Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency

New protocol for Santa Clara County Paramedics will help save lives

2012-02-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2012

Media Contact:
Amy Cornell, Health Information Officer
Santa Clara County Public Health Department
Office: (408) 792-5155
Amy.Cornell@phd.sccgov.org

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA. Paramedics in Santa Clara County will soon be using a potentially life-saving new treatment protocol that will help people who have suffered heart attacks by reducing damage to patients’ brains. The new protocol, effective February 2, 2012, will use therapeutic cooling, which is a way of cooling the body from the inside out to help protect brain cells from dying. Brain cell death can cause serious neurologic injury, or even death.

“Clinically induced hypothermia can improve the neurologic outcome of unconscious patients following sudden cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Eric Rudnick, MD, Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System Medical Director. “Normal body temperature is 98.6, and this treatment cools the body to 90 to 93 degrees to stop cell death.” The process helps prevent such damage, and it helps the patient's brain heal and recover from the lack of oxygen.

Paramedics have been receiving County-mandated training in the new protocol since September. “This new treatment, and others that are being implemented in Santa Clara County, will simply save lives and allow our paramedics to provide better patient care,” said Michael Petrie, Director of the Santa Clara County EMS System.

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EMS Agency Personnel Additions

2011-12-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is pleased to announce the hire of two full-time Emergency Medical Services Specialists and one contractor.

Joe Williams
EMS Specialist
Clinical Quality Management
With over twelve years of experience in both urban and rural EMS; Joe has served as a paramedic in Illinois, Michigan, and California. He has worked as a paramedic in Santa Clara County for eight years and most recently held the position of Clinical Coordinator at Rural/Metro. In this position he was responsible for clinical QA/QI as well as the implementation of an electronic patient care reporting system. In his off time he enjoys running and spending time with his family. Joe begins his service with the EMS Agency on January 9, 2012.

John Montes
EMS Specialist
CMTF/Homeland Security
John joins the EMS Agency after spending the last eight years in the Boston Emergency Medical Services System including Boston University EMS as an educator and Boston EMS as a 911 service provider. His experience includes 911 field service, communications center coordination, and special event planning and operations. He graduated from Northeastern University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Sciences. John begins his service with the EMS Agency on January 23, 2012.

Mark Frise
Contractor
Allied Healthcare Facilities Work Group Coordinator
The EMS Agency is fortunate to have Mark return and continue work with the Allied Healthcare Facilities Work Group (AHFWG). After thirty years of service, he retired as a lieutenant from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety in 2007. During his time with Sunnyvale he served as a police and fire officer, managed the Office of Emergency Services, and coordinated various community outreach and education programs. Mark will return to the EMS Agency in January.

EMS Specialist - Open Recruitment (2 Positions)

2011-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

SPECIALIST

$39.45 - $47.94 Hourly
$3,156.04 - $3,835.33 Biweekly
$6,838.09 - $8,309.89 Monthly
$82,057.08 - $99,718.68 Annually

FINAL FILING DATE: Fri. 11/04/11 11:59 PM Pacific Time

DEFINITION:

Under direction, to plan, organize, coordinate, direct, and monitor the County’s emergency medical services system in order to establish and ensure compliance with the County's protocols, guidelines and contracts for operation of the emergency medical services system and its components. Two Positions Are Currently Vacant:

EMS Specialist: Clinical Quality Management
This position is responsible for the coordination of Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System Clinical Quality Assurance and Improvement activities, the County Emergency Medical Services Quality Improvement Plan (EQIP), coordination of clinical protocols and prehospital care reviews, serve as the primary staff to the EMS Medical Director, conduct related training, coordinate clinically focused initiatives, projects, and other duties consistent with the components contained in this announcement. Serves as an EMS Duty Chief.

EMS Specialist: Disaster/Homeland Security
This position is responsible for the coordination of Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System disaster preparedness projects, oversight of the Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response program, serves as the EMS Multi-Jurisdictional/Multi-Disciplinary Task Force (CMTF) Coordinator, and other related duties. Serves as an EMS Duty Chief.

Information about the Santa Clara County EMS Agency and the Santa Clara County EMS System may be found at www.sccemsagency.org

This recruitment requires the submission of an online application. No paper applications will be accepted. Applicants must apply online at www.sccjobs.org. Computers are available at the County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, 8th Floor, East Wing, San Jose, CA 95110, during normal business hours, for applicants to apply online.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

The Emergency Medical Services Specialist oversees one or more of the Emergency Medical Services Systems, including the prehospital systems. Specific assignments, and the range of duties performed within that assignment vary depending on the type of experience and licensure or certification required.

The Emergency Medical Services Specialist is distinguished from the higher level of Senior Emergency Medical Specialist in that the Senior Emergency Medical Specialist has overall program management responsibility and supervises subordinate professional staff.

TYPICAL TASKS:

(Depending upon area of assignment)

• Coordinates assigned emergency medical services program activities including planning, prioritizing, monitoring and participating in the agency-wide program meetings regarding program activities;

• Oversees and/or participates in the development, implementation and maintenance of program goals, objectives, policies and procedures to ensure achievement of program goals;

• Monitors activities and evaluates performance of emergency medical services providers,

• including EMTs, paramedics, Emergency Medical Dispatchers, Mobile Intensive Care Nurses, EMS Flight crew personnel and other prehospital care providers and equipment identified in the California Health and Safety Code;

• When assigned as Duty Chief, ensures activation and function of entire EMS system and coordination with other County and outside emergency agencies in response to critical incidents or disasters; including maintenance and operation of a Code-3 equipped vehicle;

• Provides administrative and technical direction to assigned program services staff to ensure compliance with various reporting requirements;

• Analyzes program services and evaluates changes and development of assigned health care program needs;

• Researches and applies for program funding sources, such as grants and donations; administers grants to ensure compliance with regulations;

• May prepare and administer annual budget for one or more assigned programs and monitors expenditures;

• Coordinates program activities with agencies, service providers and non-profit services;

• Provides staff assistance and technical support for assigned program activities to other County departments and special interest commissions and committees;

• Conducts organizational and operational service delivery studies and makes recommendations to address and resolve identified service delivery issues;

• Assists hospitals and private and public safety agencies in planning, implementing and maintaining prehospital emergency care programs;

• Establishes comprehensive stakeholder relationships and, assists and advises field and hospital emergency care personnel, communication personnel, medical-health professionals, community-based organizations and the public on matters pertaining to emergency medical service;

• Develops and coordinates the EMS component of disaster medical response and mass casualty incident plans and assists in the development of public health disaster response plans and procedures;

• Responds to, coordinates and manages disaster medical and mass casualty incidents;

• Investigates complaints of suspected violations of emergency medical care standards, policies and protocols, the County’s health and welfare codes and State health and safety codes;

• Makes routine and unannounced inspections of EMS providers, including ambulance providers, paramedic units, base hospitals and trauma hospitals;

• Monitors emergency medical service delivery to ensure medical appropriateness and continuity of patient care;

• Provides regulatory oversight and general assistance to and monitors educational institutions involved in training of emergency prehospital care personnel;

• Participates in organizational and community meetings as necessary;

• Stays current on issues relative to assigned programs and services; responds to and resolves community and organizational inquiries and complaints;

• Establishes effective working relationships with representatives of community organizations, state/local agencies, management and staff, clients and the public;

• Uses specialized software and equipment including electronic emergency management programs and electronic hospital and disaster management systems, electronic patient tracking system, portable and mobile radios, satellite telephones wireless applications and emergency towing vehicle;

• Performs related work as required.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

Sufficient education, training, and work experience to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed below.

A valid California Class C Driver's License and one of the following:

A valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse in California; OR

A valid license to practice as a paramedic in California; OR

A valid certificate to practice as an Emergency Medical Technician in California.

Experience Note:

The knowledge and abilities are normally acquired through training and experience equivalent to possession of a Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration, Nursing, Public Administration or a related field and three (3) years of increasingly responsible emergency medical services experience. A Master’s degree in one of the disciplines listed above may be substituted for one (1) year of health care experience.

Applicants without a degree should detail additional years of work experience that may be considered.

Special Qualifications for Duty Chief

Must complete Emergency Vehicle Operators/Operations Course (EVOC) within six (6) months of hire; while on Duty Chief assignment must respond to an emergency call within (10) minutes by phone or radio and must be within forty-five (45) minutes of Santa Clara County.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, and practices of prehospital care system management relating to one or more specialized service delivery programs;

• Health care organizational structure and program components;

• Principles and practices of program administration including budgeting, marketing, purchasing, management and program needs forecasting;

• Current legislation and trends affecting health care providers for assigned program areas;

• Program development and evaluation methods and report writing procedures;

• Medical terminology;

• Basic principles, practices and methods of training and evaluation;

• Basic statistical and research methods;

• Basic knowledge of investigative methods and disciplinary processes used within the EMS System.

Ability to:

• Coordinate the activities of a large program or multiple program components;

• Direct the work of others performing service delivery in assigned health care specialty areas;

• Coordinate the assigned health care programs with other health care agencies;

• Formulate, gather, analyze and present financial, informational and statistical data;

• Integrate the activities of a program to attain program goals;

• Analyze, interpret and explain program policies and procedures;

• Elicit community and organizational support for programs;

• Represent SCVHHS on assigned committees and with service providers;

• Understand, apply and implement Federal, State and County codes, ordinances, regulations and approved standards and guidelines for prehospital emergency care;

• Apply the tools of a specialty subject area as appropriate;

• Instruct individuals and groups in prehospital emergency care;

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, various agencies and other County employees;

• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, sometimes under highly stressful conditions.

Special Session: Medical Control Advisory Committee Meeting

2011-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2011

To:                Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders

From:            Josh Davies
                      Section Manager

Subject:         Special Session: Medical Control Advisory Committee Meeting

A special session of the Medical Control Advisory Committee has been scheduled for August 25, 2011 from 0830 -1200 hours at the San Jose Fire Department, 255 South Montgomery Avenue, San Jose.

The two items on this agenda are the review of proposed clinical care policy changes and a comprehensive review of proposed Clinical Performance and Quality Assurance Indicator EQIP requirements that will become effective October 1, 2011. Dr. Rudnick will review each proposed clinical protocol change and then he and I will walk through each Clinical Performance Indicator and Quality Assurance Indicator.

The EMS Agency requests that in addition to the department/company clinical and quality improvement staff and medical advisors, the Paramedic/BLS Coordinator (or representative responsible for financial and operational commitments for the organization) is present. This review will address timelines, expectations, and finance issues.

As a point of clarification, the routine Medical Control Advisory Committee Meeting will occur as identified on the Emergency Medical Services Stakeholder Meeting Schedule 201, on September 22 and December 15, 2011 from 1000-1200 hours at the Santa Clara Fire Department Training Center (1900 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara). Please note that the meeting does not start at 0900 hours. The Standard Agenda for this meeting is as follows:

• EMS Medical Directors Report
• Specialty Care Programs Update
• Clinical EMS Quality Improvement Plan Updates
• Medical Control Review
• EMS Best Practices

The detailed agenda for this meeting will be sent by August 22, 2011.

In follow-up to the Medical Control Advisory Meeting that was held on June 23, 2011; the following updates are provided.

• Policy 302 Minimum EMS Asset Inventory Requirements will be posted for public comment by August 5, 2011 for a 30 day period.

• Proposed clinical care protocol changes will be posted for public comment today for a 30 day period.

• The EMS Agency will not be taking any action on proposed changes to the formatting/design of the clinical protocol “field guide” at this time. Dr. Rudnick is in the process of review and will provide next steps for providing feedback to the Medical Control Advisory Group in the fall.

• Updates to department/company EMS Quality Improvement Plans (EQIP) are due July 29, 2011 to Bob Cascone.

Thank you for your time and continued support of the Santa Clara County EMS System. If you should have any questions and to RSVP for this Special Session (by August 18, 2011) please contact Bob Cascone (bob.cascone@phd.sccgov.org).

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation

2011-06-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Bulletin #6: March 3, 2011
The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will issue routine Information Bulletins, at least monthly, to help ensure that Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders are updated as to the progress of the implementation of the new 911 Emergency Ambulance Contract which becomes effective on July 1, 2011.

• Rural/Metro continues to work with the incumbent’s labor unit to provide specific details of the benefits and salary that are to be offered to employees. Distribution is scheduled for the first week in March.

• All positions remain posted for hire on the Rural/Metro webpage including field EMT’s, paramedics, supervisors, vehicle technicians, and management positions.

• Rural/Metro has received over 200 applications for employment. Job fairs are in the process of being scheduled.

• Rural/Metro EMS Field Supervisor interviews are scheduled for the end of March. The EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association will have representatives on the interview panel.

• Operations Manager candidates are being reviewed by Rural/Metro, selected individuals will then be interviewed by the EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association.

• A total of 25 ambulances are scheduled for delivery by the end of March. Eight have arrived in the County with four additional expected by week’s end.
• Rural/Metro conducts weekly meetings/conference calls with County Communications to coordinate installation of information/technology systems.

