IAFC-EMS EXPO REPORT
All were in agreement that the EMS Expo, co-sponsored by the IAFC's EMS Section was another resounding success. Repeatedly, it was heard, the topics and speakers created one learning and informative session after another. The EMS Executive Board extends its thanks to the speakers who made this program so productive. Our thanks to Mike Keohi, Dr. Mark Eckstein, Don Lee, Mike Grille, Fred Thorp, Kevin Brame, Sandy Young, David Bryson, Dr. Ron Pirrallo, Jim Denney, and Dr. Steven Karch. Your Executive Board was busy from morning to usually late into the evening hours with executive meetings, networking, and taking care of unfinished business.
At the Section meeting, Chief Jack Krakeel announced that the Chairman of the EMS Section, Chief Mary Beth Michos was unable to attend due to a important prior commitment. However, she sent copies of a lengthy report and closed with her thoughts and involvement over the years as she moves from Chairman to the Immediate Past Chairman position. One major issue which she addressed in her report was the effort to have a seat on the IAFC Board of Directors for an EMS Section representative. After meeting with the Constitution and Bylaws Committee on this issue, Chief Michos reports that the Committee voted to place it on the next mail ballot.
Executive Board members gave their reports and it was quite apparent that the Section has been extensively involved representing the fire service with decision making on EMS issues at the national level over the past year. The Section's Staff Intern, Frank Poole gave a report which included the election results. Your new officers for the upcoming year are: Chair - Jack Krakeel; Vice-Chair - Ken Riddle; Secretary - John Sinclair; Treasurer - Dave Becker; Director-at-Large - Gary Ludwig.
I would like to personally take this opportunity to thank all of you who voted for me in my overwhelming, landslide victory. I will continue to keep you abreast of the latest developments in the EMS industry.
Federal Report
David Bryson, EMS Program Analyst with NHTSA gave a report on many programs occurring at the federal level. One point he emphasized is that the EMS Section's voice does play a significant role in the development of national policy on EMS issues. This is verified through our position with the committee writing the "EMS Agenda of the Future" and our relationships and interaction with such groups as the National Association of EMS Physicians and National Association of EMS State Directors.
Maryland Fire & Rescue Curriculum
Chairman Krakeel announced a new partnership with the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute. In the future, the EMS Section will work with MFRI to offer an intensive EMS curriculum program at the regional level designed to tackle current and hard-hitting EMS/fire service issues. Some of the curriculum will include speakers who are authorities on insurance reimbursement, forming partnerships with managed care organizations, and developing proposals for integration of an EMS and fire agency.
Other items Chief Krakeel mentioned was that the United States Fire Administration will support the addition of a national data set to the NFIRS report for fire based agencies and our membership in the Section has now exceeded 500 members. With the announcement of the membership, Chief Krakeel set a goal to exceed 1,000 members in the Section.
Chief David Beeker
The newest addition to the Executive Board is David Becker as Treasurer. Chief Becker is the Chief Medical Officer with the Chesterfield Fire Protection DIstrict in Chesterfield, Missouri where he has worked for the last 15 years. Chief Becker has been a licensed paramedic for 18 years, has a Master's degree in Health Services Management, is a graduate of the EFO program, and helped develop the Health and Safety Officer course at the National Fire Academy. Welcome to your awesome responsibilities.
If you were unable to attend EMS Expo, we certainly missed you and hope you can join us for Fire-Rescue International in Kansas City, MO later this summer.
Last year it sounded like Chicken Little screaming that the sky was falling when commercial (private) providers were screaming dire warnings about Boca Raton (FL) Fire & Rescue taking over EMS transport. At the top of their "cackling list" was warnings that 911 calls would go unanswered, citizens would pay more and wait longer for critical ambulance transports. One year later, Fire Chief Kerry Koen has provided us with documentation that residents are paying less for the service, the city is making money, and city paramedics are earning strong positive reviews from their patients.
In 1995, Boca Raton paramedics transported 4,378 people to the hospital. Through March 1996, the city had collected more than $600,000 of the $936,927 the patients were charged for the service. If you consider it cost the fire department $294,918 in incremental expense to provide the service, the additional $312,490 in extra revenue was turned over to city officials and put into general revenue to hold down taxes for all the citizens. While holding down taxes, BRF&R increased service levels by reducing the average time spent on a call from 61 minutes to 47 minutes while receiving high marks from mailing surveys sent out by Chief Koen. So much for the argument of the private sector's contention that they are the only ones who operate high performance EMS systems.
City Council member Steven Abrahams said it best - "I think everyone agrees that government has a role in public safety. Once you know that government is going to be the initial responder in emergencies, it only makes sense that it would be more efficient for that agency to follow it all the way through."
Congratulations to Boca Raton Fire & Rescue on an exceptional performance. Chief Koen can be reached at 407-367-6700.
For some time EMS Section Secretary John Sinclair and member Kevin Brame, along with Captain Gene McCarthy of Los Angeles County have been working on a project that will merge San Francisco EMS with the San Francisco Fire Department. Mayor Willie Brown announced the merger in early April at a news conference. Many details are still needed to be worked out but the basic premise of the plan looks like 24 ALS engines, 8 ALS ambulances, and 8 BLS ambulance. There is an initial implementation date of July 1996 with an 18 month transition period. At this point, these figures and dates are subject to change since much more work still lays ahead.
Rural/Metro announced agreements for acquisitions of commercial ambulance services in the Cincinnati and Indianapolis areas. The Cincinnati purchase represents the last major metropolitan market in Ohio that Rural/Metro had not penetrated. R/M already has beachheads in the Columbus and Cleveland areas.
The Indianapolis purchase includes some 911 emergency services. Late last year R/M announced an acquisition of a service in the Indianapolis area that provided varying levels of service to 21 counties in Indiana.
The Cincinnati and Indianapolis purchase should put about $12 million a year into the coffers of R/M.
In this column, we profile EMS Section member, EMS Chief Rich Meeker. Chief Meeker, a paramedic has been with the Kenosha (WI) Fire Department for eight years and has been involved in EMS 20 years. He is also the Secretary-Treasurer for the Wisconsin Emergency Medical Service Association for the last eleven years.
Meeker oversees the paramedic, the first responder, and EMD programs. One innovative program which Meeker oversees is a CPR Outreach Program to the local community. What makes it innovative is the manner in which it is funded and operated. In order to maximize the financial resources, the city has a joint contract with the Christian Youth Center (CYC). All 20 instructors are fire department personnel who work on their off day teaching CPR classes. Upon completion of a class, the CYC sends a bill to the city. The city then deposits money into a trust account, administered by the CYC to pay the instructors. Individuals taking the CPR class pay $13.50 for instruction, which goes towards instructor salaries and administration costs. The program trains about 50 people a month, including those working in day care centers, teachers, and members of the dental society. Rich Meeker can be reached at 414-653-4100.