Laserfiche WebLink
Commissioner Lyons questioned the County's need for <br />another air ambulance service as the one we have appears to <br />be adequate for our needs. <br />Pat Hazen, owner of Odum Aviation d/b/a Sea/Air, an air <br />ambulance service, informed the Board of the new rules for <br />emergency services. She felt the Legislature's intent to <br />set some standards for medical care was excellent, but the <br />problem was they failed to separate the rules for ground <br />emergency services from air emergency services. In example, <br />Ms. Hazen noted that C&J Ambulance Service which serves <br />three counties, would be required to have certificates from <br />those three counties; an air ambulance service, however, <br />operates anywhere, which means it would have to obtain <br />certificates of need from all of the 67 counties in Florida. <br />Ms. Hazen continued that she has talked to the Ambulance <br />Licensing Coordinator of the Department of Health & <br />Rehabilitative Services, who indicated that they are not <br />going to police this since they'do not have the funds to do <br />so, and he -suggested letters be written to the Legislature <br />in regard to exempting air ambulance services from this <br />requirement. <br />Ms. Hazen -then stated that if Flight Nursing, Inc.", did <br />ask to put a branch office in Vero Beach, she would object <br />strenuously as the track record indicates that there is just <br />not enough air ambulance business to justify the operation <br />of two companies. She noted that.if the Board denies the <br />request made by Flight Nursing, they will land here anyway <br />since there are no federal aviation regulations that prevent <br />any lifeguard operation from going into any airport at any <br />time. Ms. Hazen felt that an air ambulance service should <br />only be required to obtain a certificate of need in the <br />county in which they are based or where they might have a <br />branch office. <br />54 <br />r <br />