Common use of Response Time Measurement Clause in Contracts

Response Time Measurement. The Response Time measurement methodology employed will influence operational requirements of the EMS System and the Contract. For all dispatches for services, arrival of the Ambulance (staffed as required) shall be signaled by a Contractor’s transmission to the Dispatch Center. Such transmission shall not be made until the Ambulance actually arrives and is stopped at the specific location to which it has been dispatched. In the case of apartment or business complexes, such transmission shall not be made until the Ambulance actually arrives at the point closest to the apartment or business to which it has been dispatched and to which it’s Ambulance can be driven. Only arrival at a location by a Contractor’s Ambulance is a measurement of Response Time. Arrival on scene means the moment an Ambulance crew member notifies the PFDRDC either via radio or MCT that the Ambulance is fully stopped at the location where it is required to be stopped while Ambulance personnel exit to attend those in need of service. In situations where the Ambulance has been requested to respond to a location other than the scene (e.g. staging areas for hazardous scenes), arrival on scene shall be the time the Ambulance arrives at the designated location. In instances when an Ambulance crew fails to timely report arrival on scene, the time of the next communication by the Ambulance crew with PFDRDC will be used as the on-scene time. However, a Contractor may appeal such instances when it can document the actual arrival time through other means, such as Fire Department personnel or PFDRDC CAD system Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) position reporting. If a dispatch is upgraded, prior to the arrival on scene of the first Ambulance (e.g. a Code 2 Call is upgraded to a Code 3 Call), Contractor’s compliance with Contract standards and responsibility for penalties will be calculated based on the shorter of: (i) time elapsed from call receipt to time of upgrade plus the higher priority Response Time standard; or (ii) the lower priority Response Time standard. For example, an Ambulance is dispatched on a Code 2 Call (required Response Time of 15:00) and is upgraded to a Code 3 Call (required Response Time of 9:00) after two (2) minutes have elapsed from dispatch. Because 9:00+ 2:00 = 11:00 is shorter than 15:00, the response is subject to the Response Time requirement set forth in (i) above, and is considered a Code 3 Call response. By way of further example, an Ambulance is dispatched by Code 2 Call and is upgraded to Code 3 Call after seven (7) minutes have elapsed. Because 15:00 is shorter than 9:00 + 7:00 = 16:00, the response is subject to the Response Time requirement set forth in (ii) above and is considered a Code 2 Call response. Downgrades may be initiated by medically trained Fire Department personnel as authorized by the Medical Director and by PFDRDC. If a dispatch is downgraded, prior to the arrival on scene of the Ambulance, Contractor’s compliance with Contract standards and responsibility for penalties will be calculated based on (i) the lower priority Response Time requirement, if the Ambulance response is downgraded before it would have been judged late under the higher priority Response Time requirement; or (ii) the higher priority Response Time requirement, if the Ambulance response when downgraded would have been judged late under the higher priority Response Time requirement. If an Ambulance is reassigned en route prior to arrival at the scene (e.g. to respond to a higher priority request), Contractor’s compliance and penalties will be calculated based on the Response Time requirement applicable to the assigned priority of the initial dispatch. The Response Time will be measured to the arrival of another of Contractor’s Ambulance on the scene from which the en route Ambulance was diverted. If an Ambulance is cancelled by an authorized agency, after an assignment has been made but prior to the arrival of the Ambulance at the scene (and no ambulance is required at the scene), the Response Time will be measured to the moment of cancellation. If the elapsed Response Time at the moment of cancellation exceeds the Response Time requirement for the assigned priority of the call, the unit will be determined to be late and the appropriate penalty may be assessed. Contractor will not be held accountable for emergency or non-emergency Response Time compliance for any response dispatched to a location outside the Primary Service Area. Responses to requests for service outside of the Primary Service Area will not be counted in the total number of responses used to determine compliance with the Contract. Each incident requiring response will be counted as a single response regardless of the number of Ambulances that respond. The dispatch time of the first Ambulance dispatched and the on scene time of the first arriving of Contractor’s Ambulances will be used to compute the Response Time for the incident. Contractor shall be required to provide for reserve service capacity in order to increase service should temporary EMS System or dispatch overload occur. However, it is understood that from time to time unusual factors beyond Contractor’s reasonable control may affect the achievement of the specified Response Time requirement. Unusual factors are limited to unusually severe weather conditions, declared disasters or periods of unusually high demand for emergency services. Unusually high demand for emergency services will be determined by the Fire Department. Equipment failures, traffic congestion, Ambulance failures, dispatch errors, inability to staff Ambulances and other similar causes will not be grounds for granting an exception to compliance with the Response Time requirements. If Contractor believes that any response or group of responses should be excluded from the compliance calculations due to unusual factors beyond Contractor’s reasonable control, Contractor may provide detailed supporting information in writing to the Medical Services Deputy Chief or his/her designee(s). Contractor may request that the City exclude a response or group of responses from Response Time calculations and late penalties. Any such request must be made in writing and be received by the Medical Services Deputy Chief within fifteen (15) days after the end of each month. The Medical Services Deputy Chief will review the request and issue a determination. Should Contractor dispute the determination, Contractor may appeal in writing to the Fire Chief for a definitive ruling within five (5) business days. The Fire Chief’s ruling will be final and binding. There are events and eventualities within the Primary Service Area which will be or may be predictable as to timing and occurrence and/or will be or may be anticipated as to timing and occurrence. Such events/eventualities include major events at Arizona State University (scheduled in advance), the annual New Year’s Eve Block Party, Halloween weekend events, and the possibility of an incident involving multiple patients on Tempe Town Lake or other special events. Upon the City’s reasonable request the Contractor will provide additional resources to meet 911 needs. Non-911 requests for units exceeding 50% of the system’s Dedicated Ambulance units require agreement of the parties.