Voters will have the opportunity to reauthorize funding for the regional system of paramedic and ambulance services that saves lives throughout the region, as the Metropolitan King County Council unanimously placed the six-year Medic One and Emergency Medical Services levy on the November general election ballot.

Founded in 1970 as a Seattle Fire Department program, Medic One was an innovator in bringing physician-level assistance to cardiac victims at the scene of a heart attack. Medic One was expanded in 1977 into a levy-funded program that serves all of King County.

"King County residents have come to expect the highest quality of emergency medical services," said Council Chair Larry Gossett. "This levy is an investment in not just maintaining, but actually improving on our superior level of emergency services."

"This levy proposal provides a higher level of service and more paramedic units, while ensuring appropriate oversight and accountability through annual audits and an independent advisory committee," said Councilmember Bob Ferguson Chair of the Operating Budget Committee and prime sponsor of the ordinances.

"This levy would ensure that our emergency service agencies have the funding needed to meet the changing nature of emergencies," said Councilmember Reagan Dunn. "Our world has changed and the role of firefighters and other first responders has changed as well. This levy reflects those changes."

The measure would assess a levy of up to 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, the rate recommended in the Medic One/EMS 2008-2013 Strategic Plan developed by stakeholders who represent the full range of Medic One/EMS providers - urban and rural fire departments and districts, paramedic providers, emergency physicians and medical directors, labor representatives, finance specialists, dispatch agencies and private ambulance companies.

The proposal would cost the owner of a $400,000 home about $120 a year.

"King County has been called 'the best place in the world to have a heart attack' because of our world-renowned emergency medical system, and the dedicated and highly skilled men and women that comprise it," said Council Vice-Chair Julia Patterson. "This levy, with its conservative financial plan, will ensure that we provide necessary funding to maintain and improve EMS service while ensuring accountability to voters."

The stakeholders group spent 18 months analyzing the true costs of the personnel and equipment needed over the next six years to continue to provide existing paramedic services, fund anticipated new paramedic services, and fund an increase in first-response basic life support provided by the region's fire departments and districts. The strategic plan was recommended by the council's Regional Policy Committee, which includes members of the Seattle City Council and mayors and councilmembers from the suburban cities.

The Council added taxpayer protections to the proposal by adopting a levy proposal and financial policies that calls for:

_ An EMS reserve fund to meet unanticipated needs and ensure no interruptions of life-saving services, with Council approval required for any requests for funds from those reserves.

Potential levy rate reductions in future years if excess reserves are accumulated.

Council review of the EMS financial plan during the annual budget process.

An annual audit of the county programs funded by this levy, to be conducted by the King County auditor and submitted to the County Council by Sept. 30 of each year starting in 2009.

Creation of a new Emergency Medical Services Advisory Task Force to develop recommendations for the financial and strategic plan for the next levy renewal in 2013. Members shall include the King County Executive; the director of Public Health-Seattle and King County; the manager of the county's Emergency Medical Services Division; the medical director for the city of Seattle; each member of the King County Council or his or her designee; the King County Auditor or designee; one representative from each city with a population of 50,000 or greater; three representatives from King County fire districts, at least one of whom comes from unincorporated King County; four representatives from cities with populations under 50,000; two representatives from non-partisan civic organizations such as the Municipal League or the League of Women Voters; and one representative each from a private ambulance company, a regional communications center, and a bargaining unit providing basic or advanced life support.

"This levy will ensure that we provide necessary funding to maintain and improve our world-class emergency medical services, while ensuring accountability to voters through regular audits, oversight of reserve funds and policies to make sure we are only collecting what we need," said Councilmember Larry Phillips.

"Our region is fortunate to have a world-class network of emergency responders," said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. "This levy provides these courageous professionals the tools they need to better save lives."

"This longstanding regional partnership has saved countless lives by providing an unequaled level of emergency care," said Councilmember Dow Constantine. "This levy gives our firefighters and paramedics the resources they need to continue to protect our homes and families."

The levy proposal has three main components:

Basic Life Support services are provided by a network of fire departments throughout King County. Once patients are stabilized, they may be transported to a hospital for further medical attention.

Advanced Life Support services are provided to victims in life-threatening situations through a mobile emergency room that can be rushed to the scene of an accident or illness.

Regional Services/Strategic Initiatives encompassing 25 programs ranging from paramedic training to injury prevention to pilot projects to study potential cost reduction strategies.

As required by state law, seven cities in the region with populations of more than 50,000 approved resolutions supporting the countywide measure prior to today's County Council authorization. Those cities are Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, Redmond, Renton and Shoreline.

The King County Medic One/EMS system provides life saving service to the residents of Seattle and King County, with uniform medical care regardless of location, incident circumstances, day of the week, or time of day. For the past 30 years, the system has maintained the highest reported survival rates in the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients across the nation.