To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Interagency Agreement with Contra Costa Health Services for dispatch services for the Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime (A3) Crisis Response Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute Interagency Agreement #74-730 with the Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime (A3) Crisis Response Program in an amount not to exceed $2,400,000 to provide dispatching services through the Contra Costa Regional Fire Communications Center for the period June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Interagency Agreement will result in an increase to the Fire District General Fund, offsetting the costs of providing dispatch services under this agreement. CCHS has committed to fully funding these contractual dispatch services through its ongoing Measure X allocation.
BACKGROUND:
CCHS’s A3 Crisis Response Program was launched in 2022 to address the needs of vulnerable County residents experiencing behavioral health crises when calling for emergency or non-emergency services. The goal of A3 is to enhance care for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises by providing a timely and appropriate response to Contra Costa County residents. Care begins when an individual calls or is transferred to the Miles Hall Crisis Call Center. An A3 staff member will assess the needs of the person experiencing the behavioral health crisis and determine the level of intervention needed.
A3 has three (3) levels of in-person intervention: Level 1 response is appropriate for social needs (housing resources/stress, food resources/stress, financial resources/stress), and there are no reports of suicidal or homicidal ideation or grave disability, and no current acts of self-harm. Level II response is appropriate for acute crisis situations that do not necessitate law enforcement involvement. Level III response is appropriate for acute crisis situations that require a co-response with law enforcement due to a scene safety consideration, including the presence of weapon(s) and acts of violence. These contracted services were determined to be exempt from Administrative Bulletin 600.3 solicitation requirements by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division.
CCCFPD staffs and operates the Contra Costa Regional Fire Communications Center (CCRFCC). The CCRFCC is staffed twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, 365 days a year and will provide dispatching services to A3 teams. The dispatching services will include transferring appropriate calls to the Miles Hall Crisis Call Center, tracking available A3 teams, assigning calls for service to A3 teams based on the level of response needed, and ensuring communication with responding A3 teams.
On June 10, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved item C.118, Interagency Agreement #74-730 with the Fire District; however, the parties have agreed to include a mutual indemnification provision in the contract, which requires approval by the Board of Directors. The mutual indemnification provision requires both parties to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the other against any claims arising from the performance of the contract.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Interagency Agreement is not approved, the A3 Crisis Response Program response teams will not receive dispatching services.