Northampton County, Virginia

Emergency Medical Services

Northampton County maintains a volunteer EMS system consisting of three volunteer EMS agencies: Community Volunteer Fire Company, Northampton Fire & Rescue Company and Cape Charles Rescue Service. These volunteer EMS agencies receive funding through billing for services and fund raising activities (i.e. bingo, letter drives, picture drives, etc.). Northampton County provides no direct financial support to these EMS agencies; however we do employ career staff to supplement volunteer coverage.

The Northampton County Department of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) currently employs, ten (10) full-time providers, seven (7) part-time providers of various levels of certification, from Basic Emergency Medical Technician to Paramedic. Among these employees is an established chain of authority, which includes an EMS Director/Chief, EMS Captain and EMS Lieutenant. These officers share responsibilities as the Infectious Disease Designated Officer, Human Resource Officer, Safety and Health Officer, Training Officer, Public Information Officer, and Privacy Officer.

The department provides two types of coverage. The first is 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday, consistently staffing two (2) ambulances, one in the south at Cape Charles Rescue Service and one in the north at Community Fire Company. The second is Advanced Life Support (ALS) zone coverage on nights, weekends and holidays. Our quick response vehicle, typically staffed with an Intermediate or Paramedic, answers any call dispatched in Northampton County. This ALS provider assists both volunteer and other career staff as necessary.

Mission

The Mission of the Northampton County Department of EMS is to supplement the volunteer rescue squads with advanced life support providers who are able to reduce response time and deliver the highest quality emergency care to those in need. In addition, through leadership and goals facilitate cooperation, planning and implementation within and between the rescue squads and fire departments.

Accomplishments

• Strategically located an office in the Machipongo area;

Established NCEMS office at 13294 Lankford Highway on 01/01/2003.

NCEMS office located halfway between Community Fire Company and Cape Charles Rescue.

NCEMS Office serves as home base for mid-county zone response vehicle/ALS provider.

NCEMS provides office space for EMS Director, desk space for officers and employees, area for bi-monthly staff training and monthly staff meetings, bunk facilities, kitchenette, shower and small lounge.

• Established ALS zone response on nights, weekends and holidays to supplement volunteer staffing, September 2003.
• Currently meeting established 20 minute "Responding Interval Standard", 90% of the time, as set forth by the "Local Emergency Response Plan", adopted February 2003.
• Implemented web-based EMS Charting System, including extensive chart review process for QA/QI program, March 2004.
• New salaries set July 1, 2005, enabling us to be more competitive, allowing us to better retain current employees and recruit qualified providers.
• Established NCEMS volunteer program, July 2005.
• All employees completed NIMS700 training in December 2005.
• Gather statistical information to provide to volunteer agencies.
• Provided NCEMS personnel on 67% of the calls in Northampton County.

Goals

Goal - To promote a business-friendly environment through enhancement of public safety specific to Fire/EMS by ensuring 24 hour / 7 day a week EMS and fire coverage through promotion, enhancement and recognition of our existing volunteer organizations.

1. Objective - Continue facilitating monthly Northampton County Fire/Rescue Commission Meetings.

2. Objective - Continue facilitating quarterly Northampton County EMS Station Liaison Meetings.

Goal - Develop a plan to maintain and enhance the community by providing a sound quality of life and a safe living environment for our citizens.

1. Objective - Maintain and continue to grow the volunteer division of our department.

2. Objective - Strive to meet the 20 minute "Responding Interval Standard" (currently 20 minutes, per the "Local Emergency Response Plan), for all calls, through the movement of units and/or personnel to strategic locations.

3. Objective - Consistently provide Intermediate/Paramedic level care county-wide, 24/7, by staffing ALS Zone, 24/7.

4. Objective - Ensure access to an adequate back-up vehicle for ALS Zone response, through the replacement of our 1997 Crown Victoria.

5. Objective - Staff one ambulance nights, weekends & holidays as a supplement to volunteer agencies; guaranteeing an available ambulance to answer calls should a volunteer ambulance be unable to respond during the established "unit mobilization interval" (currently 15 minutes, per the "Local Emergency Response Plan"), while continuing to staff two other ambulances 12 hours, 5 days a week.

Goal - Permanently establish Northampton County EMS office @ 13294 Lankford Highway, through the purchase of property and construction of bay/garage and additional office space.

1. Objective - Install temporary bay/garage facility to ensure quicker response time of zone and properly functioning equipment.

2. Objective - Install generator to power building. 24/7 staffing dictates need for power during outages, especially considering only two of the three rescue squads (Cape Charles & Community) have generator power and neither of the other four fire departments have generator power.

Goal - Establish 9-1-1 Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center

1. Objective - Work to get radio system to optimum performance by correcting malfunction issues with fire channel (channel 7), enhancing pager alert coverage in the northern end of the county, and ensuring an adequate backup plan when the radio system fails.

2. Objective - Work in cooperation with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office to establish a Northampton County Dispatch Center and Emergency Operations Center, to be housed in the "Temporary Housing Unit", once the Regional Jail is complete.

Goal - Secure and equip NCEMS building to function as secondary Emergency Operations Center. New

Homeland Security measures mandate local governments to beef up planning and security, including a back-up plan.

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