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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-05-94-X-C 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No ,X-C„ ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 5, 1994 SUBJECT: Rescue Service Provision in Orange County DEPARTMENT Emergency Management/ PUBLIC HEARING YES NO X County Manager ATTACHMENT(S) INFORMATION CONTACT 9/29/94 Staff Report Nick Waters, ext 3030 Rescue Service Matrix Rod Visser, ext 2300 Draft Agreement Between OCRS & SORS TELEPHONE NUMBER Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Mebane 227-2031 Durham 688-7331 PURPOSE: To receive a report on plans for the provision of rescue service throughout Orange County. BACKGROUND: At the April 19, 1994 meeting, the Board of Commissioners heard a request from the South Orange Rescue Squad to consider establishing a South Orange Rescue Service District. At that time, the Board asked staff to prepare a report after reviewing what rescue service needs exist in Orange County, what options exist for providing those services, and how might those alternatives be financed. In a series of meetings over the past several months, County staff and various emergency response agency personnel discussed historical levels of rescue service and incidence of rescue calls, desired levels of service, and options for providing rescue service. The most significant outcome of these discussions has been agreement by the South Orange Rescue Squad and the Orange County Rescue Squad that they will work and train jointly to provide basic and specialized rescue service throughout Orange County, with assistance on basic services from other emergency response agencies. Additional work remains to be done in identifying any pressing rescue equipment needs and how those needs could be funded. Following further discussions with rescue squad leaders, staff plan to present more specific recommendations concerning equipment needs and funding sometime during the next several months. RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report for information only at this time. { 2 MEMORANDUM 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 with centralized resources. Centralizing certain resources should help 3 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. . / itorte-court" 1 4 r '>' ' n Ln t i m C') H n w m C to r 77 I--I 2 0 m DC >I n z O �' H x m >C 1--4 tl7 r-1 r �' H z1 C m Z H CI H `�C' 1-3 n cn C n r 77 W Z 0 Z 'TJ M .:: z �C C n m Z n F-I �' n ).-4 W 1-4 ►C r H C )--1 H = •-4 • •• 0 b z zn zzn M O r r n C M m m C • nN n0 c . 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Cl) .c7 1-4 Z = z z r4 H Z Zn n0r '-^IC n ZZ m m MI = I-4 Cl mC mZHZ0 C 1-3 C 0 C 0 Cr7 "!7 C 0 C+7 En \ 1 CTJ m A I 0,44+ 5 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