Orange County NC Website
z <br />County: Orange County Rescue Squad in Hillsborough and South Orange Rescue Squad in <br />Carrboro. Each of these agencies was franchised by the Commissioners to provide Emergency <br />Medical and Rescue services, In January 2000, the two squads merged to form one agency, <br />Orange EMS & Rescue Squad, Incorporated.. Orange County continued to contract with this <br />merged agency to provide EMS and Rescue Services. <br />In the Spring of 2004, because of internal disagreement among the membership of Orange <br />EMS & Rescue Squad, a mediation process was started that has resulted in the spin-off of a <br />new corporation, Technical Rescue Services, Incorporated, which conducts business as South <br />Orange Rescue Squad. Through the mediation process, the assets of Orange EMS & Rescue <br />Squad have been divided between the surviving corporation and the new corporation, and some <br />volunteers from the surviving corporation have transferred their membership into the new <br />corporation, The result of this process is effectively a return to the pre-merger status of the two <br />separate rescue squads, both of which are valuable partners with Orange County in the <br />provision of Emergency Medical and Rescue services, <br />Background materials for the November 16 public hearing included a proposed franchise <br />agreement by ordinance that was substantially in the form and content of the franchise <br />agreement ordinances that the Board approved on first reading at the December 6 meeting, <br />For the December 6 meeting, additional detail was added to each ordinance to describe assets <br />in Exhibit B and to provide (1) that if the Grantee desires to sell any assets and has a bona fide <br />offer, the County will have a right of first refusal to purchase the assets at the same price as the <br />bona fide offer and (2) for distribution of the assets (in line with NCGS Chapter 55A and the IRS <br />Code) to another franchisee or the County upon dissolution of the Grantee. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct financial impact associated with the awarding of either <br />franchise agreement by ordinance, Funding to provide monthly stipends to both squads has <br />already been appropriated in the FY 2004-05 budget for the Emergency Management <br />Department, in keeping with the County's agreement for FY 2004-05 with Orange EMS & <br />Rescue Services. Bath squads have agreed in writing to share the monthly stipend from the <br />County on a 50-50 basis for the remainder of the current fiscal year. <br />RECAMMENDATIQN(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the franchise <br />agreements by ordinance on second reading for Orange EMS & Rescue Squad, Incorporated <br />and for Technical Rescue Services, Incorporated, <br />