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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: November 17, 2011 <br />Action Age ~a <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Discussion with the Board of County Commissioners Regarding Plans to <br />Improve the Emergency Medical Services Delivery System <br />DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />1) Ambulance Mileage Comparison <br />2) Ambulance Accident Disposition <br />3) EMS Response Zones Map <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />F. R. Montes de Oca: 919-245-6100 <br />Michael Talbert: 919-245-2153 <br />PURPOSE: To receive background and historical information regarding the County's <br />Emergency Medical Services System and to authorize the Manager to contract with a <br />consultant to assist the department with development of a multiyear strategic plan. <br />BACKGROUND: The Orange County Emergency Medical Services System provides <br />prehospital care and transport to residents and visitors throughout the County. Originated from <br />volunteer services, Orange County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) began providing <br />advanced life support ambulances in the 1980's. Emergency Medical Services is a branch of <br />Orange County Emergency Services Department (OCES) and is staffed by dedicated <br />paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians around the clock. The EMS branch is the <br />largest and highest-profile group within the department providing emergency response, patient <br />care and patient transport from 400 square miles covering densely-populated urban settings to <br />rural areas throughout the County. In addition to responding to 13,000+ calls annually, EMS <br />must be able to address extraordinary events such as multi-casualty incidents (MCIs), large <br />sporting events, stock car races and mass gatherings, assist at fires, evacuations and other <br />disaster situations affecting public safety. <br />The following is a history of the achievements within the EMS System supported by the Board <br />of County Commissioners. The Emergency Medical Services delivery system evolved from two <br />"divisions" -the career County paramedic (treatment) division and the volunteer EMS (transport) <br />squads in 2005. Prior to that, the County provided funding to the volunteer squads to cover <br />fuel, supplies and other operational costs. As the costs rose, the County decided to join the two <br />divisions into one EMS delivery system. <br />1968: Orange County Rescue Squad was established <br />1971: South Orange Rescue Squad was established <br />1980's: Orange County Emergency Medical Services Hired Permanent Paramedics <br />1993: Orange County Adopted a Franchise Ordinance <br />1993: Orange County franchises convalescent ambulance services <br />1995: Orange County adopts the Initial Response Vehicle EMS System <br />1999: Two Rescue Squads Merged into Orange County EMS and Rescue Squad, Inc. <br />