Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise Rogers, Chief, Health System
Scott Morrow, Health Officer, Health System
Nancy Lapolla, Director, Emergency Medical Services
Subject: Memorandum of Understanding with California Medical Mutual Aid Region II for Intra-Region Emergency Medical and Health Disaster Response
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding with California Medical Mutual Aid Region II for intra-region emergency medical and health disaster response.
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BACKGROUND:
The Medical Mutual Aid system for California strictly follows the California Department of Public Health’s statewide Public Health and Medical Emergency Operations Manual (EOM). Compliant with the State Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS), the EOM dictates the pathway for situational awareness and resource requests during a disaster, from the event to the county/operational area, region, and state.
The County of San Mateo (County) belongs to California Medical Mutual Aid Region II (Region II). In addition to the County, the Region II operational areas and local public health jurisdictions are: City of Berkeley, the City and County of San Francisco, and the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma.
In recent years, disasters in Region II like the 2014 South Napa earthquake and 2015 Lake County fires overwhelmed local emergency medical and health response. Such disasters required assistance from Region II counties, including the County. Similarly, the County required emergency medical and health assistance from neighboring Region II counties, including the City and County of San Francisco, during the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion and 2013 Asiana Airlines Flight 213 crash.
While the Region II counties assisted the County during these events, there is currently no agreement between the counties and local public health jurisdictions for sharing resources and/or financial responsibility for reimbursement. Further, the lack of an agreement to share emergency medical and health resources between counties and local public health jurisdictions during a disaster prevents the impacted county from qualifying and/or obtaining potential recovery costs from the State or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
DISCUSSION:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would allow impacted counties to share resources during a disaster, seek reimbursement, and apply for state and federal disaster relief funds. For instance, the County of Napa received more than $40,000 in emergency medical and public health resources from Region II counties that County of Napa was responsible for paying back. Had an MOU been in place, County of Napa may have requested funds from the state and FEMA to cover a portion of these cost.
Under the proposed MOU, Region II counties and local public health jurisdictions agree to provide emergency medical and public health personnel, equipment, and supplies when they can, in the event of a disaster where the impacted county requests assistance. In addition, the assisting agency may request reimbursement from the impacted county for emergency medical and public health personnel, equipment, and supplies.
The MOU has been reviewed and approved by assigned Region II County Counsels, Health Officers, and EMS Administrators who are designated as the Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC). The MOU and Resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form.
The MOU contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing a defined framework for emergency medical and health response, mutual aid and disaster recovery among Region II participating counties. It is anticipated that by end of FY 2017-18, 11 Health System divisions will receive an introductory overview of the new Statewide Medical and Health Operation Area Coordinator (MHOAC) guidelines.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2016-17 Actual |
FY 2017-18 Projected |
|
Number of Health System divisions to receive an introductory overview of the new Statewide Medical and Health Operation Area Coordinator guidelines |
0 |
11 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this MOU at this time.