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Commissioner Gordon asked about the private placement loan previously approved by the <br />Board for the purchase of landfill equipment. She asked what happens with the landfill equipment. Budget <br />Director Donna Dean said that this would be added to the landfill equipment. They would still purchase <br />landfill equipment. <br />Commissioner Gordon verified that the payments would be $73,600 a year for five years. <br />Chair Jacobs said that the Board approved $500,000 reduced from $725,000 for this fiscal year, <br />and now it is $825,000. He asked if this would be reflected in next year's request. John Link said that this <br />is an opportunity to address the ambulance needs. They did pare dawn other departments' needs earlier <br />and this would make an impact on the EMS needs. <br />Donna Dean said that each year the departments update their CIP and it is part of a replacement <br />schedule for vehicles. It would be reflected in next year's budget. <br />Chair Jacobs asked far more information on defibrillators and putting them in public places and <br />training people to use them at other County buildings. Commissioner Halkiotis agreed. He said that the <br />airlines have been putting these in airplanes. <br />John Link said that he would be willing to be a trainee in their building. <br />As stated earlier, a motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner <br />Halkiotis to approve the equipment and vehicle purchases for County departments, excluding Information <br />Systems and Solid Waste, for fiscal year 2003-04 and authorize the Finance Director to finance the <br />purchase of four ambulances through an outstanding private placement loan proposal from CCB, previously <br />approved by the Board for purchase of Landfill equipment and authorize the Finance Director and County <br />Attorney to execute the documents necessary to complete the funding. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />b. Buildina Capacity for Public Health Preparedness and Response in Oranae County Health <br />Department <br />The Board considered building the capacity of the Orange County Health Department to carry <br />out its responsibilities in public health preparedness and emergency response as part of the overall Orange <br />County emergency response through acceptance of funds available and establishing two public health <br />preparedness positions; and accepting the additional allocation of funds from the North Carolina Division of <br />Public Health in the amount of $69,199; and accepting the $50,000 grant award from the US Department of <br />Health and Human Services Public Health Service for development of a Medical Reserve Corps in Orange <br />County, and authorizing a permanent full-time public health nurse position to fulfill the duties as the Public <br />Health Preparedness Coordinator effective December 1, 2003, and authorizing a permanent full-time public <br />health educator as the Volunteer Coordinator effective December 1, 2003 to fulfill the duties associated with <br />creating a Medical Reserve Carps in Orange County, subject to the continuation of grant funds. <br />Orange County Health Director Rosie Summers asked for approval to build their capacity at the <br />Health Department to carry out responsibilities in public health preparedness and response. This is part of <br />the overall Orange County Emergency Response effort. She gave some background on the proposal. <br />Since 1999, they have had at least one public health emergency need each year. They range from a <br />Hepatitis A outbreak to the post 911 response with anthrax scares and with the creation of the Homeland <br />Security Department. She said that their experience is that they need permanent ongoing personnel to <br />sustain the effort in emergency planning and also to develop the emergency plans. The day-to-day effort <br />includes six separate parts of the plan. They have received assurance that there are recurring federal funds <br />flowing to the State and then being dispersed to the local areas. Orange County's allocation is $69,199. <br />Attachment 2 has a full listing of the deliverables far this recurring fund. They also received notice for a <br />medical reserve corps grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services of $50,000 far three <br />successive years to develop a medical reserve corps of volunteers. They have already mailed 2,000 <br />postcards to registered nurses, 184 to licensed practical nurses, and 270 to pharmacists all in Orange <br />County. From those postcards, they have received 254 expressions of interest. Of those, 98 attended an <br />orientation session. Same of these 98 volunteered to staff shelters during Hurricane Isabel, and eight <br />nurses were used during the recent flu campaign to provide vaccinations to the public. The plan is to keep <br />the volunteers active by getting them involved in community events. <br />