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P <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 9, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Report: Orange County EMS and Rescue Squad <br />DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services PUBLIC HEARING: (WN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />• Agreement Between OCRS and <br />Orange County <br />• Preliminary Report <br />• Position Statement from Orange <br />County Fire Chiefs <br />• NCARSEMS Fax <br />• Timeline of interaction with OCRS <br />• Personnel Roster for OCRS <br />• OCRS Training Attendance <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />F. Rojas Montes de Oca <br />Office, 919 - 968 -2050 <br />PURPOSE: To provide an update to the Board on the status of Orange County EMS and Rescue <br />Squad. <br />BACKGROUND: The North Carolina Emergency Medical Services Act of 1973, Article 56 of Chapter <br />143 of the North Carolina General Statutes establishes a statewide system to support the provision of <br />emergency medical services throughout the state by regulating and providing technical support to the <br />service providers. The Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Emergency <br />Medical Services (OEMS) has the responsibility for the North Carolina EMS program. The Act also <br />requires that counties establish Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems and ensure that <br />emergency medical services are available to residents. The North Carolina Medical Care <br />Commission establishes rules and regulations for local EMS systems. <br />Orange County Legal Responsibilities <br />The County must submit an EMS System application to OEMS every six years to be recertified to <br />ensure compliance with Medical Care Commissions rules and regulations. (Orange County will apply <br />to be recertified in 2010) Orange County must identify the ambulances that will operate in its system <br />service area twenty -four (24) hours a day. The County is authorized to adopt an ordinance to <br />franchise ambulance services. In 1993, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br />approved the Emergency Management Ordinance which included a provision for the franchise of <br />ambulance and rescue services. <br />The Emergency Management Ordinance provides that the Emergency Services Director shall be <br />responsible to the County Manager "in regard to all phases of emergency management services" and <br />is "responsible for the planning, coordination and operation of the emergency management activities <br />in the County." <br />