Minutes 05-31-2018 Budget Work Session

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6 Dinah Jeffries said Durham Tech is no longer providing this, so Emergency Services is doing so via a partnership with Lenoir Community College. She said the paramedics in the academy have to travel to Lenoir at least once a month, which is an expense for the County. Kim Woodard, EMS Operations Manager, said Durham Tech went to a curriculum program, which took the paramedics into a two-year program, and no longer allowed the County to sponsor them as they are working. She said over the past six years, this paramedic academy has been extremely successful, with a 59% retention rate. She said the program at Lenoir Community College is an online-hybrid program, with students traveling to Lenoir for an entire weekend, at least once a month. Dinah Jeffries said a negative of the Lenoir program is that it is on line and not face to face, and so the County is providing additional training and support. Commissioner Rich asked if the County speaks with Durham Tech about things like this, because this is not the way to go. Dinah Jeffries said talks started last year with Durham Tech, and she thought progress was being made. She said Durham Tech lost a lot of staff, and now it is a bit of a revolving door at Durham Tech for this program. Commissioner Price said it does not make sense to have a Durham Tech campus in Orange County, or be connected to the campus in Durham, if the services that people need are not being provided. She said Commissioner Marcoplos is the BOCC representative on the Durham Tech board, and maybe he can bring this to Durham Tech’s attention. Commissioner Marcoplos said he made a note to talk to Dinah Jeffries about this, and he will bring this up at the next Durham Tech board meeting. Commissioner McKee said he has also tried to make progress, but to no avail, and he may start talking about defunding Durham Tech going forward. Commissioner Price said some of the rationale is that Durham Tech wants to have a certain level of accreditation, but there should be more accommodation of Orange County’s needs. Chair Dorosin said Durham Tech has been helpful with some areas, such as training Morinaga employees, and this sounds like another specific need. He said there ought to be a way to move this up Durham Tech’s priority list. Commissioner Rich said the County should not be sending staff to Lenoir County. Kim Woodard said there is a paramedic academy work group, which looked into all various options. She said this group concluded that Durham Tech is the most ideal option, and is where students want to go. Commissioner Jacobs said it may be helpful to find out how Durham Tech is funded from the State, because Durham Tech may be getting more money for economic development to train people, than it does for helping the County. He said if this is the case, the County should have a conversation about how the County’s funding can benefit the County. Commissioner McKee said mission is also important, and there is a hospital right next to the Orange County campus, causing Durham Tech to focus on medical training. He said community colleges seem to focus on core areas of training and, items outside those core areas, receive less emphasis. Kim Woodard said that is exactly correct, and the EMS program has repeatedly lost space to the nursing assistants program. Commissioner McKee said despite this being the case, he is still in favor of pushing Durham Tech for more. Commissioner Price said if Durham Tech wants to put together a program, it can do so, because it has done so in Durham. She said Durham Tech is also coming to the BOCC for money for expansion, and if Durham Tech is not already meeting the County’s needs, there is little reason to provide more funding. Travis Myren resumed the presentation: