Fire Department Selects New Vendor

Philadelphia, February 2, 2012 – Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers announced that the Philadelphia Fire Department has selected a new vendor, Intermedix, for EMS Patient Billing.rnrn“Our goal in selecting Intermedix is to help the Fire Department operate more efficiently and effectively,” Fire Commissioner Ayers said. “We are determined to use every tax dollar in the most efficient and effective way and to provide even better service to Philadelphia residents and visitors.”rnrnUnder the contract, Intermedix will provide technical and business services related to providing the best medical care for Philadelphia; this includes all ambulance billing and collection services, electronic patient care reporting functionality, an integration with our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and Fleeteyes, a fleet management system.rnrnThe contract includes training for Fire Service Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians/Firefighters on new software for EMS patient billing and the installation of new hardware that will be installed in all medic units.rnrnThe City’s new relationship with Intermedix will save taxpayers roughly $1.7 million annually through a reduction in the percent that Intermedix will now collect (their price represents a drop of 5.01% from the previous provider). Beyond initial savings, this contract is expected to generate revenue in the range of $34 million to the City annually.rnrnAdditionally, service delivery for patients will be improved through the Fleeteyes technology system, which provides real-time monitoring of available medic units, fusing together information from several systems so that responders can be dispatched quickly and get there safely.rnrnThe PFD would also like to note an increase in the participation rate for minority and disadvantaged business from 15% to 20%.rnrn###rnrnFire Department contact: Executive Chief Richard Davison, (215)686-1300.rnrnourt to attach these potentially high dollar fines to the owner’s personal property. The Department can also leverage these fines to bring the property to sheriff sale.rnrn rnrnDedicated Court Time: L&I and the Law Department have been working with Judge Bradley Moss to have dedicated days to hear vacant cases.rnTo date the Department has achieved high compliance rates for those cited in this program. Owners cited for not having a rental license complied 56% of the time and more than 25% of those cited for not having operable doors and windows and have made repairs. Through efforts so far, the Department will collect more than $300,000 in license and permit fees, fines, and unpaid taxes.rnrnAmerican City & County has been the voice of state and local governments since 1909. The magazine serves a nationwide audience of city, county and state officials who are charged with developing and implementing local government policy, programs, and projects. American City & County is published monthly by Penton. For more information, visit http://demo.americancityandcounty.com/administration/americas-crown-communities-2011