• Three of nine EMS Supervisor Vehicles have arrived.

• Call data/deployment modeling to begin running in parallel with the existing system starting in May 2011.

• All radio equipment has been purchased and has an expected delivery date of March 21st.

• Rural/Metro has moved into their headquarters facility in the City of San Jose near Freeway 880 and 101. Tenant improvements are in progress.

• The Provider Agreement Workgroup continues to meet to develop the EMS System Provider Agreement and related annexes (fire department ambulance use and first responder funding). Ten workshops have now been completed since September 2010. Final draft documents are expected to be completed this month.

• The Health and Hospital Committee of the Board of Supervisors will receive an implementation update at their April 13, 2011 meeting.

• Rural/Metro and AMR continue to meet to discuss various transition activities.

• The EMS Agency held the first of four field provider (EMTs, paramedics, and EMS field supervisors) “Town Hall” meetings on February 15th to address questions related to the Rural/Metro transition.

• The EMS Agency and Rural/Metro meet weekly (or via conference call) to coordinate implementation. Fire department providers and County Communications may also attend in person or via conference call.

• The first formal “Transition Team” meeting was held in February consisting of members from the EMS Agency, AMR, Rural/Metro, Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association, and County Communications. This group will be most involved in the development of the actual transition plan from AMR to Rural/Metro on June 30/July 1.

• Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Policy update drafts are being completed to address EMS System changes resulting from the new contract. Drafts will be posted for Stakeholder review.

• The Tap Chart Patient Care Reporting System will be presented to the hospitals and specialty centers in March and April. This system enables the transmission of patient care data, including 12-Lead EKG/ECG, from the field to the hospital.
• Rural/Metro continues to schedule meetings with fire departments to discuss station housing and other services for hire/exchange.

• Rural/Metro continues to establish agreements with local vendors for services such as fleet services, furniture, facility maintenance, etc.

• Performance security activities provided in the contract are being implemented including the establishment of a “lock box” which enables the County to view the bank accounts of the Santa Clara County Rural/Metro Operation in addition to a five million dollar performance bond.

• The EMS Agency has completed individual meetings with the fire chiefs and city managers.

• The most current Santa Clara County Rural/Metro Implementation Timeline has been attached.

Contact Information:
John Blain
EMS Specialist/
Contract Implementation Manager
John.Blain@phd.sccgov.org
408.885.4250

Santa Clara County Appoints New EMS Director

2011-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Contact:
Gwendolyn Mitchell/Lingxia Meng
Office of Public Affairs
408-299-5119

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – Today, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department announced the appointment of Michael Petrie as the new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director. The appointment is effective July 5, 2011. Immediately prior to joining the County, Petrie served as the Director of Emergency Management Sciences in the U.C. Berkeley Center of Infectious Disease and Emergency Readiness.

“We are pleased to have Petrie join the County’s Public Health Department,” said Daniel Peddycord, Public Health Director. “His extensive experience and knowledge in emergency medical services management and research makes him the ideal candidate for this position.”

While at the U.C. Berkeley Center for Infectious Disease and Emergency Readiness, Petrie supervised emergency plan development and evaluation for cities, counties, and states, and managed the Cal PREPARE Exercise Laboratory, which conducts research on state and local governments’ homeland security, public health, and emergency medical preparedness.

From 2000-2008, Petrie was the EMS Director for the City and County of San Francisco where he oversaw the City’s EMS system. His experience also includes serving as the Hospital Administrator for Del Puerto Health Care District, and the Director of Patterson District Ambulance in Patterson, California. Petrie has also served on the faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and continues at NPS as Thesis Advisor and a member of the Editorial Review Board of Homeland Security Affairs. Petrie has been a licensed paramedic since 1983.

“I am excited about the opportunity to serve as EMS Director for Santa Clara County,” said Petrie. “The Santa Clara County EMS System is well-regarded throughout the state. The EMS Agency has a well-seasoned and extremely competent staff and a high degree of collaboration among its fire service, hospital, ambulance provider, law enforcement, and other stakeholders.”

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency oversees the delivery of 911 emergency medical services within the county. The Agency coordinates with educational agencies, hospitals and specialty care facilities to conduct an integrated emergency medical care delivery system. The EMS Agency also establishes medical, operations and quality standards, monitors compliance, and certifies personnel.

Petrie, 49 years, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Saint Mary’s College, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, and a Master’s in Security Studies - Homeland Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School. His annual salary will be $130,255.84.

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation

2011-05-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Bulletin #5: May 11, 2011
The Santa Clara County EMS Agency issues monthly Information Bulletins. These bulletins update Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders on the progress of the implementation of the new 911 Emergency Ambulance Contract. The new contract will be effective on July 1, 2011.

• The Santa Clara County Rural/Metro website is on-line at www.ruralmetrosantaclara.com. Updates continue to be provided every Monday on the website.

• Job fairs took place on April 19th, 20th, and 21st. Almost all incumbent employees attended. Job offers were made at the fair and employees signed up for orientation dates. Incumbent personnel met with Rural/Metro Human Resources personnel and completed employment paperwork and pre-hire processing. Members of the Rural/Metro leadership team were also on site to answer any questions from the incumbent workforce.

• Rural/Metro put on two workforce mixers for future incumbent Paramedics and EMTs. Several incumbent employees attended and met the current leadership team.

• The initial rounds of EMS Field Supervisor interviews have been completed. The EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association have been participating on the interview panels. A second round of interviews is scheduled.

• A total of 30 ambulances have arrived, which includes 2 bariatric ambulances. Rural/Metro expects a total of at least 52 by late May.

• Seven of nine EMS Supervisor Vehicles have arrived.

• The fleet truck and disaster truck have arrived on site.

• Call data/deployment servers have been installed.

• All radio equipment has arrived and is currently being programmed by County Communications. Radios and headsets are currently being installed in all the ambulances.

• Rural/Metro has moved into their headquarters facility in the City of San Jose near Freeway 880 and 101. Tenant improvements continue. A new office has been constructed and painting of the entire building is underway. New carpet has been installed and new office furniture is expected to be delivered by mid or late May. The supply center is currently under construction and should be completed by mid or late may. The address is 1345 Vander Way, San Jose, CA, 95112

• Rural/Metro and AMR continue to meet to discuss various transition activities.

• The Tap Chart Patient Care Reporting System has been presented to the hospitals and will be presented to the specialty centers in May. This system enables the transmission of patient care data from the field to the hospital.

• Rural/Metro, County EMS and Philips have collaboratively met with representatives of the Santa Clara County STEMI receiving facilities and initiated the implementation of the 12 Lead EKG transmission program.

• Rural/Metro is scheduled to meet with local ER staff to discuss Tap Chart.

• All the Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) have arrived and have had their base image completed.

• The network circuits are up between Rural/Metro and County Communications and Rural/Metro and Corporate Rural/Metro.

• Rural/Metro has completed meetings with all fire departments to discuss station housing and other services for hire/exchange. Final section of ambulance housing locations is scheduled to occur by mid May.

• Rural/Metro continues to establish agreements with local vendors for services such as fleet services, furniture, facility maintenance, etc.

• EMS Communications System modifications are in progress including radio channel assignments, vehicle location programs, system status management software installation, surveillance technologies, etc.

• The “lockbox” (ability to view Rural/Metro accounts and County emergency take -over provisions) is in the final stages of implementation. Estimated completion by mid May.

• FirstWatch electronic data reporting system installation is progressing. “Dashboard” will enable hospitals to view pending ambulance arrivals and chief complaint, identify illness/injury trends, and assist in assessment of response time performance reporting.

Contact Information:

John Blain
EMS Specialist/
Contract Implementation Manager
John.Blain@phd.sccgov.org
408.885.4250

Welcome to New EMS Specialists

2011-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is pleased to announce the addition of Bob Cascone and Jason Weed as Emergency Medical Services Specialists with our Agency. Both Bob and Jason will begin their service on May 2, 2011.

Bob joins the EMS Agency with over 30 years of experience working in the private ambulance sector in Santa Clara County. He started as EMT and then became a paramedic in 1980. Bob has served as a field training officer and paramedic preceptor until becoming a full time supervisor in 1997. Throughout much of his career he worked closely with local emergency managers in preparing for disasters and completed the State’s Emergency Management Specialist training program. Following a new employee orientation and training period, Bob will be assigned to fill the role of Continuous Clinical Quality Management Manager.

Jason joins the EMS Agency with over 10 year experience in EMS as a paramedic working for West Med Ambulance in Santa Clara County. He has served as paramedic coordinator and an accredited field supervisor. Additionally, for the past 11 years, Jason has also worked as the EMS Coordinator for Infineon Racetrack. He has teaching experience as an instructor for EMT and Paramedic programs as well as ACLS and PALS. In his spare time Jason enjoys spending time with his family, fishing and golfing. Following a new employee orientation and training period, Jason will be assigned to fill the role of Professional Standards Manager (non-contract compliance officer).

Please join me in welcoming Bob and Jason to our Emergency Medical Services System.

Employment Opportunity

2011-04-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
SPECIALIST

$39.45 - $47.94 Hourly
$3,156.04 - $3,835.33 Biweekly
$6,838.09 - $8,309.89 Monthly
$82,057.08 - $99,718.68 Annually

FINAL FILING DATE: Fri. 05/06/11 11:59 PM Pacific Time

DEFINITION:

Under direction, to plan, organize, coordinate, direct, and monitor the County’s emergency medical services system in order to establish and ensure compliance with the County's protocols, guidelines and contracts for operation of the emergency medical services system and its components.

This recruitment requires the submission of an online application. No paper applications will be accepted. Applicants must apply online at www.sccjobs.org. Computers are available at the County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, 8th Floor, East Wing, San Jose, CA 95110, during normal business hours, for applicants to apply online.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

The Emergency Medical Services Specialist oversees one or more of the Emergency Medical Services Systems, including the prehospital systems. Specific assignments, and the range of duties performed within that assignment vary depending on the type of experience and licensure or certification required.

The Emergency Medical Services Specialist is distinguished from the higher level of Senior Emergency Medical Specialist in that the Senior Emergency Medical Specialist has overall program management responsibility and supervises subordinate professional staff.

TYPICAL TASKS:

(Depending upon area of assignment)

• Coordinates assigned emergency medical services program activities including planning, prioritizing, monitoring and participating in the agency-wide program meetings regarding program activities;

• Oversees and/or participates in the development, implementation and maintenance of program goals, objectives, policies and procedures to ensure achievement of program goals;

• Monitors activities and evaluates performance of emergency medical services providers,

including EMTs, paramedics, Emergency Medical Dispatchers, Mobile Intensive Care Nurses, EMS Flight crew personnel and other prehospital care providers and equipment identified in the California Health and Safety Code;

• When assigned as Duty Chief, ensures activation and function of entire EMS system and coordination with other County and outside emergency agencies in response to critical incidents or disasters; including maintenance and operation of a Code-3 equipped vehicle;

• Provides administrative and technical direction to assigned program services staff to ensure compliance with various reporting requirements;

• Analyzes program services and evaluates changes and development of assigned health care program needs;

• Researches and applies for program funding sources, such as grants and donations; administers grants to ensure compliance with regulations;

• May prepare and administer annual budget for one or more assigned programs and monitors expenditures;

• Coordinates program activities with agencies, service providers and non-profit services;

• Provides staff assistance and technical support for assigned program activities to other County departments and special interest commissions and committees;

• Conducts organizational and operational service delivery studies and makes recommendations to address and resolve identified service delivery issues;

• Assists hospitals and private and public safety agencies in planning, implementing and maintaining prehospital emergency care programs;

• Establishes comprehensive stakeholder relationships and, assists and advises field and hospital emergency care personnel, communication personnel, medical-health professionals, community-based organizations and the public on matters pertaining to emergency medical service;

• Develops and coordinates the EMS component of disaster medical response and mass casualty incident plans and assists in the development of public health disaster response plans and procedures;

• Responds to, coordinates and manages disaster medical and mass casualty incidents;

• Investigates complaints of suspected violations of emergency medical care standards, policies and protocols, the County’s health and welfare codes and State health and safety codes;

• Makes routine and unannounced inspections of EMS providers, including ambulance providers, paramedic units, base hospitals and trauma hospitals;

• Monitors emergency medical service delivery to ensure medical appropriateness and continuity of patient care;

• Provides regulatory oversight and general assistance to and monitors educational institutions involved in training of emergency prehospital care personnel;

• Participates in organizational and community meetings as necessary;

• Stays current on issues relative to assigned programs and services; responds to and resolves community and organizational inquiries and complaints;

• Establishes effective working relationships with representatives of community organizations, state/local agencies, management and staff, clients and the public;

• Uses specialized software and equipment including electronic emergency management programs and electronic hospital and disaster management systems, electronic patient tracking system, portable and mobile radios, satellite telephones wireless applications and emergency towing vehicle;

• Performs related work as required.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:

Sufficient education, training, and work experience to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed below.

