Agenda - 08-23-2011 - 9a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 23, 2011 Action Agenda Item No. q - a SUBJECT: County Assistance to Fire Departments for Public Outreach DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Clerk to the Board ATTACHMENT(S): Sample Newspaper Advertisement INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Montes de Oca, Emergency Services, 245-6100 David Hunt, Clerk's Office, 245-2130 PURPOSE: To receive a report on, and provide feedback in follow-up to the Board's suggestion that the County assist area fire departments with communications and public outreach. BACKGROUND: At the Board's June 9, 2011 budget work session discussion occurred regarding the County providing assistance to fire departments with public outreach. Staff from several County departments have since met and initially discussed the multitude of variables involved with this effort. Based on that preliminary discussion, some of the following items are presented with additional questions for possible clarification. Fire departments serving Orange County residents fall into multiple categories. Seven departments are primarily rural. Three departments serve municipal areas, with two of these serving both inside city limits and beyond city limits. Two departments are located outside of Orange County, but serve residents within Orange County. Some of the fire departments within Orange County serve areas beyond Orange County. While Orange County provides tax collection, tax rate approval, fund distribution and auditing follow-up to the fire departments, governance of those departments is by the Board of Directors of each respective department (or town board). Communication methods offered by Orange County would supplement communication tools and methods currently used by the fire departments to communicate with their residents in their respective districts. All but one of the fire departments independently maintains a website and/or a Facebook page.