09/13/2005 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Emergency Services Director John King advised that Roger Nicosia, MD, is the medical director under contract with his department and has been a good asset. His contract cost has not increased in more than 10 years. Steve Myers , Teamsters representative for the paramedics, wanted to know how many final drafts there would be, and County Administrator Baird thought there could probably be a couple more drafts and stated he does not like the label of “final draft”. Mr. Myers questioned how many times the ALS equipment has been used by firefighters when placed on the fire vehicle, and Director King responded that it is used every time that personnel are asked to perform a service. It was suggested that Mr. Myers meet with Mr. King after the meeting. Bruce Anderson , Indian River County Firefighters’ union president, referred to the consultants’ report under Executive Summary that training will be paramount to make this succeed. He understood the study is a guideline and that the framework would change. He also mentioned there has been a lot of discussion about the cost increase and talk that it would be extremely expensive. He wondered how expensive it would be, and County Administrator Baird responded that would depend on the negotiations with unions and responded to other questions Mr. Anderson asked. (Clerk’s Note: Commissioner Davis arrived at 1:40 p.m.) Bob Walsh, Vero Beach, noticed there were no dollar amounts in the consultant’s report. He offered an alternative suggestion to let each professional do what they were trained for but if they are dual qualified then let them do both and pay them for it. Kevin Givens was concerned about a reduction in manpower and stated we need everything we have now. He wanted to maintain the present level of service. Commissioner Wheeler responded that the plan is about not expanding personnel, but also not reducing it. September 13, 2005 40