Title
Authorize the City Manager to finalize and execute a Memorandum of Agreement with North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council for the participation as a member of the Emergency Medical Task Force.
Body
The Emergency Medical Task Force (EMTF) is a State and Federally funded program with the mission of creating State-deployable medical teams, regionalized for rapid readiness and mobilization. The Mesquite Fire Department (MFD) and North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council (Lead RAC) are entering into this Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to enable the Lead RAC to ask MFD to supply limited medical resources for local, state or possibly federal emergency response.
The Texas Emergency Medical Task Force is made up of eight regional teams located in various areas of the state. The EMTF program is coordinated locally by the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council. Each of the eight teams is a mix of EMS Providers, Fire Departments, Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations, “to provide personnel and essential resources available to respond within its specific region or throughout the state when needed.”
The MFD has agreements with local cities to provide mutual aid as needed. Entering into the EMTF MOA would allow the MFD to participate in a unified, interagency response to a large-scale regional disaster. The MFD’s resources available within this MOA will not exceed a minimum of two advanced life support mobile intensive care units (ambulances) and 25 licensed firefighter/paramedics.
A Task Force team is subject to a deployment in one of three ways: (1) locally with a deployment duration of less than 12 hours; (2) locally or throughout the state with a duration longer than 12 hours or (3) outside the state as a result of an appropriate federal request. A team can be activated “for unique situations and missions resulting from tragedies, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfire, flooding, terrorism and any other natural or manmade disaster.”
This Agreement stipulates that the Mesquite Fire Chief must authorize the sending of resources and can elect to send a partial or even no response to a given event. Additionally, either party to this agreement can cancel with a 30-day written notice to the other side.
Financial Implications
There is in the MOA a provision for full reimbursement for commitment of MFD personnel and resources; therefore, no net financial obligations are incurred by the City of Mesquite. If the deployment is local and lasts less than 12 hours it will be considered mutual aid and is then not reimbursable.
Recommended/Desired Action
Staff recommends approval.
Attachment(s)
Memorandum of Agreement
Drafter
Bruce Kunz
Head of Department
Mark Kerby