A valid California Class C Driver's License and one of the following:

A valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse in California; OR

A valid license to practice as a paramedic in California; OR

A valid certificate to practice as an Emergency Medical Technician in California.

Experience Note:

The knowledge and abilities are normally acquired through training and experience equivalent to possession of a Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration, Nursing, Public Administration or a related field and three (3) years of increasingly responsible emergency medical services experience. A Master’s degree in one of the disciplines listed above may be substituted for one (1) year of health care experience.

Applicants without a degree should detail additional years of work experience that may be considered.

Special Qualifications for Duty Chief

Must complete Emergency Vehicle Operators/Operations Course (EVOC) within six (6) months of hire; while on Duty Chief assignment must respond to an emergency call within (10) minutes by phone or radio and must be within forty-five (45) minutes of Santa Clara County.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, and practices of prehospital care system management relating to one or more specialized service delivery programs;

• Health care organizational structure and program components;

• Principles and practices of program administration including budgeting, marketing, purchasing, management and program needs forecasting;

• Current legislation and trends affecting health care providers for assigned program areas;

• Program development and evaluation methods and report writing procedures;

• Medical terminology;

• Basic principles, practices and methods of training and evaluation;

• Basic statistical and research methods;

• Basic knowledge of investigative methods and disciplinary processes used within the EMS System.

Ability to:

• Coordinate the activities of a large program or multiple program components;

• Direct the work of others performing service delivery in assigned health care specialty areas;

• Coordinate the assigned health care programs with other health care agencies;

• Formulate, gather, analyze and present financial, informational and statistical data;

• Integrate the activities of a program to attain program goals;

• Analyze, interpret and explain program policies and procedures;

• Elicit community and organizational support for programs;

• Represent SCVHHS on assigned committees and with service providers;

• Understand, apply and implement Federal, State and County codes, ordinances, regulations and approved standards and guidelines for prehospital emergency care;

• Apply the tools of a specialty subject area as appropriate;

• Instruct individuals and groups in prehospital emergency care;

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, various agencies and other County employees;

• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, sometimes under highly stressful conditions.

There are a wide variety of benefits available to County of Santa Clara employees. These benefits include: health, dental, vision, life insurance, optional life and disability insurance plans, flexible spending account for health care, dependent care assistance program, an employee assistance program, and a deferred compensation program.

The County pays 100% of the single premium for all health plan options and 100% of the family rate for our HMO options for all full-time employees. There is a biweekly cost for family coverage for our Point Of Service plan for full-time employees. In addition, the County pays 100% of the premium for both dental plan options, for the vision plan premium and for the basic life insurance plan. Premiums deductions for part-time employees are prorated based on hours worked each pay period.

MEDICAL INSURANCE The County offers several medical plans to all full-time and part-time employees working at least 50%. Currently, the County offers Kaiser Permanente and Valley Health Plan (HMOs) and HealthNet (POS). Co-payments vary by plan and is based on where care is accessed.

Kaiser $5.00 Office Visit, $5.00 for 100 day supply prescription drugs, $5.00 emergency room visit

Valley Health $0.00 co-payments except for selected services.

HealthNet Co-payments and deductibles vary depending on where care is accessed in network or out-of-network

DENTAL INSURANCE The County offers two comprehensive dental plans for employees and their eligible dependents.

Delta Dental This plan covers 75% of routine and preventative care up to $2,000 per member per calendar year when services are obtained through a Delta Dental Provider. Orthodontic benefit plan covers 60% up to $2,000 lifetime maximum.

Pacific Union Dental This plan has no annual maximum benefit and no deductible. There are some small co-payments for certain procedures. Employees must go to any Pacific Union Dental participating dentist. Orthodontic benefit plan pays all but $1,150.

VISION INSURANCE The County of Santa Clara provides vision insurance through Vision Service Plan.

Vision Insurance Plan This plan provides an annual eye exam and lenses/contacts for employees and their eligible dependents with a $20 co-pay and new frames every 24 months with a $20 co-pay.

HOLIDAY/VACATION/SICK ACCRUALS The County offers 12 paid holidays per year. Vacation and sick time is accrued on an hourly basis based on the vacation schedule for your particular bargaining unit.

LIFE INSURANCE The County of Santa Clara provides a basic life insurance plan for all eligible employees. The coverage amount is $25,000. The County pays 100% of the cost for full-time coded employees. Part-time employees pay a prorated amount based on hours worked each pay period.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT The County offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that allows employees to set aside up to $2,000 annually, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deductions, to pay for eligible medical, dental, or vision expenses not covered by the benefit plans. This program is regulated by the IRS (IRC 125) and run on a calendar year basis. Open enrollment is held annually.

DEPENDENT CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The County offers a Dependent Care Assistance Program that allows employees to set aside up to $5,000 annually, on a pre-tax basis via payroll deductions, to pay eligible dependent care expenses. This program is regulated by the IRS (IRC 125) and run on a calendar year basis. Open enrollments are held annually.

RETIREMENT INFORMATION The County of Santa Clara participates in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS).

The County pays 100% of the employer share and, in most cases, pays and reports 100% of the value of the employee share as special for the purpose of retirement benefit calculations. The County’s portion for contribution of the employee rate is determined by bargaining unit agreements.

The retirement programs is: 2.5% at 55

DEFERRED COMPENSATION The County has a contract with I.C.M.A. Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC), which offers a variety of mutual funds and other investment vehicles. An employee may elect up to 85% of their biweekly pay to be deducted from their paycheck. This contribution is deducted from gross wages prior to paying federal and state taxes. The annual maximum contribution for calendar year 2005 is $14,000 and will increase to $15,000 in 2006. Thereafter, the limit will be indexed to inflation in $500 increments. There are special circumstances where you may be able to contribute more than the annual limit. Contact the provider (ICMA-RC) for more information.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The County provides Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their eligible dependents. The EAP offers confidential, professional counseling services in a variety of areas such as, legal matters, marriage/family counseling, substance abuse, stress relief, and child care referrals. The EAP provides up to 5 counseling sessions per incident for employee and/or eligible dependents per fiscal year.

New County Ambulance Signaling Technology

2011-04-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

OPTICOM

The new Santa Clara County Paramedic Ambulances, operated by Rural/Metro, are equipped with signal interruption technologies. In areas of the County with receivers, ambulances operating with lights and siren will be able to turn traffic signals green in the direction of travel and red in all other directions. This system will provide greater safety for ambulance personnel and drivers.

If you are not familiar with signal interruption, please click on the link below.

Opticom Demonstration

HOWLER SIRENS

Low Frequency Tones for Intersections and High Risk Areas Whelen's Howler system provides deep, low frequency tones, which are able to penetrate other vehicles, alerting drivers and pedestrians of your approach.

If you are not familiar with the Howeler, please click on the link below.

Howler Siren Demonstration

Support for Paramedic Bryan Stow

2011-04-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System is saddened by the brutal attack of AMR Paramedic Bryan Stow at a Giants/Dodgers game in Los Angeles last week. Los Angeles police said two men attacked Bryan from behind in the stadium parking lot. Authorities said that Bryan and his friends had tried to ignore heckling from the assailants and that the attack was unprovoked.

Bryan has faithfully served in the Santa Clara County EMS System for years. He is known for his kindness, understanding, and as an outstanding medical care provider.

Those interested in contributing to the Stow Family Fund, please visit http://www.support4stow.blogspot.com/

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation Bulletin #4

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Bulletin #4: April 4, 2011
The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will issue routine Information Bulletins, at least monthly, to help ensure that Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders are updated as to the progress of the implementation of the new 911 Emergency Ambulance Contract which becomes effective on July 1, 2011.

• Rural/Metro has finalized the labor agreement with the National Emergency Medical Services Association (NEMSA). All incumbent personnel have been offered the same or better wages and benefits. The agreement is available on the Santa Clara County Rural/Metro website.

• The Santa Clara County Rural/Metro website is now on-line at http://www.ruralmetrosantaclara.com/

• Job fairs have been scheduled for April 19, 20, and 21 in Santa Clara. Incumbent personnel will be able to meet with Rural/Metro Human Resources managers and complete employment paperwork and pre-hire processing. Rural/Metro managers will also be on site to answer any questions from the incumbent workforce.

• Several rounds of EMS Field Supervisor interviews have been completed. The EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association have been participating on the interview panels. Final selection should occur by May 1, 2011.

• Travis Kusman has been hired as the General Manager for the Santa Clara County Rural/Metro Operation. He begins service in the County on April 11, 2011.

• A total of 15 ambulances have arrived, which includes 2 bariatric ambulances. Rural/Metro expects a total of at least 30 by mid to late April.

• Six of nine EMS Supervisor Vehicles have arrived.

• The fleet truck has arrived and one disaster truck is in route.

• Call data/deployment servers are in the process of being installed.

• All radio equipment has arrived and is awaiting programming.

• Rural/Metro has moved into their headquarters facility in the City of San Jose near Freeway 880 and 101. Tenant improvements continue.

• The EMS Provider Agreement Workgroup (development of County/fire department EMS agreements) has been transitioned into an Implementation Workgroup focusing on the operational details of the transition from Rural/Metro to AMR on July 1, 2011.
• The Health and Hospital Committee of the Board of Supervisors will receive an implementation update at their April 13, 2011 meeting.

• Rural/Metro and AMR continue to meet to discuss various transition activities.

• The EMS Agency will hold the second of four field provider (EMTs, paramedics, and EMS field supervisors) “Town Hall” meetings on May 17th to address questions related to the Rural/Metro transition.

• The EMS Agency and Rural/Metro meet weekly (or via conference call) to coordinate implementation. Fire department providers and County Communications may also attend in person or via conference call.

• The first formal “Transition Team” meeting was held in February consisting of members from the EMS Agency, AMR, Rural/Metro, Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association, and County Communications. This group will be most involved in the development of the actual transition plan from AMR to Rural/Metro on June 30/July 1.

• The Tap Chart Patient Care Reporting System has been presented to the hospitals and will be presented to the specialty centers in April. This system enables the transmission of patient care data, including 12-Lead EKG/ECG, from the field to the hospital.

• Rural/Metro has completed meetings with all fire departments to discuss station housing and other services for hire/exchange. Final section of ambulance housing locations is scheduled to occur by the end of April.

• Rural/Metro continues to establish agreements with local vendors for services such as fleet services, furniture, facility maintenance, etc.

• The County has received the required $5 million dollar performance security bond from Rural/Metro.
• EMS Communications System modifications are in progress including radio channel assignments, vehicle location programs, system status management software installation, surveillance technologies, etc.

• The “lockbox” (ability to view Rural/Metro accounts and County emergency take -over provisions) is in the final stages of implementation. Estimated completion by mid April.

• The EMS Agency and Rural/Metro will present a summary of the new 911 agreement to the Hospital Council and South Bay Emergency Medical Directors Association.

• FirstWatch electronic data reporting system installation is progressing. “Dashboard” will enable hospitals to view pending ambulance arrivals and chief complaint, identify illness/injury trends, and assist in assessment of response time performance reporting.

Contact Information:
John Blain
EMS Specialist/
Contract Implementation Manager
John.Blain@phd.sccgov.org
408.885.4250

Santa Clara County EMS System Jobs

2011-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Rural/Metro is seeking a dedicated, experienced workforce that knows the EMS industry and the Santa Clara County EMS System. For a listing of available positions and information on how to apply, please visit the following web link.

http://www.ruralmetrosantaclara.com/

From this site, you can link available jobs, see applicant requirements for field and fleet positions, and download an application. Once completed, you may fax your application to (408) 503-0949.
For further information, you can email Rural/Metro at SantaClara@rmetro.com

Rural/Metro Ambulance Appoints General Manager

2011-03-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

EMS Veteran Travis Kusman to Lead Santa Clara Operation

San Jose, CA (March 29, 2011): Rural/Metro Ambulance is proud to announce the appointment of Travis Kusman as Division General Manager of its new Santa Clara County emergency medical service operation.

“Travis brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to the position, and we are very pleased to name him as the leader of our Santa Clara operation,” said Vice President of the Rural/Metro West Zone Philip Forgione.

Kusman began his career in emergency medical services with Rural/Metro in Tucson, Arizona in 1995. He is currently the Operations Manager for American Medical Response’s San Diego Division and brings more than 15 years of experience in emergency medical services to Rural/Metro Santa Clara.

Kusman is very involved in the emergency responder industry and is President of the San Diego County Ambulance Association and Vice Chairman of the County of San Diego Emergency Medical Care committee. He has received numerous accolades over the years for his dedication to patients, communities and the EMS industry.

“Travis will be a tremendous addition to the Rural/Metro Santa Clara team,” said Forgione. “He will be responsible for leading day-to-day emergency medical service operations throughout the county, and we have every confidence he will enhance Rural/Metro’s ability to provide excellent patient care and customer service throughout community.”

Rural/Metro Ambulance was recently selected in a competitive process as the County of Santa Clara’s emergency ambulance provider. The contract will take effect July 1, 2011.
Kusman has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters of Public Health from Emory University.

