2025 COUNCIL STUDY ISSUE
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Title
DPS 25-01
TITLE Evaluate the Addition of Paramedic Services to Supplement the County Provided Services for Sunnyvale Residents and Businesses
BACKGROUND
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Lead Department: |
Department of Public Safety |
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Support Departments: |
Office of the City Manager |
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Office of the City Attorney |
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Finance Department |
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Sponsor(s): |
Councilmembers: Klein, Srinivasan, Din, Sell, Melton, Mehlinger |
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History: |
1 year ago: N/A |
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2 years ago: N/A |
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Council Strategic Priority: |
No |
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(At time of sponsorship) |
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SCOPE OF THE STUDY
What precipitated this study?
At the July 23, 2024, City Council meeting, Mayor Klein sponsored a Study Issue to evaluate the addition of Paramedic Services. The Study Issue was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Srinivasan, Din, Sell, Melton, and Mehlinger. Currently, paramedic services for the City of Sunnyvale are provided by Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency at no cost to the City, funded through a combination of taxes and fees for service. This service is also provided to all other agencies within the county except Palo Alto.
What are the key elements of the study?
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a fully integrated public safety department that provides Police, Fire, and EMS services to the Sunnyvale community. All sworn Public Safety Officers (PSOs) are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), capable of providing basic life support services (BLS). For advanced life support services (ALS), which require a higher level of care, County paramedics are dispatched. Additionally, Sunnyvale benefits from two Quick Response Vehicles (QRV) staffed by paramedics from AMR. These QRVs enhance the City’s emergency response capabilities by delivering ALS services alongside County ambulances.
The Study would assess the feasibility of adding City paramedic services to augment County services. It would explore various models for delivering paramedic care, examine operational expenses associated with each model, and evaluate potential funding options.
Staff would hire a consultant to perform the study. The study would include conducting community outreach to gauge community interest in implementing City paramedic services, and the level of support for various funding options. The consultant would conduct a feasibility study to assess whether integrating paramedic services into the current DPS model is viable or would require changes to the current DPS model. The study would explore various delivery models for paramedic care, encompassing staffing models, training requirements, scheduling, and equipment considerations.
Estimated years to complete study: 1 year
FISCAL IMPACT
Cost to Conduct Study
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Level of staff effort required (opportunity cost): |
Major |
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Funding Required for Non-Budgeted Costs: |
$ 100,000 |
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Funding Source: |
Will seek budget supplement - General Fund |
Cost to Implement Study Results
Unknown, but anticipated to be significant. The study would evaluate implementation costs.
EXPECTED CITY COUNCIL, BOARD OR COMMISSION PARTICIPATION
Council-Approved Work Plan: No
Council Study Session: Yes
Reviewed by Boards/Commissions: No
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Support. This policy issue merits discussion at the 2025 Study Issues Workshop.
Prepared by: Hank Syu, Deputy Chief
Reviewed by: Phan S. Ngo, Director, Department of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager