Gilroy approves two‑year emergency medical dispatch agreement with county as costs rise

The Gilroy City Council on April 20 approved a two‑year agreement with the Santa Clara County Communications Department to continue Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) services while staff studies long‑term delivery options.

Fire Chief Rob Fleup told the council county communications redesigned its cost allocation to reflect the full cost of protocol‑driven medical call‑taking. The revised allocation raised the city’s share for EMD; staff negotiated a phased two‑year schedule to allow time for evaluation. The approved contract carries an estimated FY27 cost of $170,256 and FY28 cost of $329,803, per the staff presentation.

“EMD are specially trained 911 call takers and dispatchers that answer calls for service, determine the severity of the emergency using protocol scripts, and provide pre‑arrival instructions,” Chief Fleup said, describing the service as an industry standard that includes training, quality assurance and software costs. (Rob Fleup)

Councilmembers discussed alternatives including bringing the service in‑house under the police department’s emergency communications center, a joint regional arrangement with neighboring jurisdictions that currently contract with county communications (Morgan Hill and Milpitas), and technology or AI enhancements to shorten call handling time. Chief Fleup said each option includes significant staffing, training and system‑integration considerations.

Councilmember Kline said the service is critical and welcomed staff’s work to evaluate options that maintain high quality while managing costs. The council approved the two‑year agreement 7–0.

What happens next: staff will continue the evaluation of alternatives—including in‑house staffing implications, system requirements, collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions, and potential technology solutions—and return recommendations to council before contract renewal decisions.