Agenda - 04-13-2004-5f - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action AgenS r Item No. 1- SUBJECT: Acceptance of HRSA Grant for Decontamination & Communication Equipment DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Grant Proposal Grant Narrative Equipment List ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 13, 2004 INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent McKenzie, ext 3030 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough Chapel Hill Durham 732-8181 968-4501 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider accepting state-administered federal grant funding in the amount of $26,357 to purchase a portable decontamination shelter with related equipment and radio communication equipment, BACKGROUND: The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services (NCOEMS) is administering a statewide bioterrorism preparedness grant from the Federal Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The purpose of this grant program is to establish a baseline response capability in hospitals and county EMS systems to address bioterrorism events. NCOEMS, at the direction of HRSA, developed a separate list of critical benchmarks for hospitals and EMS systems. Funding far FY 2003-04 is earmarked to develop specified capabilities for EMS systems and Hospitals, Staff has already submitted the required grant application in order to meet the established grant request deadline, The primary use of this finding in Orange County is to purchase a decontamination shelter capable of decontaminating non-ambulatory patients from an incident. This is one of the critical benchmarks identified by HRSA, The specified equipment would also provide capability for EMS to decontaminate persons involved in chemical incidents, terrorist or otherwise, A portion of this funding ($4,680,16) is earmarked to install mobile UHF radios on ambulances compatible with the new statewide redundant medical communications network, This system is separate from primary dispatch and communications systems already in place ar proposed under the communications needs study, and would allow regional communication among the public health regional surveillance teams, hospitals, communication centers, and EMS units.