Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Craig Mallak
Department: Medical Examiner and Trauma Services
Information
Requested Action
title
A. MOTION TO ACCEPT report from the Broward County Regional Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) Council, EMS Grant Committee, that includes the projects recommended for funding under the County grant portion of State EMS trust fund monies for Fiscal Year 2021.
ACTION: (T-10:35 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioner Rich voted in the affirmative telephonically.
B. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution No. 2020-688, the title of which is as follows:
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING SUBMITTAL OF AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (“EMS”) GRANT APPLICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $94,010 TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING AND EXPANDING PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN BROWARD COUNTY; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE APPLICATION; PROVIDING CERTIFICATION RELATING TO THE USE OF EMS COUNTY GRANT FUNDS AND APPROVE BROWARD COUNTY’S EMS GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING DISTRIBUTION; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE RESOLUTION; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO TAKE THE NECESSARY ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUDGETARY ACTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SAME; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
ACTION: (T-10:35 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioner Rich voted in the affirmative telephonically.
C. MOTION TO ADOPT budget Resolution No. 2020-689 within the EMS County Grant Fund for the Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services in the amount of $94,010 for the purpose of improving and expanding pre-hospital emergency medical services in Broward County.
ACTION: (T-10:35 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0. Commissioner Rich voted in the affirmative telephonically.
body
Why Action is Necessary
The EMS County Grant Program Application for State EMS County Grant funds, adoption of a Resolution certifying the use of the funds, and agreements with external agencies require Board approval.
What Action Accomplishes
Approves submittal of the EMS County Grant Program funding application; approves EMS County grant funding distribution; and authorizes the County Administrator to execute agreements with grant applicants and participating agencies.
Is this Action Goal Related
No
Previous Action Taken
None.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER AND TRAUMA SERVICES RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS MOTION.
In previous years, Broward County submitted a grant application to the Department of Health (“DOH”), Bureau of Emergency Medical Services for County grant funds. Following notice of Broward County’s award from DOH (Exhibit 1) and prior to submission of the Fiscal Year 2021 EMS Grant Application (“Grant Application”), the County conducted a competitive application process through the Broward County Regional Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) Council’s Grant Committee (“Grant Committee”) for funding under the Fiscal Year 2021 EMS County’s Grant Program. The sum of $94,010 is available. The Grant Committee reviewed four EMS County Grant projects (“Projects”). The Grant Committee is recommending partially funding all four Projects (Exhibit 4, 5, 6, 7). Each agency requesting funding agreed to the recommended award amounts.
The Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County would receive $25,000 to assist in funding the 24th Annual First There First Care Conference. This conference provides innovative EMS education to more than 500 EMS and nursing professionals in Broward County, presents cutting edge and dynamic patient trends and treatments to be used resulting in better patient outcomes, and networking opportunities to share clinical updates and medical advances.
The City of Hollywood would receive $35,000 for the Broward Pre-Hospital training and education project. This project will create Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) training centers, train PHTLS instructors and purchase training materials and equipment, as well as, provide these courses and others with topics such as scene/patient assessment, shock, airway management and emergency management to pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers in Broward County.
Tamarac Fire Rescue would receive $8,010 for Pre-Hospital Ventilator - Improving Survivability. Tamarac’s population continues to grow at a rate of 1% per year over the past ten years (US Census Bureau). With significant population increase, cardiac arrest calls are also increasing. For 2020, Tamarac Fire Rescue (TFR) is up to 136 calls through August and annual snowbirds have not yet arrived (TFR In-house records).
The calls are followed by transport to a hospital or resuscitation center. During this critical time, a patient’s oxygen levels must be maintained for optimum survivability. TFR requires pre-hospital ventilators to improve its pre-hospital emergency medical response to meet the expanding number of transports while minimizing first responder fatigue.
Research shows for optimal outcomes, immediate chest compressions and if appropriate, defibrillation to restart the heart, are essential in the chain of survivability. This proposed device is an O-TWO Care vent. It would give TFR the ability to properly auto-ventilate the increasing number of patients requiring a pre-measured amount of tidal volume for tissue perfusion without increasing intrathoracic pressure.
This purchase provides for one pre-hospital ventilator for every front-line Advanced Life Support (ALS) apparatus plus one pre-hospital ventilation to be put in service for emergency activations. Broward Health, Florida Medical, and University Hospital & Medical Center strongly support the equipment as a critical for Tamarac’s first responders.
Pompano Beach Fire Rescue would receive $26,000 for Ballistic Protective Equipment. This is an opportunity for EMS agencies in Broward County to be supplied with body armor during incoming small- and large-scale city (violent) events, but not limited to active killer, domestic violence, and bomb threats. Ballistic Protective Equipment (BPE) provides an essential protective barrier between fire/rescue and EMS personnel who respond to active killer, and mass casualty events and a high layer of torso and head protection.
Wearing BPE during threatening events, is not a trend but a current mandated safety and protection policy for many fire/rescue and EMS agencies in Broward County. The intent of this proposal (and due to funding constraints) is for their Battalion Chief SUV’s to carry six sets of BPE each (not three), so that the Pompano Beach Fire Rescue (BPFR) Battalion Chief can immediately supply BPFR emergency responders, mutual aid agencies or mutual zones with immediate access to 12 sets of BPE. The grant would help supply front line ALS units with BPE on each unit. Currently, none of their ALS transports or non-transport vehicles carry BPE.
Additionally, each applicant was notified of, and agreed to, the requirement to fund any project costs exceeding the amount recommended by the EMS Council. The County retains no responsibility for funding future phases of projects recommended for funding in this cycle.
The EMS Council, in accordance with its objectives under Section 15-73, Broward County Code of Ordinances, serving in an advisory role to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners (“Board”), met on October 29, 2020 and approved the Grant Committee’s project funding recommendations (Exhibit 2, Attachment C).
The Grant Application submitted to the DOH (Exhibit 2, Attachment A), Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, for the EMS County grant, requires a Resolution of the Board certifying that EMS County grant funds received shall be used to improve and expand pre-hospital emergency medical services in Broward County and that the funds will not be used to supplant existing EMS County budget allocations. The proposed Resolution (Exhibit 2) and the proposed distribution of grant funds (Exhibit 2, Attachment B) meet those requirements.
Upon approval of the Grant Application by the State and the County’s receipt of the grant award, staff will initiate agreements with the grant applicant organizations and participating agencies for those Projects listed on (Exhibit 2, Attachment C).
The County Administrator will execute agreements with the project applicants and participating agencies on forms approved by the Office of the County Attorney and the Risk Management Division.
Source of Additional Information
Alison Zerbe, Manager - Trauma and EMS Section, Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services, (954) 357-5234
Dr. Craig T. Mallak, Director, Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services, (954) 357-5209
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
The Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) Grant consists of various surcharges on moving traffic violations (Section 401.113(1), Florida Statutes). The total grant amount ($94,010) will be budgeted in the EMS Grant Fund. No county match is required.