To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: PATRICK BUTLER, FIRE CHIEF
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APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH DIGITALEMS SOLUTIONS, INC. FOR ELECTRONIC PATIENT CARE REPORTING SERVICES FOR A THREE-YEAR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $89,705 AND THE TERM SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2028
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Agreement between the City and the Fire Department’s current Electronic Patient Care Reporting (ePCR) service provider, World Advancement of Technology for EMS and Rescue, Inc. (WATER), will conclude on October 6, 2025. WATER’s quality of service has declined in recent years, and an agreement with a new vendor is recommended. Approval of this item would authorize an agreement with one of Los Angeles County’s premier ePCR providers, DigitalEMS Solutions, Inc. (DigitalEMS).
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the Fire Department entered a five-year agreement with Source Code 3, LLC (Source Code 3) for ePCR services. In 2018, Source Code 3 was acquired by WATER, and the City consented to the assignment of the Agreement from Source Code 3 to WATER.
In 2020, the City Council approved a first amendment to the Agreement extending the term through October 6, 2025. At that time, WATER’s services met all the needs of the Department, regulatory agencies, and local receiving hospitals. In recent years, however, WATER’s quality of service, responsiveness, and reliability have decreased. Fire Department staff researched alternative vendors and early termination of the Agreement in 2024, but the City Attorney’s Office advised against pursuing termination, and the Department elected to complete the term, which is set to expire on October 6, 2025.
The practices and requirements of regulatory agencies, receiving hospitals, and fire departments in different Counties vary, and it has been difficult for WATER to keep up with Los Angeles County demands. DigitalEMS currently services 26 of the 30 fire departments in Los Angeles County, and does not provide service to fire departments in any other area. DigitalEMS is focused exclusively on Los Angeles County needs, and as a result has excellent working relationships with local regulatory agencies, hospitals, and departments. This is in contrast to WATER, which is based out of San Diego County and only has two clients in Los Angeles County.
The only other ePCR provider in Los Angeles County is ImageTrend, LLC (ImageTrend), which serves the Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County Fire Departments. ImageTrend is a large company, serving thousands of agencies across the nation. DigitalEMS is a small company with a sole focus on local departments, that are closer in size to the Redondo Beach Fire Department. As a result, DigitalEMS can provide more immediate customer service and greater service availability to the Redondo Beach Department. In addition, DigitalEMS is used by the Manhattan Beach and El Segundo Fire Departments, the two agencies that provide and receive the most mutual aid from the Redondo Beach Fire Department. Transmission of ePCR data during these incidents has been challenging with the current provider, but would be much simpler when working with DigitalEMS.
The Fire Department’s recent experience with WATER has emphasized the importance of utilizing a vendor with a proven ability to meet the requirements of Los Angeles County. Of the three ePCR vendors with clients in Los Angeles County, DigitalEMS is unique in offering an operating model dedicated to the unique needs of smaller agencies in Los Angeles County. As such, they are able to provide premium service that will evolve with the needs of similar-sized agencies in Los Angles County. For these reasons, the Fire Department is recommending that the City Council Approve a three-year agreement with DigitalEMS to serve as the City’s ePCR provider.
COORDINATION
This item was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the City Manager’s Office, the Information Technology Department, and the Financial Services Department.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the ongoing cost of the proposed agreement is available in the Fire Department’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operating Budget. Initial funding for the agreement was approved as part of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Decision Package #46. This expenditure was delayed following the decision to complete the full term of the Agreement with WATER, and the Department plans to request these funds be carried over as part of the 2024-25 year-end budget process. The annual costs for the Agreement are as follows:
Year 1 $37,235
Year 2 $26,235
Year 3 $26,235
Total $89,705
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Agmt - Subscription Agreement, DigitalEMS, Inc.
• Agmt - Schedule P, Fees and Contract Terms, DigitalEMS, Inc.
• Insurance - DigitalEMS, Inc.