About Rural/Metro Ambulance

Rural/Metro Corporation is a leading national provider of emergency and non-emergency ambulance services and private fire protection services in 20 states and approximately 440 communities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit the Company’s web site at http://www.ruralmetro.com/.

New Santa Clara County Ambulances

2011-03-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation - Bulletin #3

2011-03-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will issue routine Information Bulletins, at least monthly, to help ensure that Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders are updated as to the progress of the implementation of the new 911 Emergency Ambulance Contract which becomes effective on July 1, 2011.
• Rural/Metro continues to work with the incumbent’s labor unit to provide specific details of the benefits and salary that are to be offered to employees. Distribution is scheduled for the first week in March.

• All positions remain posted for hire on the Rural/Metro webpage including field EMT’s, paramedics, supervisors, vehicle technicians, and management positions.

• Rural/Metro has received over 200 applications for employment. Job fairs are in the process of being scheduled.

• Rural/Metro EMS Field Supervisor interviews are scheduled for the end of March. The EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association will have representatives on the interview panel.

• Operations Manager candidates are being reviewed by Rural/Metro, selected individuals will then be interviewed by the EMS Agency and Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association.
• A total of 25 ambulances are scheduled for delivery by the end of March. Eight have arrived in the County with four additional expected by week’s end.

• Rural/Metro conducts weekly meetings/conference calls with County Communications to coordinate installation of information/technology systems.

• Three of nine EMS Supervisor Vehicles have arrived.

• Call data/deployment modeling to begin running in parallel with the existing system starting in May 2011.

• All radio equipment has been purchased and has an expected delivery date of March 21st.

• Rural/Metro has moved into their headquarters facility in the City of San Jose near Freeway 880 and 101. Tenant improvements are in progress.

• The Provider Agreement Workgroup continues to meet to develop the EMS System Provider Agreement and related annexes (fire department ambulance use and first responder funding). Ten workshops have now been completed since September 2010. Final draft documents are expected to be completed this month.

• The Health and Hospital Committee of the Board of Supervisors will receive an implementation update at their April 13, 2011 meeting.

• Rural/Metro and AMR continue to meet to discuss various transition activities.

• The EMS Agency held the first of four field provider (EMTs, paramedics, and EMS field supervisors) “Town Hall” meetings on February 15th to address questions related to the Rural/Metro transition.

• The EMS Agency and Rural/Metro meet weekly (or via conference call) to coordinate implementation. Fire department providers and County Communications may also attend in person or via conference call.

• The first formal “Transition Team” meeting was held in February consisting of members from the EMS Agency, AMR, Rural/Metro, Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association, and County Communications. This group will be most involved in the development of the actual transition plan from AMR to Rural/Metro on June 30/July 1.

• Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Policy update drafts are being completed to address EMS System changes resulting from the new contract. Drafts will be posted for Stakeholder review.

• The Tap Chart Patient Care Reporting System will be presented to the hospitals and specialty centers in March and April. This system enables the transmission of patient care data, including 12-Lead EKG/ECG, from the field to the hospital.

• Rural/Metro continues to schedule meetings with fire departments to discuss station housing and other services for hire/exchange.

• Rural/Metro continues to establish agreements with local vendors for services such as fleet services, furniture, facility maintenance, etc.

• Performance security activities provided in the contract are being implemented including the establishment of a “lock box” which enables the County to view the bank accounts of the Santa Clara County Rural/Metro Operation in addition to a five million dollar performance bond.

• The EMS Agency has completed individual meetings with the fire chiefs and city managers.

• The most current Santa Clara County Rural/Metro Implementation Timeline has been attached.

Contact Information:
John Blain
EMS Specialist/
Contract Implementation Manager
John.Blain@phd.sccgov.org
408.885.4250

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation: Bulletin #2: January 26, 2011

2011-01-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Santa Clara County EMS System Jobs

2011-01-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

Rural/Metro was recently awarded the contract to provide 911 ambulance service to Santa Clara County. In order to make that happen, Rural/Metro is seeking a dedicated, experienced workforce that knows the EMS industry and the Santa Clara County EMS System.

http://public.ruralmetro.com/General/EmpResc.ns4/santaClara?OpenPage

From this site, you can view available jobs, see applicant requirements for field and fleet positions, and download an application. Once completed, you may fax your application to

(408) 503-0949.

For further information, you can email Rural/Metro at SantaClara@rmetro.com

911 Emergency Ambulance Contract Implementation

2010-12-27T08:57:00.000-08:00

Bulletin #1: December 27, 2010

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will issue routine Information Bulletins, at least monthly, to help ensure that Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders are updated as to the progress of the implementation of the new 911 Emergency Ambulance Contract which becomes effective on July 1, 2011.

• The Board of Supervisors approved the contract with Rural Metro of California on December 14, 2010.

• Rural/Metro continues to meet with the incumbent’s personnel labor group.

• The EMS Agency met with AMR on December 15, 2010. AMR will be a participant in the transition team and agrees to assist the County and Rural/Metro during the transition.

• The EMS Agency and Rural/Metro will host incumbent employee meetings in early January 2011.
• An Implementation/Transition Team has been established that includes the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association, Rural/Metro, Santa Clara County EMS Agency, Santa Clara County Communications, and American Medical Response.

• Rural/Metro has ordered all ambulances. Final branding will be completed by December 31, 2010 and posted to the EMS Agency website.

• Rural/Metro will be establishing a transitional website to assist incumbent personnel.

• The first Rural/Metro facility is expected to be occupied in January 2011.

• Personnel uniform specifications/branding will be completed by December 31, 2011 and posted to the EMS Agency website.

• Community Education program transition meetings begin the first week in January with Stakeholders.

• The EMS Agency will host a comprehensive orientation to the new contract for the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association on January 18, 2011.

• A community and EMS System Stakeholder presentation of the new contract provisions will be made on January 19, 2011 at the Health Advisory Commission Meeting. Flyers will be posted shortly.

• Rural/Metro will provide a demonstration to the patient care reporting program available to Santa Clara County fire departments on January 18, 2010.

• The Provider Agreement Workgroup continues to meet to develop the EMS System Provider Agreement and related annexes for first responder and emergency medical dispatch performance and funding and use of fire department emergency ambulances.

• Initial meetings with Santa Clara County Communications have been completed. Rural/Metro will begin routine meetings on December 28, 2010 with County Communications.

• Rural/Metro will begin to participate in Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholder groups in January 2011.

• Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Policy update drafts are being completed to address EMS System changes. Drafts will be posted for Stakeholder review.

Contact Information:
John Blain
EMS Specialist/
Contract Implementation Manager
John.Blain@phd.sccgov.org
408.885.4250

Santa Clara County Board Approves Award of Ambulance Contract to Rural/Metro

2010-12-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 14, 2010

Contact: Gwendolyn Mitchell/Laurel Anderson
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.—Today, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors approved a franchise agreement with Rural/Metro Corporation as the exclusive provider of 911 Emergency Medical Ambulance Services in Santa Clara County.

The decision, a 3-2 vote with Supervisor Dave Cortese, Supervisor George Shirakawa, and Supervisor Mike Wasserman supporting the contract, follows a two-and-a-half year process.

“This has been a lengthy, comprehensive and transparent process,” said Supervisor Cortese, District 3. “While we have enjoyed a good relationship with AMR for the past several decades, that cannot be the basis for this decision. The Rural/Metro contract will be more beneficial to county residents.”

State regulations require that counties such as Santa Clara County, which operate Exclusive Operating Areas for ambulance services to periodically issue a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP).

The current RFP process began in May 2009, with formal and informal meetings with various stakeholders, including the cities, fire chiefs, hospitals and a variety of personnel that work in the emergency medical field. A consultant was retained to manage the process, draft RFP documents, and review and validate the financial status of proposers. A formal Request for Proposals was issued and submissions were evaluated. In October, the Board of Supervisors authorized staff to begin negotiations with Rural/Metro.

“We are pleased with the outcome of contract negotiations,” said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith. “The contract will ensure high quality service to county residents. We have built into the contract increased penalties if Rural/Metro fails to meet response times. We are requiring a $5 million performance bond, and a $1.5 million franchise fee which will enable us to put a 24/7 monitoring system in place.”

The contract also requires that Rural/Metro purchase 55 state-of-the-art ambulances to provide better service. Changes service provides will have minimal impact on existing staff. All qualified EMT will be hired by Rural/Metro and other staff will have preferential status for any openings. Rural/Metro will operate fewer 24-hour shifts than are currently operated.

“I am comfortable that the new contract will be an improvement for our community,” said Supervisor George Shirakawa, District 2. “During these tough economic times, we not only have to be stewards of County resources, we also have to consider how our decisions will impact what residents will have to pay for services.”

Supervisor Liz Kniss, District 5 and Board President Ken Yeager, District 4 were the dissenting votes. Kniss indicated that she preferred that the process be vetted more with constituents through a public workshop.

“I’ve moved a little on this issue,” said Yeager. “Initially I was uncomfortable and ready to toss out both bids. I am worried that there are still some questions and concerns in community and the cities.”

“The County conducted a competitive process that produced an agreement which will increase the level of service for our residents for a lower cost,” said Supervisor Mike Wasserman, District 1.

At Kniss’ request, the administration will provide quarterly reports on Rural/Metro’s performance on the contract.

State EMS Service Medals Announced - Santa Clara County Awards

2010-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is proud to announce that the following individuals will be receiving Service Medals from the State Emergency Medical Services Commission for their contributions to the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System:

1) Ms. Consuelo Yokum, Santa Clara County Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response: Inter-Service Recognition Medal for volunteer service and leadership during the H1N1 pandemic emergency in Santa Clara County.

2) Chief Dispatcher Curtis Darnell, Santa Clara County Communications: Inter-Service Recognition Medal for service and leadership to integrate EMS into the public safety stakeholder community.

3) Captain Michael Van Elgort, San Jose Fire Department: Meritorious Service Medal for service and leadership to advance prehospital cardiac care in Santa Clara County.

4) Captain David Huseman, San Jose Fire Department: Meritorious Service Medal for providing superior EMS service and education for over 30 years in Santa Clara County.

The Awards Ceremony will take place on December 1, 2010 at 10:00 am, during the EMS Commission meeting which will be held at the Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel, 609 Sutter Street, Crystal Ballroom, 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA. Those wishing to attend should contact the EMS Authority at 916.322.4336 Extension 447.

Please join us in recognizing the contributions of these leaders in our Emergency Medical Services System.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - Ambulance Service Fees

2010-10-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to the Santa Clara County Ordinance Code, Section A18-279, the Permit Officer hereby provides notice of a public hearing related to the revision of the following:

Santa Clara County Ordinance Code Permit Fees Increase for Fiscal Year 2012 to become effective July 1, 2011.

The hearing shall occur at the following location:

Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency

Park Alameda Conference Room, First Floor

976 Lenzen Avenue

San Jose, CA 95126

The hearing shall occur on the following date:

Friday, November 12, 2010

The hearing shall occur at the following time:
The hearing shall commence at 10:00 AM and end no later than 11:00 AM. The hearing may end prior to 11:00 AM if all in attendance, who desire to provide testimony, have done so.

Announcement of Notice:
This notice has been made on October 21, 2010. It has also been provided to each Ambulance Permit Holder in the County.

The following is a description of the proposed change:
The following revisions to the Santa Clara County Ambulance Permit fees are scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2011.

Fees: Fiscal Year 2012
Basic Life Support Provider (annual) $6,000.00

Advanced Life Support Provider (annual) $6,500.00

Critical Care Transport -Nurse/Paramedic (annual) $6,500.00

Air Ambulance Provider (annual) $8,000.00

Basic Life Support Ambulance (each/annual) $900.00

Advanced Life Support Ambulance (each/annual) $950.00

Critical Care Transport Ambulance (each/annual) $950.00

Air Ambulance (each/annual) $950.00

EMS System Identification Badge (each) $23.50

The fees identified above were lasted adjusted in Calendar Year 2005. Based on increasing costs, regulatory changes, and the lack of annual adjustments for consumer pricing; it has become necessary to increase these fees to cover costs related to the oversight of ambulance providers in the County of Santa Clara.

The EMS Agency understands that operating within the current economic environment is difficult and that ambulance service providers are also experiencing increasing costs. The EMS Agency has resisted increasing these fees over the past several years; however it is now necessary to make appropriate adjustments.

For questions related to this notice, please contact Josh Davies, Section Manager and Permit Officer, at 408-885-4250.

*** END OF NOTICE ***

2010 CPR Guidelines

2010-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

To:                  EMS System Stakeholders

From:            Eric M. Rudnick, MD, FACEP
                      EMS Medical Director

Subject:          New AHA Guidelines for CPR

On October 18, 2010 the American Heart Association (AHA) published its 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In this publication AHA recommends to change the sequence of CPR to chest compression prior to initiating airway management and breathing for the adult, child and infant (newborns are excluded) for the lay and professional rescuer.

