Orange County NC Website
12 <br /> 1 Commissioner Jacobs thanked Commissioner McKee and Commissioner Foushee for <br /> 2 working on the Emergency Services work group. He made reference to the extra 15 seconds <br /> 3 to take information when dispatching calls and he asked if ambulances would be added. He <br /> 4 asked staff to come back with an implementation plan with the costs of adding ambulances. <br /> 5 Steve Allan said that the key to feedback in those arenas is going to be important as to <br /> 6 who you ask and has diverted this Board in the wrong directions for years. He said that the <br /> 7 facility he quoted is bare bones. He said that he was impressed with Orange County in that it <br /> 8 has asset management and all are involved in the decision making of the purchase of <br /> 9 ambulances. He said that he was not prepared or asked to come up with the type of vehicle for <br /> 10 Orange County to purchase. <br /> 11 Commissioner Jacobs asked if the work group would be recommending the priority of <br /> 12 order for these recommendations. <br /> 13 Commissioner McKee said that it has not been decided yet, but his idea is to get <br /> 14 feedback from Board of County Commissioners and incorporate it into study, and for the work <br /> 15 group to come back with a general list of recommendations with what could be implemented the <br /> 16 most quickly and with the least cost. <br /> 17 Steve Allan said that he is still responsible as the County's consultant to meet with the <br /> 18 fire chiefs, etc., and to have a public meeting to provide them with a presentation so the County <br /> 19 Commissioners can provide him with suggestions and feedback. <br /> 20 Commissioner Foushee said that it seems it would be easier for the work group to make <br /> 21 suggestions in depth after hearing these comments and feedback from stakeholders and the <br /> 22 public. <br /> 23 Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to see a recommendation from staff or <br /> 24 have someone put these recommendations in priority order. <br /> 25 Commissioner Gordon made reference to the methodology and said that she wanted to <br /> 26 know more about the variability in the response times. She made reference to page 30 at the <br /> 27 top and then again on page 112-113 with respect to response times. She asked about the data <br /> 28 on the response times from other districts and if it is the fire departments responding, EMS, or <br /> 29 both. <br /> 30 Steve Allan said that, regarding the fire departments, how fast they respond is <br /> 31 dependent upon how far away they are from the emergency. He said that everything in the <br /> 32 data is average total response time for just EMS. <br /> 33 Commissioner Gordon said that she would like to have one more input session from the <br /> 34 Board of County Commissioners before the final report comes back to the Board. <br /> 35 Commissioner McKee summarized the process of the Emergency Services work group <br /> 36 up to this point. He wants to avoid this becoming a loop of a protracted discussion. He <br /> 37 suggested that as the consultant goes forward with other stakeholders that the work group will <br /> 38 incorporate feedback into the document and then the work group will review these and come <br /> 39 back to the Board of County Commissioners with a consensus of a report of recommendations <br /> 40 (generalized). This is a living document. He does not want to put this on a shelf. <br /> 41 Commissioner Gordon summarized the process. If the public or County Commissioners <br /> 42 have a question, they can go to one of the meetings or email Michael Harvey with questions. <br /> 43 When that is wrapped up, it will go to the work group, which will answer the questions and <br /> 44 prioritize the recommendations. This will then get folded into the consultant's report. At a later <br /> 45 time, it will come to the County Commissioners to approve, and then come through the budget <br /> 46 process after that. <br /> 47 The Board agreed with the process by consensus. <br /> 48 Michael Talbert agreed that this is a living document and will be changed annually. It <br /> 49 will be brought forward every year with the CIP. He reminded the Board that improvements <br /> 50 have been made in EMS funding every year through additional ambulances, new EMTs, and <br />