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2 ' <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> FROM: Rod Visser, Assistant County Manager <br /> Nick Waters, Director of Emergency Management <br /> Jeanette Smith, Emergency Medical Services Director <br /> SUBJECT: EMS Service Delivery and Financing Proposal <br /> DATE: March 28, 1996 <br /> The following staff report discusses recommendations presented to the <br /> Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council at its March 27 meeting, <br /> concerning proposed changes in the current EMS service delivery and <br /> financing models . Furthermore, it includes the preliminary <br /> recommendations from the Council to the Board of Commissioners, based <br /> on EMS Council deliberations at that March 27 meeting. <br /> Council and staff hope that the Board of Commissioners will receive <br /> this report at their regular meeting on April 1, and provide direction <br /> to County staff, and the EMS Council, on a service delivery model and a <br /> financing mechanism to be implemented as early as possible during 1996- <br /> 97 . It is our intention to ascertain those aspects of the EMS Council <br /> recommendations to which the Board gives conceptual approval now, and <br /> those aspects about which the Board needs additional information before <br /> making a final decision. <br /> Following receipt of the Board' s initial direction, staff will work <br /> with the County Attorney on any relevant statutory aspects of the EMS <br /> Council proposals . Staff plans to bring this item back for final <br /> approval in May, so that the Board' s decisions on service delivery and <br /> financing can be incorporated into the Manager' s Recommended Budget for <br /> 1996-97 . <br /> In addition to County staff, the EMS Advisory Council Chair, the <br /> Medical Director, and representatives of both the South Orange Rescue <br /> Squad and Orange County Rescue Squad will be present at the April 1 <br /> meeting to respond to questions from the Board of Commissioners . <br /> Background <br /> As a followup to the three year EMS Strategic Planning Process begun in <br /> 1991, County staff and the Resources Subcommittee of the EMS Advisory <br /> Council have been meeting for about two years to discuss options for <br /> EMS service delivery, and alternatives for financing a possible new <br /> delivery model . <br /> The following brief report outlines the specifics of the EMS Council ' s <br /> recommendations . Key components include : provision of all initial <br /> responses to EMS calls by County paramedics in initial response <br />