HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0571CONSENSUS of the board to allow the planning staff to focus on small area
plans during the next year in the following areas:
1. Highway 64190 area
2. Shinnville/Cornelius Road area
Emergency Services
EMS: EMS Director Lee Darnell, along with Emergency Services Director
Tracy Jackson, said the EMS call volume had been increasing steadily over the past few
years. Darnell said that in 1988-1989, approximately 6,000 calls were recorded
compared to nearly 12,000 this fiscal year. Darnell said the major goal in 2005-06
would be to reduce response times in some areas of the county. He said that in the
upcoming budget, a request would be made for another ambulance to cover Statesville,
along with two quick response vehicles to be stationed near, or at the Lake Norman Fire
Department and the Trinity Fire Department. In addition to the vehicles, Darnell said
he would be asking for EMS Bike Teams to cover special events (balloon rally, county
fair and any street festivals, etc.), and new stretchers. He said the current stretchers
were rated to carry patients up to 350 pounds, but he desired to replace them with
models that carried up to 650 pounds. Darnell said he also desired to purchase two
stretchers that were safely rated to carry patients weighing up to 1,000 pounds.
Commissioner Williams asked for a more coordinated effort between the fire
departments and the Emergency Services Office (Tracy Jackson) pertaining to the needs
of the First Responders. Mr. Williams said a review was needed on which department,
EMS perhaps, should pay for first responder supplies (disposables/non-disposables).
Chairman Tice said it would probably be difficult to separate the costs for first
response and fire fighting.
Williams said, "Let's look at how much it is costing the fire departments to
provide First Response and determine the appropriate department -- EMS or another
department -- that should be paying the costs."
Commissioner Robertson asked the standard EMS arrival time.
Darnell said there was not an official rule; however, the NFPA (National Fire
Protection Association) used eight minutes as a recommended time for a paramedic to
arrive on an emergency scene.
Jackson said the county's EMS department was in the eight to ten minute range.
He said a time study had been conducted by the Centralina Council of Governments in
the past.
Communications: Communications Director David Martin said the county's
topography made it difficult for emergency communication to occur in some spots of
the county, especially if there were several people utilizing the system at the same time.
He said the completion of a three -site -simulcast system was recommended to allow
ECOM, the sheriffs department, EMS and the other emergency service departments to
simultaneously converse across the Rhinehart Tower (southern end) to the ECOM tower
(Statesville) and to the Olin tower. Martin said at the present time, it was difficult for a
person in the southern area of the county to hear another person in the northern end.
Martin requested that $300,000 be approved in the FY 05-06 budget to be added to
$240,000 already in this year's budget to finish out the simulcast project. He said a
consultant had estimated the project to cost $460,154.00, and if the funding were
approved, a total of $79,846 would be left for contingency. Martin said the contingency
could be used to supply a microwave path from ECOM to Olin. He said the simulcast
project would provide short-term, county -wide improvements for the emergency
providers (Sheriff, Troutman Police Dept., EMS, Rescue Squads, and the Volunteer Fire
Departments).