We are in the process of reviewing the new guidelines published by the AHA. When the review of the recommended guidelines are completed the decision will be made as to when or if to change the current county policies.
One of the reasons for not changing any of the existing protocols is that the new two rescuer CPR does not change the sequence of what comes first. Chest compression and breathing should be initiated simultaneously and in a team based approach. The quality of good CPR however is imperative in these situations and all efforts should be employed to provide effective chest compression, as evidenced by monitoring EKG, at a depth appropriate for the age of the patient and that successful airway management is performed using appropriate assistive devices as necessary, as evidenced by utilizing continuous capnograph and oxygenation saturation.

There are no recommended changes to the current ACLS and PALS curriculum.

You may review the entire article at the AHA website at http://www.newsroom.heart.org/

This memo may be downloaded at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

County of Santa Clara Approves Negotiating Ambulance Contract with Rural/Metro

2010-10-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19, 2010

Contact: Gwendolyn Mitchell/Laurel Anderson
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.—Today, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors voted to authorize staff to begin negotiations with Rural/Metro Corporation as the exclusive provider of 911 Emergency Medical Ambulance Services in Santa Clara County.

The State requires counties in California with an Exclusive Operating Area (EOA) for ambulance services, like Santa Clara County, to undertake a competitive Request For Proposals (RFP) approximately every 10 years. The County’s RFP was developed with significant stakeholder input and submitted to the State Emergency Medical Services Authority for approval, prior to implementation.

Credentials of the respondents to the RFP were screened to ensure that they met baseline criteria including financial viability and operational capacity to serve the population. Only two proposals were submitted: 1) AMR, the existing provider; and 2) Rural/Metro Corporation.

The Rural/Metro proposal received the top rating and the company was recommended by the eight-member RFP Committee.

The potential loss of the contract by its current holder AMR, resulted in protests and a call for additional review by a number of outside parties, including the City of San Jose.

“Although there are differences in the two corporations, there is no evidence to substantiate that Rural/Metro cannot perform up to the standards of the contract, as they do around the nation,” said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith. “We have conducted an extensive review of their operating and financial capability and are satisfied that they can meet our requirements.”

The same sentiments were echoed by Supervisor Don Gage, who supported moving forward with the contract negotiations. “I’ve come to the conclusion that Rural/Metro can do the job and provide the same quality of service to our constituents.”

Among the concerns expressed by the 40+ speakers, was the potential loss of jobs. At Supervisor Dave Cortese’s request, a spokesperson for Rural/Metro indicated that the company guarantees retaining current employees, who meet employment standards, at their same pay rates or better.

Rural/Metro has proposed to increase the number of weekly unit hours from approximately 4,300 to 5,292. This change will put more ambulances on the streets.

Rural/Metro also proposed utilizing a state-of-the-art automated vehicle location system, which will integrate with the County’s computer aided dispatch system. The system will provide real-time analysis of historical call data, current ambulance location, and traffic congestion. Together, this information will aid in the efficient management of ambulance resources to assure that the high call volume areas can be covered by available ambulances.

The City of San Jose opposed the County’s intent to proceed with negotiations with Rural/Metro based on their proposed “Strategic Alliance” with AMR that would have provided a $1 million reimbursement to offset the cost of first responder services. The County expressed concerns that reliance on such City resources could lead to a fragmented system throughout the county.

Supervisor George Shirakawa did not support the AMR/City of San Jose proposal because of the possibility that the fragmented system would drive up the cost for the county. In addition, he was disappointed by the misinformation about Rural/Metro’s ability to perform. “If we were to be influenced by these practices, the County would lose the ability to leverage its resources in a way that is in the best interest of the community,” Shirakawa said.

Kniss and Yeager did not vote for moving forward with the negotiations due to the considerable differences in the two proposals.

“The Rural/Metro proposal promises excellent quality at a lower cost for taxpayers,” Cortese said.

Open Recruitment

2010-09-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SPECIALIST

$82,057.08 - $99,718.68 Annually

Final Filing Date: Tue. 10/12/10

DEFINITION:

Under direction, to plan, organize, coordinate, direct, and monitor the County’s emergency medical services system in order to establish and ensure compliance with the County's protocols, guidelines and contracts for operation of the emergency medical services system and its components.
This recruitment requires the submission of an online application. No paper applications will be accepted. Applicants must apply online at http://www.sccjobs.org/. Computers are available at the County Government Center, 70 West Hedding Street, 8th Floor, East Wing, San Jose, CA 95110, during normal business hours, for applicants to apply online.

Directors and Chiefs Executive Session

2010-08-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Notice of Cancellation

Emergency Medical Services System

Directors and Chiefs Executive Session

September 23, 2010
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

This meeting has been cancelled due to the EMS Update also being held in September. The next meeting will be held on December 16, 2010 as scheduled.

Santa Clara County Board Authorizes Smith to Proceed with Review of Ambulance Proposals

2010-08-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2010

Contact:
Gwendolyn Mitchell/Laurel Anderson
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119

Santa Clara County Board Authorizes Smith to Proceed with Review of Ambulance Proposals

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF.—Today, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors authorized the County Executive to move forward in the process to select the company to become the exclusive provider of 911 paramedic response and emergency ambulance services, when the current contract ends in July 2011. Today’s action represents one step in a comprehensive process that began last year.

State regulations require that counties such as Santa Clara County, which operate Exclusive Operating Areas for these services to periodically issue a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP), for non-grandfathered ambulance providers. Within the county, the only grandfathered services are those provided by the Palo Alto Fire Department, which has been providing continuous service since at least 1981. The County’s last competitive RFP was conducted in 2000.

The current RFP process began in May 2009, with formal and informal meetings with various stakeholders, including the cities, fire chiefs, hospitals and a variety of personnel that work in the emergency medical field. A consultant was retained to manage the process, draft RFP documents, and review and validate the financial status of proposers. A formal Request for Proposals was issued and submissions were evaluated.

“I want to set the record straight on some of the issues raised in the news about this process. We have conducted a thorough competitive process, consistent with State regulations,” said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith.

“While this process is confidential, both formal and informal meetings were held with stakeholders and an evaluation committee was selected, Smith continued. “The summary of the scoring done by the evaluation committee following the year-long process has been submitted, and today, we begin the public part of the process.”

Smith asked the Board to authorize the release of both proposals for public review and to authorize the County Executive to meet with the two proposers to review the scoring and bid proposals. The Board of Supervisors authorized the release of the proposals for public review and calling for complete transparency, directed staff to inquire and determine whether any financial arrangement exists between either of the proposers and San José or any of the other cities in the county.

Next Steps
The County Executive will conduct a review of both proposers to determine:
1. The financial sustainability of the proposals and the proposing companies.
2. Whether any financial relationships exist between the proposing companies and the cities.

The Board’s action stopped short of authorizing staff to enter into negotiations, pending a report back on these areas of interest. Once these questions have been addressed, it is anticipated that negotiations will be authorized with a timeline to ensure that the successful service provider is prepared to provide service when the current contract ends.

Anticipated Recruitment- EMS Specialists (January 2011)

2010-07-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency anticipates opening recruitment for three Emergency Medical Services Specialists in January 2011. A complete job description and directions for submitting a job interest card can be found on our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Policy Open Comment Period: Technical Competency Review

2010-07-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency announces the open comment period for the

following:

• Policy #216: Technical Competency Review Program (NEW)

This Policy is will remain open for comment through August 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm and is anticipated to become effective in January 2011. The draft Policy may be downloaded on our website at www.sccemsagency.org

Thank you for your continued support of our Emergency Medical Services System. If you should have any questions or wish to provide comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact Kirsten Muehlenberg, EMS Specialist, at Kirsten.Muehlenberg@phd.sccgov.org

MPMP Review Meeting Rescheduled

2010-07-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Multiple Patient Management Plan meeting scheduled for July 8th at 1300 has been rescheduled based on the pending BART verdict.

The new date is:

August 10, 2010
1300-1500 Hours
Santa Clara County EMS Agency
Park Alameda Conference Room
976 Lenzen Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126

Revised Enforcement and Investigation Guide

2010-05-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

The following Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Policy has been revised and will be effective July 1, 2010. No comments were received during the open comment period.

• EMS Reference 810: Investigation and Enforcement Guide

The Guide may be found on our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Thank you for your continued support of our Emergency Medical Services System. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Kirsten Muehlenberg, EMS Specialist, at Kirsten.Muehlenberg@phd.sccgov.org.

Proposed Revisions to Multiple Patient Management Plan

2010-05-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency announces proposed revisions to Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Manual Reference #811 – Multiple Patient Management Plan (MPMP). The open comment period will begin today and end on July 30, 2010 at 1700 hours.

A summary of the proposed changes and a draft of the revised document will be available on our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/ A Stakeholder meeting has been scheduled to review the MPMP including the proposed revisions on July 8, 2010 from 1330-1530 hours at the following location:

Emergency Medical Services Agency

Park Alameda Conference Room (1st Floor)

976 Lenzen Avenue

San Jose, CA 95126

Comments and suggestions may be emailed to josh.davies@phd.sccgov.org
or presented at the meeting on June 8th.

Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response (MVDR) Montly Training

2010-05-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

On May 22nd, MVDR members participated in the monthly training program coordinated by the Santa Clara County EMS Agency.

Members practiced START triage, backboard and patient transportation skills, use of the Disaster Medical Support Unit, and Cabana Trailers.

The Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response program is coordinated by the Santa Clara County EMS Agency. Additional information can be found at www.sccemsagency.org and then clicking on the MVDR icon.

EMT Certification & Investigation Policy Revisions Posted

2010-05-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

The following Santa Clara County Prehospital Care Policy’s have been revised and will be effective July 1, 2010. A list of revisions can be found on our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/ and was based on changes to the California Health and Safety Code related to Emergency Medical Technician Certification. EMS Reference 810: Investigation and Enforcement has also been revised and will be published shortly.

• Policy 106: Personnel Investigation and Discipline

• Policy 200: Eligibility for Prehospital Care Certificates & Credentials

• Policy 201: Emergency Medical Technician Certification

Thank you for your continued support of our Emergency Medical Services System. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Kirsten Muehlenberg, EMS Specialist, at Kirsten.Muehlenberg@phd.sccgov.org or Inez Valdez, Certification Coordinator, at Inez.Valdez@phd.sccgov.org.

First Birds Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Santa Clara County

2010-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Contact:
Noor Tietze 408-210-5773
Russ Parman 408-593-6176
José Colomé 408-210-5774

First Birds Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Santa Clara County

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. - The Santa Clara County Vector Control District (SCCVCD) has confirmed that three dead American Crows have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in the South Bay. The birds were found on May 7 in Monte Sereno (zip 95030), on May 10 in Los Altos (zip 94022), and on May 13 at Bollinger Road and Johnson Avenue in San Jose (zip 95129).

Dead birds act as an early warning system for West Nile Virus. A bird that tests positive for WNV alerts health officials that the virus is present in an area. Transmitted by mosquito bites, WNV causes mild to severe flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body ache and, in severe cases, significant neurological symptoms or even death. The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most susceptible. In 2009, California reported 129 WNV infections, with 112 symptomatic cases and four fatalities.

No human cases or WNV positive mosquitoes have been found in Santa Clara County this year. SCCVCD is continuing to collect adult mosquitoes weekly throughout the county for testing.

The SCCVCD asks Santa Clara County residents to report crows, jays, sparrows, finches, birds of prey or tree squirrels that have been dead for less than 48 hours and do not appear to have died because of an injury. They should contact the State of California WNV hotline at 877-WNV-BIRD (2473) or online at www.westnile.ca.gov

In light of the heavy rainfall this season, mosquito abatement remains the key to preventing West Nile Virus. Consequently, SCCVCD has stepped up its mosquito surveillance and outreach programs. Residents are asked to eliminate standing water on their properties to help eliminate mosquito breeding sources. A single poorly maintained pool in the backyard can produce millions of mosquitoes.

It is also important for all residents to take the following precautions against mosquito bites:

Protect yourself if you are outside when mosquitoes are most active, especially at dawn and the first two hours after sunset.
When outdoors, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
Apply insect repellant, such as DEET, according to label instructions.
Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
Contact the Vector Control District if you are being bothered by mosquitoes or know of a potential mosquito-breeding source.

For assistance on mosquito control and WNV, residents can contact Santa Clara County Vector Control District office by calling (408) 918-4770 / (800) 675-1155 or online at http://www.sccvector.org/

EMS Week Proclamation

2010-05-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

This afternoon the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors proclaimed May 16-22, 2010 as Emergency Medical Services Week with May 19, 2010 as Emergency Medical Services for Children’s Day.

You may view the video by clicking on the link below and select Item 19 on the playlist. If you wish to go directly to the EMS portion, it begins at counter 4:43.

http://sccgov.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=103

Thank you to everyone who joined is the Board Chambers today and we look foreword to seeing all of you next week at the 2nd Annual EMS Conference!

2nd Annual EMS Conference - Registration is Now Closed

2010-05-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Registration for the 2nd Annual Santa Clara County EMS Conference has now closed with over 220 participants registered!

