Tag Archive for EMS

Madison County E911 And EMS Awarded Grants

December 13, 2012 Front Page Comments Off

Madison County E911 Receives $420,996.78
Madison County E.M.S. Receives $187,159.00
• Madison County E911 has been awarded a grant to replace the existing 911 system with a state of the art Next Generation 911 system that will be placed into the new communications center which is currently being refurbished. The grant is a competitive grant awarded by the State 911 Board. Madison County came out on top and is being fully funded in the amount of $379,147.78. The grant was particularly challenging, since the time frame for submittal was about 3 weeks and competition from other counties was intense. The grant was prepared by Juan Botino with assistance from AK Associates, who designed the system. If the grant had failed, the county would have had to purchase a new system, since the end of life cycle of the current system has been reached. There are additional costs savings by not having to move the current system. In addition, another grant in the amount of $41,849 was awarded for current 911 maintenance items. The new system will give Madison County E911 the latest technology and will allow us to better serve the citizens and visitors of Madison County.
• Madison County E.M.S. applied for and received a matching grant in the amount of $176,698 that went towards the purchase of two generator powered ambulances and 3 Lifepak 15 defibrillator monitors. The ambulances replace two older units that have been remounted several times. The defibrillator monitors replace 10 year old Lifepak 12s. Madison County EMS was one of the first rural counties to participate in the LifeNet system, where the paramedics can transmit 12 lead ECGs, capnography, pulse oxymetry and other vital signs to T.M.H., Capital Regional, and South Georgia Medical Center from the scene or the ambulance. If the patient needs cardiac intervention, the cardiac team is waiting at the hospital and the patient is taken straight to the cath lab, saving precious time and lives. In addition, another grant in the amount of $11,161 was received to purchase two new stretchers and a stair chair.
• An unannounced state inspection of Madison County E.M.S. was conducted on October 30, 2012 and there were no deficiencies found, giving us exemplary service status. Since 1987, Madison County E.M.S. has passed all state inspections (conducted every two years) with no deficiencies.

Share

First Responder Extrication Training To Be Held At NFCC

February 8, 2012 Front Page Comments Off

North Florida Community College, Madison County Emergency Medical Services and the Madison County Fire Board are sponsoring a regional training event on Saturday, February 25, 2012. Fire fighters from Madison County and other jurisdictions will gather at the NFCC Public Safety Building, 325 NW Turner Davis Drive, in Madison to be trained in the latest patient extrication methods.

The classroom session will be from 9:00 AM until noon and this portion is closed to the public and media. All media representatives are invited to the practical exercises and demonstrations beginning at 1:00 PM. Ten vehicles provided by Madison Metals will be cut up by fire fighters practicing the skills necessary to get people out of wrecked cars in a quick but safe manner.

Video, still photos and interviews are encouraged. The event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the skills that local fire fighters possess. Our first responders are an important component of rescue services.

For additional information please contact:

Patrick Lightcap, Volunteer Media Representative for the Madison Fire Board.
850-973-2313
phlightcap@embarqmail.com

or,

Scott Murfin, Madison County Emergency Medical Services.
850-673-9371
scottmurfin@gmail.com

Share

Madison Postpones Celebration Of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

April 28, 2011 Around Madison Comments Off
From left to right are Terry Lenz, the Chief Communications Officer, Jessie Prince, Brian Bish and Barbara Thrift.

By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Most anyone would say that a firefighter, a police officer or EMT responders are heroes. But what about the people that answer the 911 calls and contact the responders? Who would include them in their list of heroes? The truth is everyone should count these people as heroes. From April 10-16 the nation honored these men and women during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. The Madison County Sheriffs Office postponed their celebration of the week due to the loss of Deputy Marcus Jones. They celebrated this week and had a luncheon on April 27.

From left to right are Terry Lenz, the Chief Communications Officer, Jessie Prince, Brian Bish and Barbara Thrift.

Terry Lenz, Chief Communications Officer for the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “It takes a truly special person to do what they do.  We try to keep the responders and the public safe in all situations.  You have to be caring, but professional, at the same time. You have to be the strength for these people during emergencies. If someone is not breathing, or is unresponsive, the telecommunicators must maintain a professional attitude during the phone conversation. Then once the call has been handled, that’s when they can show their emotion about the call.”
Madison County Sheriff’s Office is home to 11 dispatchers that rotate 12-hour shifts. The shifts last from either 6 a.m.-6 p.m. or 6 p.m. – 6 a.m. They will work either five days a week or two, rotating weekly, and they will rotate monthly from night shifts to day shifts.

Dispatchers Carol Taylor and Allan Shadrick.

When a call comes in to the Communications Center, whether by 911 or their direct line, it is the telecommunicators’ job to help handle the situation. They listen to the caller’s emergency and determine which rescue units should be contacted. If EMS, the police or a fire department is needed, the telecommunicators are the ones who contact them. Once they have alerted the rescuers, the telecommunicator will give them the details on the call such as the address they are responding to, the type of call and any dangers that the rescuers might face when responding to the call.
The public safety telecommunicators are also the ones that will assist in providing the necessary instructions on protecting themselves. If someone calls saying that the person in need is not breathing, the dispatchers will tell the person how to effectively perform CPR. If there is a robber in their home, they are injured or in any other way hurt, the telecommunicator will tell them what to do to stay safe until the first responders get there.

Dispatchers Daniel Dukes and Michelle Sparkman.

This will be the third year that the Madison County Sheriff’s Office has celebrated the nationally recognized week. To honor the Communications Officers of Madison County, the Sheriffs Office will be presenting them with certificates honoring their time in service and Communications Officer of the Quarter. Also during the week, the Communications Officers will be dressing up for “Theme Days.” These themes will include western, tropical and sports attire. They will also be served lunch one day during the week.
There are several ways that the community can make the jobs of telecommunicators easier as well as guarantee that the responding unit will be able to serve them effectively. If a person moves to a new residence, but keeps their old phone number, it is important for them to contact their service provider and change the site address for their phone number.
This will ensure that telecommunicator has the correct information and can send the responders to the correct home.

Dispatchers Sarah McGraw (left) and Eve Langell (right).

Terry Lenz, as well as 9-1-1 Coordinator Juan Botino, Chief Deputy Epp Richardson, Sheriff Ben Stewart and all of the other members of the Sheriff’s Office, would like to say that they are very proud of the team of Communications Officers that serve Madison County.
Lenz stated, “We are all like one big family and the community is our extended family. We want to protect them and keep them as safe as we can. We are the Lifeline and must be alert at all times. We are the first responders.”
The 11 Madison County Sheriff’s Office Communications Officers being honored this week are: Carol Taylor, Jessie Prince, Sarah McGraw, Allen Shadrick, Eve Langell, Barbara Thrift, Michelle  Sparkman, Brian Bish, Daniel Dukes, Heather Sheffield and Chris O’Brian.

Share