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Motion expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County, supporting the creation or re-institution of the position of Allegheny County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator, requesting that the Administration provide County Council with information regarding the creation or re-institution of such position and/or a status report of any progress in filling such position, and requesting that the Administration continue to provide such reports until there is consensus with County ambulance services as to how to resolve this issue.
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WHEREAS, the Federal Office of Domestic Preparedness recognizes Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as the front-line response to a terrorist attack as their personnel are normally one of the first on the scene in the aftermath, yet EMS also serves a distinctive need in communities on a day to day basis, providing support services and life saving measures to individuals who are experiencing health problems or have been the victim of an accident; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County currently has seventy (70) ambulance services with professional and volunteer staff who provide a vital service to out residents; many communities rely upon such services as an integral part of their public safety; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County previously had an EMS Coordinator that assisted County ambulance services with the monitoring of status reports of hospital capability, represented the County at meetings of the regional Emergency Medical Services Institute, coordinated the acceptance and distribution of matching fund grants, and monitored and assisted in the development of the EMS system in the County; and
WHEREAS, the County's EMS Coordinator also coordinated training, service, and disaster planning for EMS personnel in the County; that position was provided through an agreement with the Community College of Allegheny County in which an employee of CCAC dedicated one-third of his time to the Coordinator position;
WHEREAS, the agreement was never memorialized in writing and was discontinued in the past few years leaving $10,000 of state funds for the position on the table and leaving services in the County with no point of contact for related issues; and
WHEREAS, designation of an EMS Coordinator for Allegheny County is also of concern to the Emergency Medical Services Institute (EMSI), a non-profit entity designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to administer, promote, and manage the Emergency Medical Services system in Allegheny County and nine surrounding counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, EMSI has noted that the nine other counties in the regional institute staff their coordinator position and that the lack of an EMS Coordinator for Allegheny County is hampering that organization's ability to efficiently distribute grant money and additionally complicates their ability to assist in the development of the EMS system in this County; and
WHEREAS, the designation of an EMS Coordinator in Allegheny County is important to the residents of this County, is necessary for the support of the county's ambulance services, is an integral part of this County's responsibility for public safety, and is supported by local governments in the County, the Allegheny County EMS Council, and the regional EMSI;
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that this Body supports the creation or re-institution of the position of Allegheny County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator, requests that the Administration provide County Council with information regarding the creation or re-institution of such position and/or a status report of any progress in filling such position, and requests that the Administration continue to provide such reports until there is consensus with County ambulance services as to how to resolve this issue.