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Home My WebLink About2021-055-E Emergency Svc-Tactical Mutual Aid MOU DocuSign Envelope ID:BDA7E64D-AE04-4453-8E17-223D610346CF STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF ORANGE TACTICAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPORT TEAM MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is made and entered into by and between the Office of the Orange County Sheriff(hereinafter referred to as either "Sheriff's Office" or "OCSO") and the County of Orange, a local political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, by and through its Orange County Emergency Services Department (hereinafter referred to as either"Emergency Services" or"OCES"). WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, the Sheriff's Office recognizes the dangerous conditions and elevated risk of injury to officers and innocent persons that is present during the tactical police response to a high-risk incident; and WHEREAS, both Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services recognize that the health and safety of the law enforcement officers and innocent persons are enhanced by the provision of on-scene medical care; and WHEREAS, the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services desire to develop a partnership to provide Tactical Emergency Medical Support ("TEMS") to the Orange County Community; and WHEREAS, this Memorandum of Understanding shall set forth the responsibilities of the Parties in regard to the provision of Tactical Paramedic Services. NOW, THEREFORE, upon valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows: I. Term. This Agreement will begin on this the 31 st day of December, 2020 and will continue until terminated by either Party upon 30-day's written notice. II. Purpose. The purpose of this MOU is to increase the nature and level of medical support available to the Sheriff's Office by incorporating a well-trained and equipped Tactical Emergency Medical Support ("TEMS") Team element into law enforcement operations. The incorporation of a TEMS element will increase the Parties' ability to develop medical threat assessments, render immediate medical care in higher risk environments, and to provide logistical support designed to further the health and safety of law enforcement personnel and reduce the incidences of injury, illness, disability, and death associated with training and tactical operations. III. Tactical Emergency Medical Support. The Tactical Paramedic conducts medical threat assessments to determine the potential impact of medical/health factors on a mission and serves as the "Team Medical Officer." The tactical paramedic serves as a health information resource for team members and as an advisor to the Special Response Team (SRT) Leader on matters relating to the health of team members. In addition to rendering immediate medical care, properly trained medical providers 1 DocuSign Envelope ID:BDA7E64D-AE04-4453-8E17-223D610346CF assigned to law enforcement teams are able to assist commanders with developing pre-deployment medical risk assessment, implementing risk reduction strategies, providing logistical support, and serve as a liaison to coordinate medical operations with local emergency medical services (EMS). Tactical Emergency Medical Support Team Services, Protocols and Standard Operating Guidelines are available under separate documents. IV. Services. Emergency Services shall provide TEMS for the Sheriff's Office law enforcement teams in the form of a Medic Team (defined below) to assist in calls within jurisdictional limits of the Sheriff's Office and to the Sheriff's Office when they are providing mutual aide to other jurisdictions or the Medic Team is requested to provide mutual aide through the Sheriff's Office. Such Services shall consist of the following and shall be provided in the manner deemed appropriate by the County and consistent with sound law enforcement practices: A. Emergency Services Obligations. 1. Orange County Emergency Services will provide certified North Carolina paramedics, credentialed to practice in the Orange County Emergency Services system. a. Medic Team. A tactical paramedic must be: i. A permanent Orange County employee, ii. Certified as a North Carolina paramedic, iii. Credentialed to practice as a paramedic in the Orange County Emergency Services Department, iv. Have no recorded or ongoing disciplinary procedures, the Director of OCES has the discretion of waiving this requirement for an employee who has had a prior disciplinary procedure(s) more than two years old from the date of application to be a member of the tactical paramedic team, v. Must submit to and complete a psychological evaluation, vi. Must be able to pass the physical agility certification required by the Sheriff's Office. b. Selection and Approval of Team Members. Tactical Paramedics will be selected and approved by the Emergency Services Director in consultation with the Emergency Services Medical Director and with the concurrence of the Sheriff or his designee. c. Medical Qualification and Certifications. Team medical officers will be trained to at least the paramedic level and will be required to acquire and maintain current certifications through the North Carolina Officer of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS). Team medical officers will also maintain certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS), or equivalent training as approved by the Orange County Medical Director. 2 DocuSign Envelope ID:BDA7E64D-AE04-4453-8E17-223D610346CF d. Medical Director. The Orange County Medical Director, or his designee, will provide medical direction to the Tactical Emergency Medical Support Team. e. Term of Appointment. Once appointed paramedics will continue to be reappointed provided they successfully recertify during annual training and have no recorded or ongoing disciplinary procedures. If ongoing disciplinary procedures are resolved in favor of the paramedic, he/she may resume his/her duties as if the disciplinary process had not occurred. 