Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2011
NC Association of Rescue & EMS, Inc.
March 13, 2011
NC Association of Rescue & EMS, Inc., Office, Goldsboro, NC
Commander Tommy McNeill called the meeting to order.
Invocation: Carnie Hedgepeth.
Welcome: Tommy McNeill.
The Auxiliary was excused for their meeting.
Adoption of order of business; Motion by Glen Cowan; Second by Bill Henderson; Motion Carried.
Guests recognized; Regina Godette-Crawford Interim-Chief OEMS, Allen Johnson Interim-Eastern Regional Manager OEMS, and Todd Brown NCEM
Roll call showed 13 Directors, 3 Alternates, Commander, Vice Commander, and Executive Director present.
Minutes of Directors meeting; Motion to approve Bill Henderson; Second by Terry Foxx; Motion Carried.
Minute of Convention Meeting; Motion to approve Bill Henderson; Second by Terry Foxx; Motion Carried.
None.
Carnie Hedgepeth. Greetings from Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. (1) State budget planning is ongoing with unknown impacts at this point in the process to the department. (2) Pocket Tools on the OSFM website is being improved to include other areas of OSFM. (3) After a presentation at TRADE on Pocket Tools & Quick Drills four other states have linked to the OSFM website. (4) Any ideas for training or events please contact OSFM. (5) RIT and Marine Firefighting Certifications have been approved. (6) Tower Rescue Pilots have been Scheduled 10-15 have been completed. It will be a non-IFSAC certification. Pilots are scheduled in Concord April 18-21, Atlantic Beach June 20-23, Haywood July 18-23, Surry Aug 19-21, and CCCC August 22-25. (7) We are working on the Rescue Officer certification program. (8) Classes on Autism are upcoming and information should be coming out. (9) The certification printing has been down for a couple of months but has been repaired and certificates are now being mailed.
Todd Brown. (1) The State Exercise will be for a BioTerrorism Event this year, May 3-4. No Functional Elements are expected to be tested. The exercise will help the Division further refine the EOP as we continue to prepare for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next year. NCOEMS will be working with us in the State EOC and EMS units may be contacted as part of the drill. (2) NCEM expects to move to the new EOC located at the NC National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters off of Reedy Creek Road/Blue Ridge Road near the Fairgrounds by November of this year. (3) We appreciate the continued dedication of the member departments and personnel of the NC Association for Rescue and EMS that provide vital life saving pre-hospital care to our citizens.
Henry Sermons / Terry Foxx Reporting. The Certification Board met at Pinecroft Sedgefield FD on March 9, 2011. (1) The minutes of the previous meeting and agenda were approved. (2) Several certification/qualification packets were reviewed and recommendations made on their behalf. (3) Committee reports were read and approved. (4) After a discussion involving reciprocity, the Chair appointed a committee to review the current policies and procedures for this process and report back at the next meeting. (5) A current review of the Certification Board Policies and Procedures is underway and members were advised to review their copy and provide feedback on items that may need to be changed. (6) The next meeting will be held at Pinecroft Sedgefield FD on June 8, 2011 at 10:00 AM.
Terry Foxx. The Rescue Committee met at Pinecroft Sedgefield FD on February 15, 2011. (1) Topics of discussion included several requests for various certification levels that were handled. (2) All TR Specialties are currently up and running and have been posted online on the OSFM webpage. (3) The Committee had met on two other occasions since the last Directors meeting. (4) The next meeting will be held at the Pinecroft Sedgefield FD on May 16, 2011 at 07:30 PM.
Robert Poe. EMS Advisory 5-11-10. (1) Dr Mears presented a demonstration of the system which will allow a patient to be tracked from the first patient contact until they are released from the hospital. Dr Mears stated this is not a violation of HIPPA. EMS Advisory Council 11/9/10 (1) The Education Task Force reported on upcoming changes. Some of the biggest is for North Carolina to adopt the 4 levels of credentialing as they are presented from NHTSA. There will be public comment meetings after the first of the year. (2) The Chemical Dependency Program has gotten final approval. This program will take affect January 2011. There are slots for 10 technicians in 2011. Personnel can go online and take a survey to see if they have a chemical dependency problem. Supervisors can also go online and take a survey if they think an employee is at risk. The program requires a 3 year commitment. (3) An online training program is being developed concerning restraining pediatric patients in ambulances during transports. (4) There is a grant for 12 lead and capnography through OEMS and the Duke Endowment. (5) A survey is being sent out in the near future concerning the rewrite of NC Protocols. There will be public meetings concerning this rewrite. EMS Advisory Council 2/8/2011. (1) Lead the Wave Grant applications are in. This is a grant through Duke Endowment for 12 lead monitors and capnography to be on all first out response vehicles. Additional applications were made for back-up response vehicles and a third category to replace existing but aging equipment. 1.5 million dollars was requested for primary response and was 1st priority with back-up being 2nd priority. There is enough monies to fund the 1st priority and maybe some for the 2nd. This equipment will be purchased and distributed by June, 2011. (2) Council members were given a Education Task Force update. Main points are: 4 levels of credentialing. Medical Responder, EMT, AEMT, Paramedic. These will mirror NHTSA. Con Ed for recertification to be 96 hours in 4 years, but may be divided into 2 year blocks. 48 hours in 2 years. Accreditation for initial Paramedic programs at the community colleges. EMD. (3) The governor issued Executive Order # 70. All existing rules must be reviewed and any new rules are under a moratorium. The Pediatric Ambulance and Bus Ambulance rules that were scheduled to move through legislature are shelved until at least May, 2011. (4) A presentation was given on chemical dependency by a representative of the Board of Nursing. This program starts this spring and will be able to take in 10 technicians that have a admitted abuse problem.
