By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
In their last meeting of the year, the Orange County Board of Commissioners once again focused a majority of their discussion on the county’s Emergency Management Services, approving the creation of an emergency services workgroup to help remedy EMS issues.
The board has already had three recent meetings dedicated to EMS. However, unlike the previous work sessions and meetings at which much was discussed with little action taken, commissioners passed motions that showed the county is trying to move forward to quickly fix the issues.
Issues with the county’s EMS include outdated technology in the call centers, outdated medical equipment and major communication and coverage problems with the Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders system (VIPER), used by law enforcement and fire departments.
Following direction given by the commissioners at their Nov. 17 work session, Assistant County Manager Michael Talbert presented a plan to the board for the creation of an emergency services workgroup that would provide recommendations to the county regarding EMS problems.
Talbert proposed that the workgroup consist of eight members: two appointees from the fire chiefs’ association, one appointee from the South Orange Rescue Squad, one municipal fire chief, two municipal police chiefs, the county sheriff and the emergency services director.
However, comments from the public convinced commissioners to add four stakeholders to the workgroup.
Bill Waddell, president of the Orange Grove volunteer fire company, urged the board to add one or two Orange County residents and one or two commissioners to the workgroup.
“With this new workgroup, the emergency stakeholders, including the rural fire departments, can work together to find solutions,†Waddell said, “things that work system-wide and that taxpayers can afford.â€
Foushee agreed with Waddell about adding both residents and commissioners to the workgroup, saying she felt it would be very beneficial.
Agreeing with Foushee’s comments, McKee added that he wanted one resident to come from the rural area, while the other should come from a municipal area.
Initially, board Chair Bernadette Pelissier was unsure about the practicality of adding residents to the workgroup, in which discussions would be extremely technical. However, after hearing support from multiple board members on the issue, she agreed it would be useful.
“The reason I have suggested adding citizens is not particularly for technical expertise,†McKee said. “It is to bring perspective from a taxpayer’s viewpoint and from someone that at sometime might need these services.â€
The board unanimously passed a motion on the formation of the workgroup, with the addition of McKee as the board representative, Foushee as the alternate, two seats for residents and a seat for the county’s medical director.