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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-21-2002 - 5g ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 21, 2002 Action Agenda a Item No. J SUBJECT: Emergency Medical Services Weeks Recognition of EMS Agencies Achievements DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENTS: INFORMATION CONTACT: EMS Week Proclamation Kent McKenzie, ext 3030 4129102 Memo from Emergency Medical Services Director TELEPHONE NUMBERS: List of Integral EMS Agencies Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-0501 Durham 6887331 Mebane 336-2272631 PURPOSE: To proclaim the week of May 19 through 25, 2002 as Emergency Medical Services (EMS)Week in Orange County and also to recognize the achievements of various emergency medical service agencies in Orange County. BACKGROUND: Governor Michael F. Easley will proclaim the week of May l9- 25.2002 as Emergency Medical Services Week in North Carolina, in recognition of the dedicated professionals that pmvitle emergency seivicesto the citizens of this state. The Emergency Medical Services System in Orange County includes Telecommunications, First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, Nurses. Doctors. Volunteers and Employees of Orange EMS and Rescue Squad, County Staff,the UNC Hospitals Emergency Department, the Carolina AirCare program,the University Department of Emergency Medicine, and various private enterprises. The Orange County Emergency Medical Services responded W more than 9,200 reported emergencies last year, providing medical assessment, treatment, and ambulance transPOdation when medically necessary. Orange County EMS also provides injury prevention through a variety of public education projects, including the nationally recognise d 'Welcome to the Word- home safety program, ajoint initiative with the Heath Department and the Orange County Partnership for Young Children. Representatives from various Orange County emergency medical service agencies will be present at this meeting so the BOCC may recognize and present cedificates of appreciation to those organizations. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with approval of the proclamation and recognition of the Emergency Medical Services System agencies. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the proclamation des grating the week of May 19-25, 2002 as Emergency Medical Services Week in Orange County, in recognition of the many dedicated men and women that daily serve the citizens and visitors of Orange County, and that the Board recognize and honor personnel who are affiliated with the individual agencies that collectively operate within the Orange County Emergency Medical Services System. l 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A PROCLAMATION EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK May 19 through May 25,2002 WHEREAS, Governor Michael F. Easley will proclaim the week of May 19 through May 25, 2002 as Emergency Medical Services Week in North Carolina, and WHEREAS, The Emergency Medical Service in Orange County is a complex system involving Telecommunicators, First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, Nurses, Doctors, Volunteers and Employees of Orange EMS and Rescue Squad, County Staff, the UNC Hospitals Emergency Department, the UNC AirCare program, and various private enterprises, and WHEREAS, The citizens of Orange County benefit daily from the dedicated efforts, knowledge, and skills of this team of emergency services personnel, and WHEREAS, The citizens of Orange County support the emergency services and their efforts to improve the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury, and WHEREAS, The Orange County Boats of Commissioners publicly acknowledge their support and appreciation to all the members of the Orange County Emergency Medical Services System, NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim the week of May 19 through May 25, 2002, as EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK and ended rage all citizens of Orange County to continue to support their EMS system. This the 21st day of May, 2002 Barry Jambs. Chair Orange County Sound! of Commissioners MEMORANDUM To: Rod Visser, Assistant County Manager Form: Kent McKenzie, Emergency Medical Services Director Date: April 29, 2002 Re: Recognition of EMS Performance Achievements From time to time, personnel in the Orange County Emergency Medical Service System are privileged to have the opportunity to use their extensive training and equipment to make a real difference in the life of a resident or visitor. In many cases, the caring and compassionate work done by personnel in the system is overlooked. In a few rare instances, Individual citizens or visitors provide letters or phone calls expressing their gratitude to specifc EMS personnel and to the system at large. Sometimes, by design or providence, personnel are able to revive persons who have suffered complete cardiac and respiratory arrest;that is, people who are clinically dead. A letter from the family of one such person, a young men just 19 years old,.was simulated to the BOCC in the recent past. This young man suffered a cardiac afraid jug before Christmas of 2000, and Orange County's Emergency Medical Services System was activated. On that chilly December day, telecommunicatora, firefighters, paramedics, emergency metlipl technicians, nurses, and physicians within the system were all involved in caring for this young man and his family. As a result of the coordinated work of this professional team, his heartbeat was restored and the young man now has the rest of his life to look forward to. It is important to recognize that while the actions of the specific people who revived this young man did save his life, their actions do not make those individual team members more valuable or honorable than others in the system. All members of the system are capable of providing ere that makes a difference in an individual's life, and It Is important to recognize all members of Orange County's Emergency Medical Services System. Media coverage of last September's terrorist attacks focused public attention on the specific acts of courage that occurred during responses to those events. Although the public's focus has been on those responders who died doing their jobs, many other admirable ads of wurege by emergency services personnel across the country and around the word go unwitnessed and unrecognized every day. During the annual national Emergency Medical Services week, all citizens are encouraged to remember and thank the many personnel who stand In service around the word. To specifically recognize some of the many Emergency Medical Services personnel in Orange County at the BOCC's May 21, 2002 meeting, staff from the County's Department of Emergency Management Services will identify personnel from various EMS system agencies for recognition and for presentation of cartifcatas of appreciation to the agencies. Intertral E Md' l SeNjacs arraircies 5 Caldwell Fire Department Cambers Fire Department Cedar Grove Fire Department ' Chapel Hill Fire Department Eno Fire Department Hillsborough/Orange Rural Fire Department Mebane Fire Department New Hope Fire Department North Chatham Fire Department Orange County Emergency Management Communications Division Orange County Emergency Management Emergency Medical Services Division Orange EMS & Rescue Squad, Inc. Orange Grove Fire Department University of North Carolina Hospitals White Crass Flre Department As each agency name is called, members of that department will stand and remain standing while a representative coming forward to receive a certifcate of appreciation.