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1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 2, 2002 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. _ <br />SUBJECT: EMS Transportation Contract Renewal with Orange EMS & Rescue Squad <br />DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Contract Nick Waters, ext. 3030 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider revising and renewing the present contract with Orange EMS & <br />Rescue Squad, Inc. to provide ambulance transportation for emergency medical services <br />through June 30, 2003. <br />BACKGROUND: In October 1996, the County began offering emergency medical services <br />through the current Initial Response Vehicle (IRV) program. Through this program, the County <br />is responsible for providing emergency medical assessment and treatment for patients and the <br />County contracts with Orange EMS and Rescue Squad, Inc. to provide patient transportation. <br />The current contract expires December 31, 2002. This arrangement has been a part of the <br />system design of Emergency Medical Services and allows the Squad to remain active while to <br />this point, preventing or delaying the addition of County staff to carry out the task. <br />Historically, the Squad has relied on a large number of volunteers in carrying out its operations. <br />As with many agencies who have historically relied on volunteers, the Squad has experienced a <br />decline in the number of volunteers it is able to recruit and maintain. To that end, it has been <br />necessary for the Squad to hire full and part-time staff to provide the transportation services. <br />This situation, along with other increases in operational line items, has led to increased <br />expenditures for the Squad. As a result, during the budget planning process last spring, the <br />Squad requested an increase of $220,000 in its budget. <br />Staff recommended, and the Board approved, an extension to the Squad's contract through <br />December 31, 2002. The Board also requested that staff explore options for providing <br />transportation services associated with emergency medical services. The contract extension <br />was intended to provide staff time to review the factors causing cost increases for the squad <br />and to evaluate possible alternatives for the provision of Emergency Medical transportation. <br />Staff is developing a report identifying the potential options for provision of EMS transportation <br />and the costs and benefits of each option. This updated six-month contract will provide the time <br />