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TO: James Chandler County Administrator DATE: April 12, 1989 FILE: SUBJECT: Funding Approval for EMS Staffing in Sebastian Area and Amendment of Fellsmere Volunteer Ambulance Service FROM: Doug Wright, Director Certificate of Public Conven- Emergency Management Services ience and Necessity It is requested that the information contained herein be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at the next regular scheduled meeting. DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS On May 3, 1988, the former Sebastian Volunteer Ambulance Squad Board of Directors voted to dissolve itself due to an abundance of concern relating to an inability to provide a level of service commensurate with requirements of the existing Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Prior leadership had been ineffective and recurring problems hampered the delivery of creditable pre -hospital emergency medical services to the citizens of the response area. A proposal had been earlier submitted by the Fellsmere Volunteer Ambulance Service to assume responsibility for EMS service in the Sebastian area. On May 4, 1988, the Director of Emergency Management Services apprised the Board of County Commissioners that the options available for a continuity of EMS service were to either allow Fellsmere to assume responsibility for the service area or direct that a paid service be initiated. While having some reservations, the Director recommended the option that permitted Fellsmere to continue a volunteer service in the North County and the Board of County Commissioners approved a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and advanced certain funds to assist in start up operating costs. The recommendation by the Director of Emergency Management Services was predicated on a firm belief that with new leadership in the Sebastian Ambulance Squad, recruitment of new volunteers would occur and it was anticipated that former volunteers would return and again offer their services to the community. The Squad Chief and others within the Fellsmere Volunteer Ambulance Service have done a creditable job. Unfortunately, sufficient numbers of EMT's and drivers have not volunteered their service to fully staff both the Fellsmere and Sebastian stations. There has been a small nucleus of personnel that are working double shifts and on occasion triple shifts to staff the two locations around the clock. The presumption has been over a period of two EMT classes and a third one now in progress that as soon as the class graduated, a sufficient number of new EMT's would be available to staff the twenty-eight (28) shifts per week or a total of fifty-six (56) shifts for both locations. What has occurred is either the students did not volunteer, found paying EMT positions, or volunteered for a few months and then dropped off of the schedule for varying reasons. Such is the case now in that potentially there is a cadre of EMT's that indicate they will be volunteering some time to the Squad. The bottom line is that historically, all student EMT's do not always pass the course, the state exams, and some find out they do not like the work when actual trauma scenes are encountered. In addition to the staffing problems, the Squad Chief walked off the job without notice due to her and the Finance Director's allegations of problems with the County run system as relate to the following: APR 1 1989 47 BOOK 76 FACE 636