HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-06-1995 - IX-A 1
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Action Agenda
Item No U-A
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 6, 1995
SUBJECT: Rescue Squad Grant Matching Funds
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DEPARTMENT Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING YES NO x
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ATTACHMENT(S) INFORMATION CONTACT
12/27/94 Letter from OCRS Nick Waters, ext 3030
9/29/94 Staff Report TELEPHONE NUMBER
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Mebane 227-2031
Durham 688-7331
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PURPOSE: To consider a request from the Orange County Rescue Squad
(OCRS) and South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS) to provide matching funds
for rescue equipment grants approved by the Department of Insurance.
BACKGROUND: Last Spring, in response to a SORS proposal to consider
a rescue service district tax, the Board of Commissioners asked staff
to conduct an analysis of rescue service delivery needs and options in
Orange County. Over the summer, County staff, rescue squad
representatives, and members of other interested emergency response
agencies conducted a series of meetings to discuss those topics. This
group reviewed historical levels of rescue service and incidence of
rescue calls, desired levels of service, and options for providing
rescue service. The group reached general agreement that rescue
service delivery should be viewed from a Countywide perspective.
At the October 5, 1994 meeting, the Board of Commissioners received the
attached staff report outlining plans for the provision of Countywide
rescue service. The key point of the plan was agreement that OCRS
would provide heavy rescue coverage throughout the County, SORS would
provide technical rescue (e.g. high angle/low angle, confined space,
swift water) throughout the County, and the rescue squads and fire
departments would work to provide light vehicle extrication throughout
the County.
The staff report indicated that work remained to be done on the
question of funding, and also included a recommendation that the County
consider providing matching funds -should one or both squads receive
1995 State grant funds for rescue equipment. Following unsuccessful
grant requests the past two years, OCRS has received a $14,910 grant,
and SORS has received a $14,750 grant. State grant funding must
be matched dollar for dollar with local funding. Staff recommends that
the Board approve an appropriation of $30,000 from County Capital
Project Fund Balance. $10,000 would be designated for OCRS, and
$10,000 for SORS, with both squads providing the remaining matching
funds from their other local revenue sources. The remaining $10,000
would be used for high priority rescue equipment/training to support
the "centralized resource" concept outlined in the September 1994 staff
report.
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County staff and the rescue division chiefs from the two squads have
met and identified the highest priority items from each squad's list of
equipment approved for grant funding by the State. County funds would
be used to assist OCRS purchase turnout gear (protective coats and
pants, boots, helmets, gloves) , an airbag system, and spare air bottles
for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) . County funds would be
used to assist SORS purchase an extended cab pickup truck with
associated equipment. The "centralized resource" funds would be used
to purchase training equipment for use by all rescue personnel (e.g
rescue mannequin, Stokes basket, harnesses, rope) , for a backup set of
hydraulic tools that would be delivered wherever needed in the County,
and for basic water rescue items (e.g rope and throw rings) for County
emergency response vehicles.
RECD MENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board approve a
"Rescue Equipment Capital Project" , to be funded with an appropriation
of $30,000 from County Capital Project Fund Balance.
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Orange C.oun� Ke3cue Squaal JFnc.
261 S. CHURTON ST., EXT.
,o'Sbrw. CJ,O, HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278
December 27 , 1994
Orange County Commissioners
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, N. C. 27278
Dear Commissioners :
This letter is to notify you that Orange County Rescue
Squad has received a grant in the amount of $14 , 910 . 00 and
South Orange Rescue Squad has received a grant in the amount
of $14 , 750 . 00 'from the N. C. Fire and Rescue Commission for
their joint Rescue Team for 1995 . These are matching grants
whereby the recipient county must match the grant dollar for
dollar. We are requesting that Orange County please
consider matching these funds .
Orders for equipment for the joint rescue team can
begin immediately. All items must be ordered, received and
paid for prior to April 30, 1995 . Any items not received by
April 30 will be deleted from the grant payment. Payments
are normally made within 2-4 weeks after the April 30
deadline. All equipment must be available for inspection by
Fire & Rescue Commission personnel between April 30 and
receipt of the payment check. Time is of concern since
certain equipment items can take as long as 90 days to
receive.
The Orange County Rescue Squad/South Orange Rescue
Squad Rescue Teams respectfully request that the Orange
County Commissioners match these funds totaling $29 ,660 . 00 .
Please find enclosed a copy of our notification letter.