Robert Poe. Fire and Rescue Commission Meeting July 13, 2010. (1) The pilots for Trench, Wilderness and Shipboard Fires have been completed. Tower Rescue and Rapid Intervention courses are being developed. (2) An individual presented false documents to different departments for membership. After an investigation the person was found to be on probation for a felony. (3) There were a total of 12593 certifications in 2009. (4) Motion was made and passed to approve the Marine Shipboard and the Wilderness courses. (5) As of August 1st all fire depts. Must report incidents to their county and onto OSFM or lose their ISO rating. (6) Chiefs of fire departments must complete a Chiefs 101 class within 1 year of being recertified and once every 5 years thereafter. Failure to do so will mean loss of ISO Rating. ISO Rating is tied to grants and insurance. State law currently requires a chief to file a report. There will be a step up in departments being checked. The software is free and the reporting is free and takes less than 15 minutes. The 5 year window starts August 1st 2010. The course is 12 to 16 hours long. (7) Hopefully there will be 2 Thermal Imaging classes per year. (8) OSFM is currently working on a class to understand VIPER. Fire and Rescue Commission October 12, 2010. (1) Fire departments must send reports to OSFM to pass and maintain their ISO rating 25% are not reporting. (2) Commission approved the go ahead for a Rescue Officer Certification Program. (3) There are new community college courses added in wildland fire and emergency management. (4) The community colleges cannot train 15 year old in firefighting due to laws. The January meeting was canceled due to snow.
Gordon A. Joyner. (1) Funding has been reduced from the state and we are waiting to see what the budget will look like for next year. (2) Rates have been increased for this year due to the rising claim cost and rising loss ratio. (3) Please promote safety practices in your departments to help in reducing claims. (4) There has been talk of a bill to be introduced to overhaul workers comp however is has yet to be introduced and we don't know what it contains.
Debbie Poe. (1) Agreed to not ask for pension increase due to current budget situation. It will require an appropriation of 15 million to keep it at the current levels. (2) A letter was also to be sent to Buddy Shaw's wife expressing their appreciation of his service on the Pension Board.
Henry Sermons / Gordon Joyner. (1) Accept Association balance sheets as of 02-28-2011; Second by Fitz McKeel; Motion Carried. (2) Accept Brotherhood balance sheets as of 02-28-2011; Second by Terry Foxx; Motion Carried. (3) Accept Memorial Fund balance sheets as of 02-28-2011; Second by Fitz McKeel; Motion Carried. (4) Approve 2011-2012 Association and Brotherhood Budget. The Association Budget includes a member dues increase of $2 and unit dues increase of $10 and the Brotherhood Budget includes increasing the benefit to $5500.00 starting April 01, 2011 due to membership of 6500 ; Second by Bill Henderson; Motion Carried. (5) Accept the financial audit; Second by Bill Henderson; Motion Carried. (6) Approval of pay scale adjustment; Second by Glen Cowan; Motion Carried. (7) Relief Fund balance sheets as of 02-28-2011 presented for information.
Gordon Joyner. (1) There is a bill that would do away with the vehicle safety inspections. Presently if it stills maintains a funding source for the relief fund. (2) There was also presented an information packet about the relief fund moneys and how they have been spent. A copy of that information will be attached to the hardcopy of these minutes and available upon request from the association office.
Robert Poe. (Note corrected Chairman to be Robert Poe as per By-Laws) (1) 20 new departments. (2) Two closed (3) One Merged. (4) 575 squads in Association. (5) 22,545 paid members. (6) 227 Squads in the Brotherhood with 5786 members, 696 individual members, total membership 6482. (7) Information about the roster statistics and demographics of our association presented. (8) Information presented about the amount of services provided by area.
Tommy Mcneill for Jeff Hinshaw. No Report
Jerry Bradshaw / Fitz McKeel Reporting for Jerry whose wife just had surgery. (1) All Areas had someone to file for Director with Area 5 and Area 9 having two. (2) The ballots will be mailed April 1 for Area 5 Joe Mancos (incumbent) and Joe Kamer and Area 9 Scott McCaskill (incumbent) and Tim Pennell. The committee will determine the winner after the ballots come back in. (3) The new directors will take effect after the Annual Meeting in September.
Gordon Joyner. (1) The Financial Statements, Audit, and Budget were approved for the Relief Fund. (2) Scholarship Application are available until March 31, 2011 at Midnight on line. (3) Scholarships have been lost because people have not followed the rules after numerous reminders of turning in grades.
Terry Foxx. (1) Competitions will be held at the Annual Meeting. (2) Judges School will be held August 6, 2011 in Asheboro for all teams. (3) A site visit has been made to the upcoming meeting site and the problem is being readied. (4) Technical Rescue Competition will be objective based and will be team oriented. (5) The Craig Helms Memorial Challenge and the Individual Competitions will also be held.
Allen Johnson. (1) Judges evaluation held Saturday March 12, 2011. (2) Awaiting the final decision on the Challenge problem to write the BLS problem.
Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue / Paula Lineberry. Dates September 15-17, 2011. (1) Location Showplace in High Point, NC. (2) Please visit the Convention website for information. www.ncarems2011.com (3) Things are progressing on schedule at this time with the convention committee meeting at a minimum monthly. (4) Please go ahead and get your registrations in. (5) 12 vendors have already signed up so far. (6) If you any question feel free to contact Paula.
Piedmont Triad Ambulance / Paula Lineberry. Dates September 13-15, 2012.
Motion to adjourn Ken Hogue; Second by Terry Foxx; Motion Carried.
Gordon A. Joyner/Executive Director
(Not official Until Approved by the Board of Directors.)
Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2011