Item D: Eugene Fire & EMS Department Ambulance Service Area Realignment

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In planning for formation of, or annexation to, a special district, many further, more specific decisions will be needed. Boundary issues, revenue requirements, and the possibility of tax rate compression will need to be addressed. An election will be re- quired. Because implementation of these options even at best speed will take a con- siderable period of time, we recommend the immediate formation of an intergovern- mental staff team to fast-track the study of the feasibility of implementing this solu- tion. Local Option Levy – We are identifying this option only as a temporary means of re- living the General Fund of the ambulance service funding burden. We believe it may meet with voter acceptance initially, but we have serious concerns about this form of funding due to its need for renewal in perpetuity. Enhance FireMed Marketing 4. Since its inception in 1985, the FireMed ambulance membership program has been marketed primarily as a form of protection against personal liability for an ambulance bill. While the program does serve that purpose for households, the revenue generat- ed has become essential to the continued provision of high-quality service. More and more in recent marketing, this latter fact has been mentioned, but the sup- port-for-the-service theme has always been subordinate to the cover-your-family theme. We believe the time has come to reverse this. In marketing for the FY11 membership year, we propose that FireMed advertising fo- cus on the opportunity to contribute to a safe community, and to a lesser extent, but still overtly, on the private benefits of membership. Staff analysis has shown that a significant percentage of members already subscribe on a public-support basis, and we believe more might do so if they saw the opportunity in that light. We are also recommending, for the upcoming campaign, a greater reliance on en- dorsements as a supplement to paid advertising. Toward this end, we are developing a program whereby endorsing organizations will be able to offer FireMed member- ships at a group rate below the new rate proposed for the upcoming enrollment cam- paign. Reconfigure Ambulance Service Area Boundaries 5. This recommendation can be adopted or rejected independently of the two above. We propose analysis of the possibility that the Ambulance Service Area (ASA) assigned to Lane Rural Fire/Rescue be extended to the south so as to abut the Cottage Grove ASA, reducing the territory of the Eugene ASA such that it includes only those areas within the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary plus special districts now served by Eu- (See ASA map, Appendix D.) gene Fire & EMS. This boundary change would have a twofold purpose. First, it would greatly reduce in-service times for a percentage of ambulance calls now handled by Eugene Fire & EMS, as Eugene’s ASA currently extends west to a point between Walton and Maple- 6