Sincerely,
Gwen Sherrill, Chief
Orange County Rescue Squad
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XEXORANDUM €
TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners
John Link, County Manager
FROM: Rod Visser, Assistant County Manager
Nick Waters, Director of Emergency Management
DATE: September 29, 1994
RE: Rescue Service Options
During the last few months, we have conducted a series of very
productive meetings with various emergency service providers to obtain
information concerning the provision of rescue service in Orange
County. We have examined how rescue service is currently provided,
what options exist for providing that service, and what we think is the
best approach for providing. rescue service in Orange County today. Our
analysis included a review of the different categories of rescue
service that are and should be provided; the historical and
anticipated incidence- of rescue calls in each of those categories;
and the current, and desirable future, capabilities of agencies to
respond to various categories of rescue calls. The matrix at
Attachment 1 represents our effort to succinctly capture the main
points of our analysis.
During staff and agency discussions, widespread agreement emerged
on a number of points and principles:
* the driving force behind the structure of rescue service must be the
best possible service to Orange County' s citizens, regardless of which
agencies provide that service;
* the most economical use of limited resources for rescue, being wary
of unnecessary duplication of service capability;
* the need for extensive coordination and cooperation between the
rescue squads, volunteer fire departments, municipal fire departments,
Orange County Emergency Management, and other emergency responders;
* the focus of rescue service provision should be Countywide, rather
than by individual response area;
* resources should be allocated in priority to meeting the most likely
and frequent categories of rescue calls (primarily light vehicle
extrication) while ensuring that a capability to respond to any of the
categories of rescue calls exists (among agencies either internal or
external to Orange County) .
A strong spirit of cooperation among emergency response agencies has
led to the development of a draft working agreement (Attachment
2) between the South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS) and Orange County
Rescue Squads (OCRS) . OCRS has agreed to provide heavy rescue
throughout Orange County, SORS will provide technical rescue services
throughout Orange County, and the rescue squads and fire
departments will work to provide light vehicle extrication, which is by
far the most frequently required rescue service. County staff will
work with rescue providers to augment their organic rescue capabilities
wi- I centralized resources. Centralizing certain resources should help
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minimize unnecessary duplication and provide a more economical approach
to providing rescue equipment needed for less common rescue calls. As
an example, staff will explore the possibility of storing and
transporting hydraulic extrication equipment on a County vehicle which
could be carried to an accident scene for use by trained rescuers from
a volunteer fire department.
We need to discuss rescue service financing further with the rescue
squads, but we feel there is general agreement now that we should not
pursue rescue service district taxes, since the planned focus is now on
Countywide rescue service provision. One option we will explore
carefully is that of appropriating funds annually through the operating
budget or CIP of the Department of Emergency Management to address
well-documented equipment or training needs to enhance Countywide
rescue service provision. In the short term, we expect that the rescue
squads will soon present a list of the most pressing rescue equipment
needs. Both squads will be applying to the State for 1995 grant funds
to cover some of those equipment needs. We recommend that the County
review its sales tax revenue picture and at a future Commissioners'
meeting, consider trying to provide matching funds for any State grant
money received for recognized equipment needs. In the longer term, we
expect to work with the rescue squads to develop a multi-year plan for
equipment and training needs that the County would review and consider
during the annual operating and capital budget processes.
We will be happy to respond to your questions and perform any
additional research that you may find helpful.
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t Agreement In Principle Between South Orange Rescue Squad and
Orange County Rescue Squad on the Provision of Rescue Services
Within Orange County
1. The Squads agree to work together to provide Rescue Services on
a county-wide basis. Both Squads will provide Light Vehicle Rescue
within their respective geographic areas due to the significant and
demonstrated need for this service in both ends of the county.
2 . OCRS will be the lead agency for the provision of Heavy Rescue
within the county. They will host the equipment, training and
response team related to this service due to their proximity to
both major interstates within the county. Their large rescue truck
will serve as the platform for this service and will be equipped as
necessary.
3 . SORS will be the lead agency for the provision of Technical
Rescue within the county, to include High-Angle, Swiftwater and
Confined-Space Rescue. They will host the equipment, training and
response team associated with these services due to their current
level of training and equipment.
4 . A member of either Squad may serve on either the Heavy Rescue
and/or Technical Rescue response team. Any interested member would
be required to be a member in `good standing of their respective
Squad and would not be required to also join the other Squad in
order to participate. All prospective response team members would
have to meet the same minimum entry certifications and training
standards as set forth by each response team.
5. The Squads will present a joint list to the County
Commissioners detailing their immediate equipment needs. They will
also submit joint Rescue Service budget proposals in the future,
detailing their projected equipment and training needs.
6. The Squads will work together to provide a joint initial
training program for all new members of both organizations: In the
future this program would be conducted in conjunction with the
training of new members of OCEMS and would cover both EMS and
Rescue skills.
7. The Squads will work together to development common operational
policies for Rescue Services, as related to each of the various
services provided.
8. The Squads will work with the Fire Departments of the county to
develop a common standard for training and equipping all Fire
Department units which might respond to a light vehicle accident.
This standard would include specific pieces of equipment and skills
required to perform certain basic automobile extrication
techniques.
DRAFT