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a,.~ <br />and land search." The Rescue Squad's EMS personnel are scheduled in advance for duty at <br />various special events or are radio-pager-dispatched on an incident-by-incident basis. <br />Calls are dispatched through the Orange County Emergency Communications Center which <br />is the primary emergency medical dispatch service in Orange County. Resources are <br />assigned to medical calls based on the Priority Dispatch System protocols and response <br />determinants pre-defined by the Medical Director. Guidance is also provided in operation <br />policies that ensure that EMS resources are deployed efficiently to scenes and to ensure that <br />mutual aid resources are requested promptly when the system is overloaded.29 All of this is <br />part of the EMS System Plan. The Rescue Squad was taken out of active service for medical <br />dispatch. This falls within the authority granted to the ES Director by the Orange County <br />Emergency Management Ordinance and does not equate to a termination or suspension of a <br />franchise under the Rescue Squad's Franchise Agreement. The stand-down also does not <br />have the effect of terminating any other obligations or agreements Orange County may have <br />with the Rescue Squad. <br />Conclusion <br />Due process requires the Board, prior to terminating or suspending a franchise agreement, to <br />give the holder notice and an opportunity to be heard. The ES Director has the authority, <br />pursuant to the Orange County Emergency Management Ordinance and the ~ EMS System <br />Plan, to issue astand-down order when coordinating the operation of emergency services <br />activities within the County. This action does not operate as a suspension or termination of a <br />franchise holders franchise agreement. <br />'9 Orange County Emergency Medical Services Unit Deployment and Mutual Aid Request. <br />Page 7 of 7 <br />