Title
Approve and authorize the Emergency Medical Services Agency Director to submit the revised annual Monterey County EMS Plans for 2012 to the California State Emergency Medical Services Authority.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Emergency Medical Services Agency Director to submit the revised annual Monterey County EMS Plans for 2012 to the California State Emergency Medical Services Authority.
SUMMARY:
State law requires any County that establishes an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program to develop a local EMS Plan and file it with the California EMS Authority. Monterey County's initial EMS Plan was filed with the State in 1984, under the State EMS System Standards and Guidelines in effect at that time. The Monterey County EMS Plan for 2012 submitted for your Board's approval today represents the ninth comprehensive revision of the County's EMS Plan since the current State EMS System Standards and Guidelines were published in June of 1993. The last Monterey County EMS Plan (2011) was submitted and approved by your Board on July 10, 2012. The annual review and revision of EMS Plan for 2012 includes several reformatted and/or new tables required by the California EMS Authority and titled: organization, personnel, training, communications, response, transportation, facilities, disaster medicine, response and transportation providers, facilities, training programs, and dispatch. The EMS Plan for 2012 also includes an updated Trauma System Status Report that reflects current (2013) activity.
DISCUSSION:
The Monterey County EMS Plan recommended for approval is fully consistent with State requirements with three (3) exceptions:
- Trauma System Evaluation: Currently, no hospital has been designated as a trauma care center in Monterey County; nor is there a 'trauma registry.' There is interest from two local hospitals to achieve trauma center designation at the Level-II status. A Request for Qualification (RFQ) was released in 2012; projected date for designating a local trauma care center is December 2014.
- Agreements for Medical Mutual Aid: There is an effective and efficient over-arching Medical Mutual Aid program/process administered through the California EMS Authority and Emergency Management Agency. Efforts to develop local mutual aid agreements with Santa Cruz and San Benito counties have not been realized and have been suspended by shared agreement due to the collaborative activities of the state, region, and Bay Area.
- Designation and Establishment of Casualty Collection Points: Casualty Collection Points (CCPs) are not clearly defined and differentiated from Field Treatment Sites (FTSs) in State guidance and thus are not designated by the Monterey County EMS Agency. However, the Monterey County Health Department does plan for the use of Alternate Care Sites (ACSs). The federal Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant, administered through the California Department of Public Health is responsible for local ACS planning and implementation.
The County's EMS Plan is intended as a dynamic document and one that will continuously change as local needs are identified and appropriate response strategies are developed. The EMS Plan reflects the EMS Agency's priorities identified by the EMS Agency and Monterey County Emergency Medical Care Committee.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Monterey County EMS Plan has been reviewed and endorsed by the Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC), which was established by the Board of Supervisors to represent the interests of local EMS stakeholders, and to serve in an advisory capacity to both the Board and the Director of Health. The revised EMS Plans also satisfies California State law for the EMCC to annually report to the Board and the State EMS Authority.
FINANCING:
Development and revision of the Monterey County EMS Plan was funded through County Service Area 74. There is no financial impact on the General fund with this recommended action.
Prepared by: Kirk Schmitt, EMS Director, 4964
Approved by: Ray Bullick, Director of Health, 4526
Attachments:
2012 EMS Plan is on file with the Clerk of the Board