Unfortunately additional spaces are not available and on-site registration is not available for this program.

911 Ambulance Use and Interfacility Transfer Forum

2010-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will be hosting forum on June 4, 2010 from 1400-1530 hrs, that will focus on current 9-1-1 system issues relating to appropriate use of 911 and interfacilty transports including identifying the level of medical services provided by interfacility ambulance transportation, clarify misconceptions, and facilitate solutions to questions related to the EMS System. It will also allow participants an opportunity to interact with the 9-1-1 EMS System Stakeholders.

Who Should Attend?

Hospital Discharge Planners
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Board and Care
Long Term Care Facilities
Clinics
Urgent Care Centers
Physician Offices

If you would like further information concerning this forum, please contact Michael Cabano at (408) 792-1349 or view the program flyer at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Psychological First Aid Training

2010-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will be providing a Psychological First Aid Training Class. There will be two separate class sessions held one on June 10, 2010 from 1700-2100 hrs and on June 11, 2010 from. The course is free of charge to members of the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System. For more information about this class please check the Santa Clara County EMS Agency website.

CDC Alert: Dengue Fever in Haiti Relief Workers

2010-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of dengue fever among relief workers returning from Haiti, where the disease is endemic. Health care providers in the United States should consider dengue in the diagnosis of patients who have symptoms consistent with dengue infection and who have traveled to Haiti within the past 30 days. Physicians are encouraged to submit samples to state health departments (available at the California Department of Public Health as well as from AZ, CT, FL, NY, PR, and TX) or the CDC Dengue Branch for proper laboratory testing. A completed CDC Dengue Case Investigation Form with Haiti Travel printed on the heading must accompany the specimens for each patient to be tested. Infected travelers may also present a risk for local spread of dengue virus(es) in US areas where Aedes mosquitoes are present.

The form may be accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/Dengue/resources/caseformhaiti.pdf

Dialysis Emergency Preparedness Forum

2010-04-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

On April 22, 2010 the Santa Clara County EMS Agency hosted a Kidney Dialysis forum that focused on emergency preparedness for dialysis facilities. Information was provided to the facilities on how to better prepare their facility for a major disaster with a focus on continued service to their vulnerable population after a major event. There was additional discussion on the need to create partnerships within the dialysis community and how to develop memorandums of understanding within the dialysis community as well as with businesses that would provide logistical support during and after a major event.

If you would like further information concerning the content of the forum, please contact Mark Frise at (408) 792-1358.

New EMS Director - Tom Lynch

2010-04-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am exceptionally pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Lynch as the new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Administrator for Santa Clara County. Tom will be joining our team beginning June 1, 2010.

Tom brings a wealth of experience to this role. Prior to this appointment, Tom served as the Executive Director of EMS for San Luis Obispo County from 1993 to 2006. More recently, he has served as the EMS Director for the County of Monterey from 2006 to present.

Tom is well regarded by the communities in which he has served, and by regional and state EMS partners. He is recognized as being an innovative and dynamic leader who builds strong partnerships and recognizes the value of a highly collaborative Emergency Medical System.

Please join me in welcoming Tom to Santa Clara County.

Daniel W. Peddycord, RN, MPA/HA
Public Health Director

The EMS Agency will be providing contact details and updates in the near future. As Tom begins his transition to Santa Clara County, we will be sure to announce opportunities to meet and greet.

Ambulance RFP Issued

2010-04-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2010

The County of Santa Clara has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Advanced Life Support Response and Paramedic Ambulance Transportation for the County’s Exclusive Operating Areas (excluding the City of Palo Alto and Stanford Lands Parcels). Santa Clara County, California.

The RFP may be accessed at http://www.bidsync.com/

The Control Number is PHD 10-06. Those wishing to access the RFP will be required to register with bidsync at the web address provided above.

The sole contact for issues related to this RFP shall be the Procurement Officer identified in the RFP.

HICS Course Available

2010-04-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency will be providing a Hospital Incident Command System Class in collaboration with the California Hospital Association on June 23, 2010. There will be two separate class sessions held on that day from 1000-1200 hrs and 1500-1700 hrs. The course is free of charge to members of the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System. For more information about this class please check the Santa Clara County EMS Agency website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Earthquake A Good Reminder to Sign Up for AlertSCC

2010-04-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Contact:
Gwendolyn Mitchell/Laurel Anderson
Office of Public Affairs
(408) 299-5119
Earthquake A Good Reminder to Sign Up for AlertSCC

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — The 7.2 magnitude earthquake near the California-Mexico border, coupled with the recent earthquakes in Northern California and worldwide, have area residents understandably concerned about seismic activity.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) USGS estimates more than 500,000 detectable earthquakes worldwide each year (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/facts.php) and recorded 1,839 earthquakes of a magnitude 3.0 or greater in the United States in 2009 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php#table_us). That is more than five earthquakes a day, on average, in the United States.

While the recent seismic frequency is not an anomaly, it still serves as a reminder to prepare for the possibility of a more significant emergency event. After all, according to the most recent report from the USGS in 2008, the overall probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake striking the greater Bay Area in the next 30 years is 63%, and the likelihood of such a quake occurring in all of California is 99%.

“Santa Clara County experiences earthquakes, wild fires, and other disruptions as do many other areas,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. “It’s always a good idea to prepare and know what to do before, during and after an emergency event.”

In the event of an earthquake or other disaster event, Santa Clara County residents can receive life-saving information through the County’s new emergency notification system, AlertSCC, which can send messages to not only land lines, but also to wireless devices and e-mail addresses of people who have signed up at www.AlertSCC.com. Signing up for AlertSCC is easy and is free.

“AlertSCC can deliver important information, whether it is which routes to avoid on your commute due to flooding, or how to shelter yourself after a devastating earthquake,” said Smith.

“Recent earthquakes remind us that disaster can strike without notice, and we need to be prepared before emergencies happen,” said Ken Yeager, president of the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors. “I encourage all residents of Santa Clara County to be better-equipped by signing up their mobile devices on AlertSCC.”

AlertSCC can be used for a variety of emergency and community service notifications, such as earthquakes, evacuations, floods, fires, crime incidents, terrorist attacks, hazmat incidents, infectious disease information, contaminated food warnings, road/school closures, and contacting disaster service workers.

AlertSCC is an automated system with the capacity to send thousands of text and voice messages within minutes to home and business land line phones, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, desktop computers, and devices for the hearing impaired. While the system uses 411 and 911 databases to call land line phones, if a resident or someone who works in Santa Clara County wants to receive notice by email or on their cell phones, they must sign up at www.AlertSCC.com.

AlertSCC will not take the place of 911 and other communication and notification systems (such as radio announcements) that first responders currently use. Personal contact information provided by residents when signing up for AlertSCC will only be used for official notifications. It will not be shared, sold, traded, leased or loaned to outside parties, per policy and contract agreements binding the County to these standards.

For more information or to sign up to receive AlertSCC messages, go to http://www.alertscc.com/.

Healthcare Reform Act

2010-04-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Healthcare Reform) has been posted to our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Open Comment Period: Policy #616 (New)

2010-03-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency announces the open comment period for Prehospital Care Policy #616: Physician Scene Request and Response from March 26, 2010 through May 26, 2010. This is a new policy.

Comments should be made via email to Christopher.Seymour@phd.sccgov.org by the close of business on May 26, 2010. Documents can be viewed on our webpage at http://www.sccemsagency.org/

Board of Supervisors Approves Release of 911 Ambulance RFP

2010-03-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday March 23rd the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors authorized the release of the 911 ambulance RFP. Pending a final review of the RFP by County Staff and Board of Supervisors; it is expected that the RFP will be posted shortly after April 1, 2010 and will then remain open for solicitation for 60 days.

A video clip of the meeting can be viewed by clicking on the following link and then selecting Agenda Item #6.

http://sccgov.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=83

Proposed Policy Changes Open Comment Period March 22, 2010 through April 23, 2010

2010-03-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Based on revisons to Health & Safety Code, Title 22 regulation changes, Santa Clara County Prehospital Care policies have been revised. These documents have been posted on our website and include a summary of changes, draft policies and the revised Draft EMS 810: Investigation and Enforcement Guide.

These documents are open for comment from March 22, 2010 until April 23, 2010. You may provide your comments via email to:

Kirsten.Muehlenberg@phd.sccgov.org

Recognizing Jack Grogran

2010-03-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS System was saddened to learn of the passing of Jack Grogan last week. Please join us in remembering a great leader and advocate.

Before joining the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) board of directors, Jack Grogan had served as a founding Board member of the SCA Survivor Network of the National Center for Early Defibrillation. He is a retired IBM executive with the title of Distinguished Engineer. Following a tour in the United States Marine Corps, Jack earned a degree in electrical engineering and joined the IBM Corporation. His areas of expertise include magnetic recording, electronic design, statistics and information theory. He conducted business in 22 countries during his 43 year IBM career.

Jack was a SCA survivor. His life was saved onboard a United Airline plane in November of 2002. He was featured in a United Airlines AED/CPR safety training video. He has also been interviewed on television and by numerous print publications regarding his SCA experience and the importance of greater public access to defibrillation. In addition, he was featured in a television documentary on Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Jack spoke before many organizations and businesses sharing his passion for this cause. Jack was an AED/ EMS volunteer for the San Jose Fire Department. In addition, he wa an AHA certified AED/CPR Instructor on the San Jose Fire Department training faculty. His unwavering dedication was honored recently when Jack accepted the department's Devoted Service Award for his work on the city's AED programs.

Jack was a strong advocate for public access to defibrillation and ICD-related issues on the local, state, and federal level. He testified before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the US Congress and the California Legislature. Due to the efforts of Jack and other SCAA Survivors and Ambassadors, in 2005 the California legislature successfully passed two Bills and one Resolution relating to AEDs. Jack testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of AB 254 and also worked on ACR (Assembly Concurrent Resolution) 57. Both pieces of legislation will make it easier for California schools to implement AED programs. Spearheading support for AB1507, the California Fitness Center Bill, Jack testified numerous times before the State Senate and State Assembly. His efforts contributed to the passing of this Bill that now requires all California fitness centers and health clubs to have AEDs onsite and personnel trained in their use.

In 2006, he worked getting support for another California Legislature resolution relating to the prevention of Sudden Cardiac Arrest; SJR (Senate Joint Resolution) 21. This Resolution passed both the State Senate and State Assembly unanimously in June 2006. His tireless efforts to save lives from SCA were recognized in 2005 by the Medtronic Corporation when they presented him with their Community Champion Award as part of the "Keep the Beat" campaign.

For the past three years, Jack was the emcee and honored guest at the Heart Skate, a local skate-a-thon organized and supported by local high school students which benefits the Heart Rhythm Society and the American Heart Association.
Story by Patty Fisher, San Jose Mercury

Jack Grogan knew he was living on borrowed time, and he was determined to make every minute count.

Technically, Grogan died in 2002, when his heart stopped beating while he was sitting on an airplane, waiting to take off. He survived only because a quick-thinking flight attendant shocked him back to life with a portable defibrillator.

After that experience and triple bypass surgery, the hard driving ex-Marine dedicated his life to making sure others would get a second chance the way he had. He campaigned tirelessly to put defibrillators in public buildings and make sure people knew how to use them.

Largely because of his efforts, on Sunday night, when Grogan's heart stopped again after he got off a plane at Mineta San Jose Airport, two people came running with portable defibrillators. His son, Dale, knew how to use the machine and shocked him three times. Bystanders took turns giving him CPR until paramedics arrived.

But Jack Grogan, 73, didn't come back to life a second time. His borrowed time had run out.
Those who mourn his passing, like Captain Jose Chavez of the San Jose Fire Department, are comforted by one thought: "He absolutely had the chance that he fought for everyone to have," Chavez said. "He was passionate about that."

A man on a mission

I've known a lot of people who had near-death experiences. Some answered the wake-up call by launching new careers, traveling or spending more time with family. Grogan did all those things, but his primary mission was to save lives.
Chavez first met the retired IBM executive about four years ago. Grogan was working as a volunteer for the Fire Department, teaching CPR and helping to get defibrillators into city buildings. In 2007, they launched the city's HeartSafe City Project, which has expanded the number of defibrillators in public buildings to 700, provided training and raised local awareness. They spoke to school classes, fire academies, Little League teams and business groups about how anyone can be a hero. Grogan's work was not confined to San Jose. He cofounded the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association based in Washington, D.C. He pushed for a California law requiring defibrillators in health clubs, spoke before Congress and at doctors' conferences. "He put more hours into a day than was imaginable," said his wife, Anita. "In addition to being my husband and the love of my life, he was a larger-than-life person."

A huge loss
Grogan brought the same energy and passion to his volunteer job as he had to his 43-year career with IBM.

