, TO THE AMBULANCE, I MEAN,, SORRY TO THE HOSPITALS. THERE IS NO REASON FOR US TO PUT ALL OF THIS ON TOP OF US AND SOCIETY PAY FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW. THIS IS A BIG ISSUE WHERE THE
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AMBULANCES ARE HAVING TO SCRAPE PEOPLE OF -- SCRAPE PEOPLE UP. I'VE SEEN QUITE A FEW PEOPLE.YEAH, IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON THAT BANKRUPTCY THING THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON, THE OTHER ONES ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER AND DECLARE BANKRUPTCY. CAN WE GET SOME INSIGHT ON THAT? I WILL FORWARD THAT BACK TO YOU. I AM GLAD THAT WAS OVERRULED ABOUT THE PUBLIC SPEAKING.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE?
>> NO. >> COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN'S HERE.
YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU NEED TO ADD BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS PROCEEDING?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.