2. Training. Orange County Emergency Services is responsible to ensure that all necessary training is provided to paramedics throughout the year to remain qualified as a Tactical Paramedic. All paramedics assigned as tactical medics must maintain their clinical skills by actively participating in patient care activities on a regular basis. Team medical officers shall complete specialized training which teaches the skills necessary to operate in a high risk environment and receive designation as an Emergency Medical Technician- Tactical or Tactical Emergency Medical Specialist. Only those paramedics who successfully complete all training will be designated as an Emergency Medical Technician-Tactical or Tactical Emergency Medical Specialist. Participation as a tactical paramedic is voluntary. The paramedic remains an employee of Orange County Emergency Services during actual call-outs and training. a. The Medical Director may provide additional protocols or training throughout the year to enhance the training of the paramedics. b. Paramedics are responsible for maintaining their certification as required by the Orange County Practice Policy each year to be eligible for the team. B. Sheriff's Office Obligations. 1. Training. Provide tactical training to paramedics on a regular basis to aid in understanding mission objectives, tactics used, weapons, pyrotechnics, and other devices likely to be employed and communication policies and procedures. The Sheriff's Office will incorporate tactical paramedics as full team members, notifying the assigned on-call paramedic in the event of an SRT deployment. The Sheriff's Office will require that assigned tactical paramedics frequently train with SRT and other approved programs and maintain active practice and training in tactical paramedic skills. 2. Safety Measures. Safety Equipment. The Sheriff's Office will provide and/or approve tactical training and safety equipment to assigned tactical paramedics such as ballistic vests and other specialized equipment. Any safety equipment purchased by the Sheriff's Office will remain the property of the Sheriff's Office and is subject to periodic inspection in accordance with the Sheriff's Office inventory and inspection protocols. All equipment provided by the 3 DocuSign Envelope ID:BDA7E64D-AE04-4453-8E17-223D610346CF OCSO shall be returned immediately upon the termination of the paramedic's assignment as a tactical paramedic for Orange County Emergency Services. C. In General 1. Authority within Program. The Sheriff's Office and Emergency Services chain of command shall be recognized and remain in effect for the duration of this MOU. The Chain of Command of each agency shall act independently of each other except as follows: a. Sherriff s Office command has the ultimate authority regarding tactical decisions. During tactical operations, any responding Tactical Medic is under the direct command of the Sheriff's Office's team leader as it relates to law enforcement actions and tactical or operations decisions related to the call. b. The Tactical Medics shall be under the command of the Tactical Team Medic Leader as it relates to the provision of medical care and will make and implement all medical decisions unless the decision will endanger team safety, jeopardize mission accomplishment, or conflict with organizations 2. Tactical Paramedics Support Services a. Emergency Services will provide tactical medical support in the form of qualified paramedics and necessary on-scene medical equipment: i. To the Sheriff's Office within Orange County jurisdictional limits; and ii. To the Sheriff's Office when they are providing mutual aide to other jurisdictions; and iii. When requested by other jurisdiction through the Sheriff's office to provide mutual aide to those jurisdictions. 3. The Parties will develop Standard Operating Procedures to provide the administrative guidance for day-to-day operations. This the 31 st day of December 2020. Sheriffs Office Emergency Services DocuSigned by: DocuSigned by: C arles Blackwood, Sheriff ina Jeffries, Director 4 DocuSign Envelope ID:BDA7E64D-AE04-4453-8E17-223D610346CF ORANGE COUNTY-DEPARTMENT USE ONLY Party/Vendor Name: Party/Vendor Contact Person: Contact Phone: Party/Vendor Address: City State: Zip: Department: Sheriffs Office and Emergency Services Amount: Purpose: Mutual Aid Agreement for Tactical EMS Budget Code(s): N/A Vendor # (N/A if new vendor) Vendor is a BOCC consultant? Yes ❑ No❑ Contract Type: (Check one)New Renewal ❑ Amendment ❑ Effective Date Approved by Board Yes❑ No® Agenda Date: This agreement is approved as to technical form and content and I as Department Director affirmatively state work on this project has not been initiated prior to execution of the agreement: Docusigned by: Department Director's SignatureFvIKA� yffyit,S Date:12/31/2020 Agreements for emergency services or repair are not subject to the above affirmation. If services related to this agreement have already begun or been completed please briefly describe the nature of the emergency condition that was addressed: Information Technologies (Applicable only to hardware/software purchases or related services)This agreement has been reviewed and is approved as to information technology content and specifications: Office of the Chief Information Officer Date: Risk Management This agreement is approved for sufficienc &Wpa .''stta�andards,specifications,and requirements: &A, rbnW6 1/4/2021 Office of the Risk Management Office Date. Financial Services This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act: Office of the Chief Financial Officer Date: Legal Services This agreement is approved as t elepkAmmawd sufficiency: Office of the County Attorne 444 1�� Date: 1/7/2021 _)U ,1 1/8/2021 EEoseFeoF2�ikbrk to the Board Received for record retention: All Docusign contracts must be copied to the Clerk upon completion: occlerkdocs@orangecountync.gov The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign contracts: Office of the Clerk to the Board Date: 5