"He used to call me his boss," Chavez said, "but anyone who knew him would know that, well, I could never be his boss." Anita Grogan sees the irony in the circumstances of Jack's second attack. "I don't know what it was about him and airports," she told me. Chavez said Grogan hated being away from his family. "But he knew that what he was doing was important, that it would help others be with their loved ones a little longer," he said. " Even if only just to say goodbye."

Jacks Story of Survival--In His Own Words

On November 16, 2002, I had to make an emergency trip from San Jose via Chicago to Hartford due to the fact that my uncle was very ill and not expected to live. Minutes before United Flight 1540 was to leave Chicago for Hartford, I realized that I was at the wrong gate and had to make a very long run to get to the proper gate. When the plane was positioned for take-off, one of the passengers noticed that I had a problem and called for help. Another passenger, Dr. Joxel Garcia, came to my aid and determined that I was not breathing and had no pulse; he immediately began CPR. The flight attendants notified the pilot and began their emergency procedures.

Flight attendant Michelle Braddock came forward with the onboard AED and connected it to my chest. The AED indicated that a shock was required; Michelle administered the shock which successfully restored my heart to a normal rhythm. Dr. Joxel Garcia and Michelle Braddock had saved my life! As the plane returned to the gate they continued to help me. When the plane got back to the gate, the Chicago Fire Department EMTs rushed me to the Resurrection Medical Center. The doctors told me many times that I would not have survived without the immediate medical care I received onboard the plane. During my hospital stay I was referred to as the "miracle patient".

My wife Anita and family in California were immediately notified and within a few short hours they were on a plane headed for Chicago. I am eternally grateful for the extraordinary people that formed my "chain of survival": Dr. Joxel Garcia, flight attendant Michelle Braddock and the other crew members of United Flight 1540, the Chicago Fire Department EMTs, the Resurrection Medical Center Staff and my wonderful doctors in Chicago, Cardiologist Dr. Rebecca Duke and Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Silver, who performed my bypass surgery. I am also very grateful for the extraordinary love and support I received from my wonderful family; my wife, our sons and daughters, our six grandchildren, our extended family and many friends around the world.

Obituary: John Matthew "Jack" Grogan

John 'Jack' Matthew Grogan Jack was born in Hartford, Connecticut on December 15, 1936, to Arthur Joseph Grogan and Mary Blessing Grogan. Jack attended schools in San Francisco and Richmond and graduated from Richmond High School. A Korean War veteran, Jack proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1954 to 1958. Soon after discharge Jack entered college to pursue an Electrical Engineering Degree.

In June of 1958 Jack met the love of his life Anita Lackey Grogan. They were married on March 21, 1959, and they shared a wonderful life together for almost 51 years. Their first son Dale was born in 1960, and soon after they moved to San Jose CA., and Jack began his career with the IBM Corporation. They were blessed with daughters Colleen in 1962 and Becky in 1963. Son John joined the family in 1966. Jack always felt his greatest achievement was his children. Jack had a very strong devotion to his family and was the world's greatest husband, Dad, and Poppa. Through the years the favorite family time together was always their many trips to Disneyland. Jack was always the first one through the gate and the last one to leave the park at night! Jack's grandchildren know that 'Poppa' thought he had the smartest, most handsome and beautiful, and most talented grandchildren ever, and Jack took great pride in all their accomplishments. Several of them are involved in SCA activities at their schools.

During his 43-year career with IBM Jack was honored with many awards and recognitions including the President's Award for Excellence. He held many positions during his time at IBM, and he traveled for the company to 25 countries. Jack retired from IBM in 2001 as an Engineering Executive with the title of Distinguished Engineer.

On November 16, 2002, Jack suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest on a United airplane. A fellow passenger performed CPR, and the Flight Attendant used the AED. Together these two people saved Jack's life. This overwhelming event took Jack's life in a new and fulfilling direction. He became a passionate volunteer to make the public more aware of SCA and the importance of knowing CPR and how to use an AED. Jack was co-founder of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association which is now the nation's largest non- profit advocacy organization singularly focused on SCA. He serves on the Board of Directors of this Organization. For the last five years Jack has loved being an AED/EMS volunteer with the San Jose Fire Department. His unwavering dedication was honored by the SJFD when he received the Devoted Service Award for advancing the city's AED programs. His hope was to one day see San Jose deemed a Heart Safe City .

On Sunday, February 28, 2010, Jack was returning from an SCAA Board Meeting in Wash. DC when he collapsed of an SCA at San Jose Airport. He was given CPR, and the AED was used. However he was not able to be saved.

Jack was the loving husband of Anita; a wonderful father to- son Dale Grogan (wife Janet), daughter Colleen Grogan Gann ( husband Jerome), daughter Rebecca Grogan Rogers (husband Larry), all of San Jose, and son John Grogan (wife Bao) of Sacramento; and a proud Poppa to his grandchildren Amy, Kelley, and Casie Grogan and Chris, Lauren, and Caitlin Rogers of San Jose, and Dylan Grogan of Sacramento. He is also survived by brother Richard Grogan (wife Judith); step-sister Joyce Berman; Mother -in-law Marie Lackey, brother-in-law Larry Lackey (wife Joyce), sister-in-law Alice Lackey, sister-in-law Kathy Webb (husband Barry); and many nieces and nephews and cousins He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur J. Grogan, his mother Mary Grogan Hinton, step-father James Hinton, father-in-law Dale Lackey. We will miss him terribly and our lives will never be the same. We always knew we were the most important part of his life. We will honor him by continuing the work that he was doing and that was so important to him. Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 7 at 5:30 p.m. with a rosary at 7:30 p.m., which will include sharing and remembering, at the Lima Family Mortuary, 710 Willow St., San Jose, CA. The Funeral Mass on Monday, March 8 will be preceded by a procession starting at 8:45 a.m. at the above mortuary and thence to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, 80 So. Market St., San Jose, CA where the mass will be celebrated commencing at 9:30 a.m. The family requests that you honor Jack by learning CPR and how to use an AED. Donations may be made to the JACK GROGAN MEMORIAL AED FUND at http://associationdatabase.com/aws/SCAA/pt/sp/Home_Page.

Annual EMS Conference & EMS Week Recognition

2010-02-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is pleased to announce priority stakeholder registration for the 2010 Annual EMS Conference on May 18 and 19, 2010. This year the annual EMS BBQ and recognition event will be combined with the 2nd Annual Santa Clara County EMS Conference.
A conference flyer and registration form has been attached for your review. In order to reserve adequate seats for Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders, priority registration will from February 22nd through April 1, 2010. After that time, registration will be opened to others based on seat availability. Registration fees for Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders have been paid for by the EMS Trust Fund.

In addition to EMT’s and paramedics working in the Santa Clara County EMS System, the following partners working for Santa Clara County organizations are included in priority registration.
• Emergency Medical Dispatchers

• Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response/Medical Reserve Corps

• Hospital & Trauma Center Partners (physicians, nurses, technicians, etc.)

• Law Enforcement

• Firefighters

• Emergency Managers
In order to meet security requirements of the venue and to account for appropriate planning, no onsite registration will be accepted. In addition, a confirmation email will be sent to each participant two weeks prior to the conference. Participants must confirm attendance at that time and will then have detailed course information provided by email. It is necessary to have an email address to register for this conference.

If you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kirsten Muehlenberg at the number provided or via email at kirsten.muehlenberg@hhs.sccgov.org

EMS Specialist Hire Announcement ~ Michael Cabano

2010-02-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Cabano as an Emergency Medical Services Specialist with our Agency effective March 8, 2010.

Michael joins the EMS Agency after serving as the Area Manager for a local private ambulance service. He has been a valuable member of the Santa Clara County Stakeholder community for many years including serving in a lead role with the Prehospital Providers Advisory Committee.

In his new role, Michael will be responsible for the management of the Santa Clara County Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response/Medical Reserve Corps program, stakeholder community preparedness, and will serve as an EMS Duty Chief. He will report to John Blain as his immediate supervisor.
In the coming weeks, a revised contact list will be available with Michaels contact information.

Please join me in welcoming Michael to our Emergency Medical Services System.

If you should a have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the number provided or via email at josh.davies@hhs.sccgov.org

MVDR ICS Training

2010-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

On February 3rd, Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response and members from the public safety community convened to study the fundamentals of the Incident Command System (ICS). The ICS combination course is a comprehensive lesson plan that covers Incident Command System 100, 200, SEMS as well as NIMS.

The course was facilitated by the Public Health Department’s Instructor Alex Gordon. The ICS combo course satisfies the federal Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) guidelines for core competencies, strengthening our local medical volunteers and ensuring that they are prepared to assist their community.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Proposed Prehospital Care Policy Change Advisory / Open Comment Period

2010-02-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Notice: February 4, 2010

The EMS Agency is providing notification of three proposed EMS Policy changes. These changes do not effect prehospital care operations. Policy 103 “Multi-Disciplinary Nature of Trauma” was revised to document additional continuing educational requirements for trauma center staff. Policy 403 “Trauma Center Services Areas” and Policy 605 “Prehospital Trauma Triage” were revised to reflect language changes made by the State of California related to pediatric trauma center designations. Those designation name changes do not change local pediatric patient destination directives.

The open comment period will close on March 5, 2010. Please forward your comments to John Blain at john.blain@hhs.sccgov.org.

_________________________________________
Summary of Proposed Changes
Policy 103: Multi-Disciplinary Nature of Trauma

Section III(B)(1)(a); Added subsections which states:

“(6) Must have current Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS)”

“(7) Attend on average 16 hours per year or 48 hours in years of verifiable external trauma related Continuing Medical Education (CME)”

Section III(B)(1)(b); Added subsections which states:

“(5) Attend on average 16 hours per year of Continuing Medical Education (CME) or demonstration of participation in an internal educational process conducted by the trauma program”

Section III(B)(2)(a); Revised subsection which states:

“(1) Be Board Certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or Osteopathic equivalent”
“(2) Meet the same Continuing Medical Education requirements the Trauma Medical Director with the exception of ATLS (if Board Certified in Emergency Medicine)”

Section III(B)(2)(b); Added subsections which states:

“(3) Attend on average 16 hours per year of Continuing Medical Education or demonstration of participation in an internal educational process conducted by the trauma program”

Policy 403: Trauma Center Service Areas

Section II(A); Revised subsection “4b” which states:

“Pediatric patients (under the age of 15) meeting Trauma Triage Criteria shall be transported to the closest Level 2 Pediatric Trauma Center (VMC & SUH) in Santa Clara County.”

Policy 605: Prehospital Trauma Triage

Section II; Revised “third bullet” which states:

“Pediatric Major Trauma Victims under the age of 15 are to be transported to the closest Level 2 pediatric trauma center (Stanford or Valley Medical Center).”

A copy of each document has been posted to our website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/ . If you have any questions, please contact John Blain at 408.792.1343 or by email at john.blain@hhs.sccgov.org

New MVDR Members

2010-01-29T15:31:00.001-08:00

As the New Year begins there are some new faces within the MVDR community. On January 28th the EMS Agency hosted a new member orientation for twenty individuals. These new volunteers have a wide variety of backgrounds that range from physicians, nurses, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Community Emergency Response Team members.

We welcome our new members to the existing cadre of volunteers currently serving Santa Clara County. These new volunteers have come in at a very busy time as this year promises to be packed with plenty of training opportunities and many deployments.

New uniform specifications and guidelines are available for viewing on the EMS Agency website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/ click the MVDR logo on the right side of the screen.

Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Santa Clara County EMS Medical Director to Commission on Emergency Medical Services

2010-01-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

Dr. Eric Rudnick, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medical Director for Santa Clara County, has been appointed to the Commission on Emergency Medical Services by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“It is an honor to be chosen to serve the people of California,” said Dr. Eric Rudnick, Santa Clara County EMS Medical Director. “I look forward to helping guide Emergency Medical Services into the next decade and embracing technology to improve care delivered by prehospital service providers.”
The Emergency Medical Services Commission has the overall responsibility for helping establish how prehospital care is delivered to the people of California. The commission is responsible for reviewing and approving clinical trial studies; development of standards, guidelines, and regulation; insuring systems for system evaluation and monitoring are in place, and making recommendations to the State Emergency Medical Services Authority.
Dr. Rudnick, 49, of Red Bluff, joined the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency as the County’s EMS Medical Director in November 2009. He has been in Emergency Medicine for the past 19 years, and has a keen interest in EMS, toxicology and pediatric care.

Prior to joining Santa Clara County, he held several positions in Emergency Medical Services including: a position with the Health Resources Service Administration; Regional Disaster Medical Health Specialist for Northern California Emergency Medical Services which has oversight of nine Northern California counties; and Medical Director for the Emergency Department, and attending physician for St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Red Bluff.
He has active fellowship status with both the American College of Emergency Physicians and American Academy of Emergency Medicine, and is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps for Northern California. He is past president of the Emergency Medical Directors Association of California (EMDAC) and founding President of the Medical Reserve Corp of Northern California.

Since 1994, Dr. Rudnick has been an associate professor in the Department of Family Practice for the University of California, Davis. He lectures statewide on numerous topics in Emergency Medicine ranging from pediatrics to chemical warfare.

