3-RFQ Evaluation Criteria May 5.docx

1. Qualifications, Licensure, and EMS Medical Direction Experience This criterion evaluates the depth and relevance of the candidate's professional credentials and direct experience in providing medical direction for fire-based or comparable emergency medical services systems. Candidates will be assessed on possession of a current, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Utah in continuous good standing, board certification in emergency medicine or a closely related specialty, and a verifiable record of prior service as a Medical Control Doctor or EMS Medical Director for a system of comparable size and operational complexity to the St. George Fire Department.

Evaluators will consider the candidate's demonstrated familiarity with Utah EMS licensure statutes and the procedural requirements associated with serving as a sponsoring physician under Utah law, including experience fulfilling documentation and certification obligations for EMS personnel at both ALS and BLS licensure levels.

Candidates who can demonstrate sustained experience managing the full scope of physician-of-record responsibilities, including field personnel oversight, standing order authorization, and regulatory compliance, will be evaluated more favorably than those with limited or indirect medical direction backgrounds.

2. Protocol Development and Quality Assurance Capability This criterion evaluates the candidate's demonstrated ability to develop, maintain, and systematically improve EMS treatment protocols and pre-arrival medical instruction content in a manner consistent with the operational needs of the City of St. George, UT.

Candidates will be assessed on their experience developing and revising written standing orders and ALS and BLS treatment protocols that reflect current evidence-based practices, their familiarity with emergency medical dispatch protocol systems used in public safety answering point environments, and their ability to ensure clinical alignment between field-level protocols and dispatcher pre-arrival instruction content.

Evaluators will examine the candidate's experience conducting systematic quality assurance reviews of patient care reports and dispatch recordings, including trend identification, structured written feedback, and corrective action tracking. Candidates who can demonstrate a structured approach to protocol governance, including version control practices, regulatory alignment, and outcome-focused improvement planning, will be evaluated more favorably.

3. Training, Education, and Engagement with EMS and Dispatch Personnel This criterion evaluates the candidate's capacity and commitment to serving as the primary physician-level educational resource for EMS personnel at the St. George Fire Department and for emergency medical dispatchers at the St. George Consolidated Communications Center.

Candidates will be assessed on their experience developing or formally approving continuing medical education curricula for EMS personnel at multiple licensure levels, planning and facilitating in-person training sessions and case-based learning exercises, and supporting the clinical components of emergency medical dispatcher training programs.

Evaluators will consider the candidate's approach to new hire orientation, their availability for ongoing clinical consultation outside of scheduled training, and their demonstrated ability to document training activities in a manner that supports certification records and agency compliance reporting. Candidates who demonstrate a proactive, integrated approach to education that spans both fire-based EMS and communications center environments will be evaluated more favorably.

4. Availability, Coverage Planning, and Responsiveness This criterion evaluates the candidate's ability to maintain reliable and continuous availability to support EMS field personnel and emergency medical dispatchers at all hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and to provide a clearly defined and credible coverage structure for periods of planned or unplanned absence.

Candidates will be assessed on the specificity and practicality of their proposed on-call and coverage protocols, their ability to designate and brief appropriately credentialed coverage physicians, and the responsiveness commitments they are prepared to make for both urgent online medical direction requests and non-emergency consultations with St George Fire Department command staff and St. George Consolidated Communications Center leadership.

Evaluators will also consider whether the candidate has a demonstrated history of maintaining consistent availability in prior medical direction roles and whether their proposed availability structure is realistic given their other professional obligations.

5. Administrative Capability, Communication, and Organizational Integration This criterion evaluates the candidate's ability to function as a fully integrated clinical partner within the administrative and operational culture of the City of St. George, UT, contributing substantively to coordination meetings, regulatory compliance activities, records management, and cross-agency collaboration.

Candidates will be assessed on their written and interpersonal communication skills as demonstrated through their submission materials and, where applicable, through references or prior engagement documentation, their experience preparing quality assurance reports, corrective action documentation, and regulatory correspondence, and their willingness and capacity to participate in after-action reviews, mass casualty incident evaluations, and legal or administrative proceedings when required.

Evaluators will consider the candidate's ability to maintain organized records accessible to City of St. George, UT administrators and their demonstrated experience advising agency leadership on emerging regulatory changes affecting EMS protocols, certification requirements, and dispatch standards.