To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Interim Health Services Director
Report Title: Payment for Services Provided by South County Industrial Emergency Council
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Auditor-Controller, or designee, to pay $19,900 to South County Industrial Emergency Council, for emergency response training provided from March 1, 2025 through April 30, 2025 to first receivers and County’s Public Health (PH) Division staff for decontamination activities to prepare staff to respond to potential disasters, as recommended by the Interim Health Services Director.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this payment will result in a one-time expenditure of up to $19,900 and will be funded 100% by Hospital Preparedness Program revenues.
BACKGROUND:
The Contractor will support the PH Division by performing Hospital First Receiver: Awareness, Operations and Decontamination Certified Course, including Decontamination refresher at a local Contra Costa County hospital designated by Contra Costa Health (CCH). This Contract supports the efforts of the County’s Health Emergency Response Unit (HERU) who respond to medical and first receiver/responder emergent events that occur throughout Contra Costa County. This training is essential to keep emergency response team members up to date with their skills and to train new team members on proper protocols and processes.
This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000; Health and Safety Code § 1451. This Contract was approved by Health Services Personnel to ensure there is no conflict with labor relations. PH’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor Staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the Contract are upheld. The payment limit is under $25,000 and does not require solicitation requirements per Admin Bulletin 600.3.
In March 2024, the County Administrator approved and the Purchasing Services Manager executed Contract #72-224 with South County Industrial Emergency Council, in an amount not to exceed $19,000 for the provision of training first receivers along with PH Division staff for decontamination activities to prepare staff to respond to potential disasters, for the period May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025.
In November 2024, the County Administrator approved and the Purchasing Services Manager executed Contract Amendment #72-224-1 with South County Industrial Emergency Council, effective May 1, 2024, to provide additional training courses with no change in payment limit of $19,000 or term ending April 30, 2025.
Due to an increase in training services needed by the PH Division, additional training courses were requested by the County without sufficient time to amend the Contract. Contractor provided these services in good faith, which exceeded the original payment limit by $19,900.
Therefore, the County has determined that South County Industrial Emergency Council is entitled to payment for the reasonable value of their services under the equitable relief theory of quantum meruit. That theory provides that where a person has been asked to provide services without a valid contract, and the provider does so to the benefit of the recipient, the provider is entitled to recover the reasonable value of those services. As such, the Department recommends that the Board authorize the Auditor-Controller to issue a one-time payment not to exceed $19,900 to South County Industrial Emergency Council.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this payment is not approved, the Contractor will not be paid for services requested by County staff and provided by Contractor provided in good faith.