Score: +3 (3/0/0)
Orange County Grand Jury • 2011-2012 • Agency Response
Response to: Elder Abuse: The Perfect Storm 6/14/12, 627KB

Emergency Medical Response

Published: July 31, 2013 8 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 3 findings

F1 Page 6
Fire departments that once primarily responded to calls for fire emergencies now have become emergency medical response departments primarily responding to medical emergencies. This evolution has occurred since the onset of “9-1-1” call where all emergency calls are received at one place.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Page 7
The city fire departments and the Orange County Fire Authority should engage independent private consultants to re-evaluate their models for providing response for both fire and medical emergencies. These re-evaluations should include the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of current models and alternative models. This re-evaluation should be accomplished by July 31, 2013. (See F1, F2 & F3)
F2 Page 6
As the fire departments evolved into emergency medical departments, the model for operating the fire departments has not radically changed. The fire departments have simply absorbed the emergency medical responses into their departments under their old “fire response” model.
No recommendations for this finding
F3 Page 6
Economic recessions have forced local fire department boards of directors and city councils to re-evaluate their models for providing fire and emergency medical responses. While this brings to the fore issues of staffing, response times, public safety, training, consolidations, union rules and privatization of their various services, it also spotlights the model used for all emergency responses.
No recommendations for this finding

Agency Responses 8

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.