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
About Us
- Santa Clara County EMS Agency
- Santa Clara County, California, United States
- The Santa Clara County EMS Agency is charged with the oversight and regulation of the delivery of emergency medical services within the County. The EMS Agency is responsible for developing and coordinating an integrated emergency medical care delivery system, which is composed of education agencies, hospitals and specialty care facilities. Responsibilities include system planning, training program approval, provider and hospital designation, the establishment of appropriate medical, operations, and quality standards, monitoring and facilitating compliance, and the certification, authorization, and accreditation of personnel. The EMS Agency is also responsible for disaster medical-health planning and response. This includes multiple patient management, emergency public health operations, and medical-health mutual aid coordination.