Orange County NC Website
5 <br /> <br />o 911 Communications Performance Measures – graphs: Call Taking <br />Efficiency and Average Duration of 911 calls <br /> <br />Commissioner Rich asked if there was a reason for the blip. <br />Dinah Jeffries, Emergency Services Director, said there was a lot of new staff that had to <br />be trained, which took longer than expected. <br />Commissioner Price referred to the capital outlay – page 306 – and asked if there are <br />specific recommendations for the BOCC to not fund certain items. <br />Travis Myren said that was an aerial drone. He said at least one other department has a <br />drone that could be used in an emergency, and hopefully drone prices will fall as the technology <br />becomes more mainstream. <br />Commissioner Price asked if reimbursement is provided when emergency staff goes to <br />other areas of the state to assist. <br />Kirby Saunders, Emergency Management Coordinator, said yes, there is 100% <br />reimbursement from that locality. <br />Bonnie Hammersley said one of the guidelines for department heads for capital outlay <br />was only for replacements and nothing new. She said the drone would have been a new <br />purchase. <br />Chair Dorosin asked if there is a reason why a drone might be needed. <br />Kirby Saunders said primarily for search and rescue, and damage assessment. He said <br />drones can also carry 12-15 pounds of payload, and this is an up and coming technology for <br />Emergency Services. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the cost is known. <br />Kirby Saunders said around $30,000, with most of that being in the optics. <br />Commissioner McKee said years ago a child with autism got lost in the park in the <br />northern end of the County, and if a drone had been available, the search could have moved <br />more quickly. <br />Commissioner Price clarified that the Sheriff’s department has a drone. <br />Kirby Saunders said yes, and ES is working with the Sheriff’s office to share this. <br />Dinah Jeffries said this may be an initiative that can be looked at on the risk assessment <br />with the fire department, and looking at pursuing that as a project to cover the County for the <br />use of all of them. <br />Commissioner Jacobs referred to the Fire Marshal, and said it was expressed to him that <br />there is no phone number on the County website to reach the Fire Marshal. <br />Dinah Jeffries said the Fire Marshal, and all employees, can be reached through the <br />main ES number <br />Commissioner Jacobs said it may be helpful to make that clear on the Fire Marshal page <br />of the website. <br />Travis Myren resumed the presentation: <br /> <br />• Emergency Services – page 314 <br />o Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS) <br /> Increase in EMS Revenue Collections – ($256,000) <br /> New Paramedic Academy - $11,000 <br /> Equipment Replacement - $40,282 <br /> Medical Supply Cabinets, CO Detectors, AED’s <br /> <br />General Government <br />• Tax Administration – EMS Revenue - graph <br /> <br />Commissioner Rich asked if the paramedic academy could be detailed.