Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 14, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~ ~~ <br />SUBJECT: EMS and Rescue Franchise Agreements (Second Reading) <br />DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management/ PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />County Attorney <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Proposed Franchise Agreements <br />b,y Ordinance (previously distri6ufed <br />under separate cover) <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />.lack Ball or Kent McKenzie, ext 3030 <br />Sean Borhanian, 732-2196 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough <br />Chapel Hill <br />Durham <br />Mebane <br />732-8181 <br />968-4501 <br />688-7331 <br />336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider approving, on second reading, proposed ambulance franchise <br />agreements by ordinance for the two active volunteer rescue squads in the County. <br />BACKGROUND: At the December 6, 2004 meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved on <br />first reading proposed ambulance franchise agreements by ordinance for Orange EMS and <br />Rescue Squad, Incorporated and Technical Rescue Services, Incorporated. The action <br />requested of the Board at this December 14 meeting is final approval of those same franchise <br />agreements. <br />Both organizations have submitted applications to Orange County staff to be awarded <br />franchises to perform certain emergency medical and rescue services. The Orange County <br />EMS, Rescue, and First Responder Franchise Ordinance (reissued April 20, 1993) requires that <br />organizations which provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or Rescue services be <br />franchised by the County to engage in those activities. <br />North Carolina law establishes a public hearing notice/scheduling requirement related to the <br />granting of ambulance franchises. The purpose of the public hearing is to help the BOCC find if <br />the franchise is "necessary to assure the provision of adequate and continuing ambulance <br />service and to preserve, protect, and promote the public health, safety, and welfare." Once the <br />BOCC makes this finding, it can permit the franchise by ordinance., NCGS §153A-46 provides <br />that "no ordinance making a grant, renewal, extension, or amendment of any franchise may be <br />finally adopted until it has been passed at two regular meetings of the board of commissioners" <br />and that "no such grant, renewal, extension, or amendment may be made except by ordinance." <br />The required public hearing was held on November 16, 2004. Staff explained at that time that <br />prior to January 2000, there had been two separate franchised rescue squads in Orange <br />