County Encourages Residents to Register Wireless Devices for Life-Saving Information During Disasters

2010-01-21T14:56:00.001-08:00

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — Santa Clara County residents facing disasters similar to the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 13, or dangerous floods, can get life-saving information and instructions following an emergency. Santa Clara County’s AlertSCC emergency notification system can send messages to not only land lines, but also to wireless devices and e-mail addresses of people who have registered at www.AlertSCC.com. Registering for AlertSCC is easy and is free.
“Recent weather conditions remind us how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected,” said Supervisor Ken Yeager, President of the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors. “Whether it is flooding from unseasonably heavy rains or an earthquake, registering with AlertSCC provides timely information residents can use to protect their families.

AlertSCC is an automated system with the capacity to send thousands of text and voice messages within minutes to home and business land line phones, cell phones, PDAs, laptops, desktop computers, and devices for the hearing impaired. While the system uses 411 and 911 databases to call landline phones, cell phones numbers and email addresses must be registered in order to receive alerts on personal devices. If you live or work in Santa Clara County, visit www.AlertSCC.com and select the city where you live or work, then enter your cell phone number and e-mail address to sign up for the free emergency alerts.

“Registering for AlertSCC is probably one of the easiest things you can do to be better prepared in the event of an emergency, and it only takes a few minutes,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. “The AlertSCC system will allow us to give our residents urgent warnings and instructions, which may make all the difference in the minutes, hours and days following a disaster. We encourage all residents to sign up.”

AlertSCC will be used for a variety of emergency and community service notifications, such as earthquakes, evacuations, floods, fires, crime incidents, terrorist attacks, hazmat incidents, infectious disease information, contaminated food warnings, road/school closures, and contacting disaster service workers.

“Emergency notification systems have proven to be a powerful tool for keeping people out of harm’s way,” said Yeager. “We are proud to bring this kind of lifesaving technology and peace of mind to the 1.8 million residents of Santa Clara County.”

AlertSCC will supplement the region’s existing emergency communication methods, augmenting public safety and first responder services. It will not take the place of the 911 and other communication and notification systems (such as radio announcements) that first responders currently use. Personal contact information provided by residents when registering for AlertSCC is secured physically and electronically, and will not be shared, sold, traded, leased or loaned to outside parties, per policy and contract agreements binding the County to these standards.

For more information or to register to receive AlertSCC messages, go to http://www.alertscc.com/.

Revised Protocols Take Effect January 20, 2010

2010-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Reminder that the new Santa Clara County EMS Field Treatment Protocols take effect on January 20, 2010. Please check the EMS Agency website at http://www.sccemsagency.org/ or your Paramedic/BLS Coordinator for details.

Updates Include

Laryngeal Airway Device Implementation

ET Medication Administration

Duodote in place of Mark 1 Kit

Epinephrine 1:1,000 Administration

CPAP Now Required (End of Optional Period)

Others...

Thank You!

2009-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

As the year draws to an end, the EMS Agency wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for your contribution to our Emergency Medical Services System. It is because of your support and commitment to working collaboratively that we have been able to grow and enhance our System.

In the New Year, our EMS System will collectively work through a 911 Ambulance RFP, implement a comprehensive county wide EMS patient care data system, improve our clinical care quality improvement practices, and further develop our Emergency Medical Dispatch programs.

As a key partner, we will again call on your expertise and advice to assist us in maintaining our existing programs and in launching new initiatives to continuously enhance our EMS System.

On behalf of the Staff of the EMS Agency, please accept our gratitude for all that you and your organizations have done to be an outstanding member of our Stakeholder community. We are truly proud to have you as our partner and realize that your support has been essential to the success of our Emergency Medical Services System!

MVDR Assists Sheriffs Office

2009-12-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

On December 17 and 18, MVDR members were deployed to assist the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office at a First Responder Operations (FRO) class where they were tasked with medical monitoring duties. This included taking vital signs, temperature readings and being vigilant of officers that may suffer heat exhaustion, claustrophobia, fatigue and misc injuries while performing their training.

Pictured: Elizabeth Dietz, Diane St. Denis, Judith Phelps, and Cindy Papp

Register for Alert SCC Today

2009-12-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS ALERTSCC?

AlertSCC is a powerful mass notification system that will be used to send emergency information and instructions to anyone who lives or works in Santa Clara County. AlertSCC will send messages to phone numbers included in the emergency 911 and 411 directory listings. In addition, by registering at AlertSCC.com you may provide additional contact information to receive messages on other devices.

Your information lifeline in an emergency: Your ability to receive fast, accurate information can help you survive in an emergency.

AlertSCC can send text or voice messages to home phones, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA’s), laptops, desktop computers, and TTY/TDD devices for the hearing impaired.

AlertSCC can reach you wherever you are almost immediately to provide information and instructions for a variety of emergency situations, including:

Wildfires and subsequent evacuations, shelter, transportation, or supply information following a major disaster and other public safety incidents that immediately affect your neighborhood.

Fast, free, and essential:Registering for AlertSCC is one of the fastest, easiest, and most immediately productive things you can do to better prepare for an emergency.

It is the one step you should take today. Registering takes only minutes, the service is free, and AlertSCC connects you to a powerful countywide response network managed by the best-trained, best-equipped emergency services personnel.

AlertSCC is specifically designed to help you manage your actions in an emergency. Select your city from the menu to register your contact information (up to three phone numbers, two email addresses, and one SMS text message number).

To Register: http://www.alertscc.com/

Free ICS Course for Santa Clara County EMS System Members

2009-12-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

ICS Combo Course

Date: February 3, 2010
Time: 1800-2000
Location: 720 Empey Way, San Jose
Cost: Free of Charge

Objectives:
1. To enhance understanding and concepts of the basic Incident Command Structure (ICS).

2. Provide training on and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory role within the ICS structure

3. Introduction to concepts and principles of the National Response Framework and Incident Management System

Instructor: Alex Gordon, Public Health Preparedness

To RSVP contact Laura Rapolla:
Email at Laura.Rapolla@hhs.sccgov.org or call 408-885-4250

This course has been approved for 2.0 hours of continuing education by the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency, an approved California EMS CE provider 43-0001 and California BRN CE provider # 15149

CE Program - January 20th

2009-12-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

Pre-Injury Anticoagulation and Traumatic Brain Injury

Date: January 20, 2010

Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm

Valley Specialty Clinic Building
Auditorium
751 South Bascom Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128

Objectives:

1. Describe how pre-injury anticoagulation effects outcome in TBI
2. List treatment options for management of anticoagulated patients with TBI
3. Describe common complications in TBI patients with pre-injury anticoagulation

Instructor: Raul Coimbra, MD
Chief/Division of Trauma/Surgical Critical Care/Burns UCSD Medical Center, San Diego, CA

Lecture Sponsored by: Regional Medical Center of San Jose, Trauma Department

To RSVP contact Laura Rapolla:
Email at Laura.Rapolla@hhs.sccgov.org or call 408-885-4250

Light refreshments will be available.

There will be 2 hours of CME awarded to physician attendees
This course has been approved for 2 hours of continuing education by the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency, an approved California EMS CE provider 43-0001 and California BRN CE provider # 15149

Royal Ambulance to Begin Service in Santa Clara County

2009-12-07T10:01:00.001-08:00

Beginning of December 9, 2009, Royal Ambulance will begin operations in Santa Clara County. They have successfully completed the County’s Health & Welfare Code permitting processes and are approved to provide basic life support and critical care transport by nurse interfacility ambulance services. Their company can be reached by the following means:

Contact information:
Royal Ambulance Service
14676 Doolittle Drive, San Leandro, CA 94577

Phone: 510.568.6161
Phone: 888.510.3687

Web: http://www.royalambulance.com/

Key Personnel:
Steve Grau, President
John Erik Henry, Director of Operations
Joseph Loew, Communications Center Manager

If you should have any questions, please contact John Blain at john.blain@hhs.sccgov.org

State EMS Commission Passes New Regulations

2009-12-03T17:21:00.001-08:00

On December 3, 2009, the State EMS Commission passed new regulations related to EMT certification, investigations, and a central registry. The new regulations will become effective on July 1, 2010. They require background checks, central entry into a statewide EMT registry, and standard certification requirements. Please visit the State EMS Authority website at www.emsa.ca.gov for a copy of the regulations.

MVDR Assists with County H1N1 Vaccinations

2009-11-26T13:09:00.001-08:00

Members of the Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response (MVDR) program provided support to the County's Mass Vaccination clinics. Over 4,000 people per-day were provided with H1N1 vaccine with the assistance of MVDR vaccinators, safety officers, medical screeners, and safety officers.

Medical Volunteers Needed

2009-11-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

The Santa Clara County Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response (MVDR), a Federally Approved Medical Reserve Corps Unit, is seeking medical professionals who wish to assist during times of medical-health emergency. Membership is open to those with valid medical credentials or those that wish to support medical-health missions during times of disaster or emergency.

Information may be found on our webpage at www.sccemsagency.org and then click on the MVDR link.

HazMat First Responder Operations Course

2009-11-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

The following course is open to Santa Clara County EMS System Stakeholders and Santa Clara County Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response (MVDR) members free of charge. Space is limited.

Course Dates: 12/10-12/11

Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations
8am-430pm
San Jose

RSVP by mail to: Laura.Rapolla@hhs.sccgov.org

Public Comment: EMS Field Treatment Site Reference

2009-11-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

A new EMS Reference, EMS Field Treatment Site Operations, has been released for public comment until December 18, 2009. The draft may be downloaded from our website at www.sccemsagency.org

New EMS Fellow: Dr. Jessica Pierog

2009-11-25T15:10:00.001-08:00

The EMS Agency is pleased to announce the addition of Jessica Pierog, DO as our new EMS Fellow, effective November 9, 2009.

Dr. Pierog is an Emergency Medicine Physician at Stanford University Hospital and will be working with the Santa Clara County EMS Agency during her fellowship training in Emergency Medical Services. She completed her undergraduate training at Wellesley College in Massachusetts with a major in Neuroscience and attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Southern California. After graduation she was drawn to the east coast where she completed her Internship and Emergency Medicine Residency at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania. She has a passion for research, the practice of evidence based medicine, and improving prehospital education and training.

During her time with the Santa Clara County EMS System, she will be working under the direction of Dr. Rudnick, assisted by Dr. Ghilarducci.

The EMS Fellowship is a cooperative project between Stanford University and the Santa Clara County EMS Agency. The program provides an opportunity for physicians to specialize in Emergency Medical Services while actually working within an EMS System.

New EMS Specialty Programs Nurse Coordinator

2009-11-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

The EMS Agency is pleased to announce the selection of Anne Marcotte as our new EMS Specialty Programs Nurse Coordinator, effective November 16, 2009. The EMS Specialty Programs Nurse Coordinator is responsible for the coordination and management of the trauma, STEMI, Stroke, EMS for Children Systems, and quality management of various aspects of clinical care within the Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services System.

Anne has been serving as the Interim EMS Specialty Programs Nurse Coordinator since July of 2009. Since 2007, Anne has served as the Quality Management Coordinator for the EMS Agency developing and implementing the EMS Quality Improvement Program, assisted in the design, development and monitoring of the STEMI System and Stoke System.

Anne brings with her over forty-one years of nursing experience in various venues including critical care, emergency department, nursing management, and in EMS system regulation. She is an active member of California Emergency Nurses Association Loma Prieta Chapter. In 2002, she completed her Master of Science in Nursing. In her free time, Anne likes to bake, walk with her dog and spend time with her six-year old grandson, her daughter and son in law.
Please welcome me in joining Anne Marcotte to her new position with the Santa Clara County EMS System.

New EMS Medical Director

2009-11-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

The EMS Agency is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Eric Rudnick as the new EMS Medical Director as of November 16, 2009.

Eric Rudnick, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
EMS Medical Director
408-792-1356
Eric.Rudnick@hhs.sccgov.org
Dr. Rudnick has been in Emergency Medicine for the past 19 years. He has a keen interest in EMS, toxicology and pediatric care. He was the Medical Director for the Emergency Department and EMS Director for St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Red Bluff, from 1995 to 2003. He then transitioned to Nor-Cal EMS, the EMS oversight agency for 9 Northern California counties. He has active fellowship status with both American College of Emergency Medicine and American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He successfully completed the prestigious California Healthcare Foundation Fellowship for Medical Leadership and was active in the medical staff leadership of both Mercy Hospital Redding and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Other roles include the presidency of EMDAC (Emergency Medical Directors Association of California) and the founding President of the Medical Reserve Corp of Far Northern California. He lectures statewide on numerous topics in Emergency Medicine ranging from pediatrics to chemical warfare. His most passionate interests are his wife (Deborah A. Sutcliffe, MD) and his two daughters Alaina (age 13) and Melinda (age 11).

MVDR Training

2009-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

On October 10, 2009; Santa Clara County Medical Volunteers for Disaster Response (MVDR) members participated in a training session related to various response equipment, trailers, and supplies.