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MINUTES EMS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING December 5, 2024 Chairman Lopez called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Others present at the meeting included Chief Ray Blessing, Vince Brogdon, Larry Hobbs, Chief Wayne Kent, Dr. Richard Schwartz, Capt. Andy Shedd and Chief Jeremy Wallen. Members absent were George Bratcher, Brian Clark, Suzie Hughes, Matthew Welder, Chief Rob Lewis, Lt. James Moss and Kevin Stokes. Guests present were Tom Schneider, Jim Adkins, Jim Perdue, Asst. Chief Brent Willis, John Smith, Shawn Granato, Bill Botham, Julianne Hartman, Deputy County Manager Glenn Kennedy and Deputy County Manager Matt Schlachter. A quorum was established with eight members present. The September 5, 2024 meeting minutes were approved as written. Recent Gold Cross Initiatives, Incidents and Events – Col. John Smith reported that Gold Cross is revamping their training program and hiring a new trainer. The goal is to get more EMT’s and/or Paramedics in the field. Fire Departments First Responder Calls Columbia County Fire Rescue – September 2024 – (Medical) 678 (CPR-11) (ROSC October 2024 – (Medical) 607 (CPR - 15) (ROSC November 2024 – (Medical) 544 (CPR – 7) (ROSC 3) – Chief Willis reported 50% success rate vs. ROS. Grovetown Department of Public Safety – August 2024 – 61; September 2024 – 100; October 2024 – 73 – Chief Kent reported an increase in calls due to Hurricane Helene. Harlem Department of Public Safety – No Report Other Business / Announcements: Dr. Lopez opened the floor for Hurricane Helene discussion. Asst. Chief Brent Willis reported that Columbia County handled all as well as possible. It was very beneficial having Brent Willis (CCFR) and John Smith (Gold Cross) sitting side-by-side in the EOC during the activation. John Smith reported zero deaths in Columbia County from lack of oxygen despite the high dependency on oxygen concentrators. Discussion ensued about the number of oxygen and dialysis patients who went to hospitals (and shelters, etc.) just to plug in equipment. Shawn Granato talked about EMA goals to teach self-reliance through educational programs rather than opening more shelters for equipment-dependent citizens. Others said that the electrical needs are too great for that to be practical. Dr. Lopez reported that Wellstar / AU Hospital could not serve dialysis patients due to a lack of water. Asst. Chief Willis reported that patients were asking responders to leave extra oxygen tanks behind for their use. Home Health agencies were apparently telling patients to call 911 to request oxygen. Dr. Lopez suggested looking ---PAGE BREAK--- for grants to address the issue. Granato recommended inviting the Home Health Representatives to attend future EMS Advisory Board meetings. Glenn Kennedy advised that the immediate goal should be to identify the requirements in the community. “What is needed for continuity of operations?” There was further discussion, led by Mr. Kennedy regarding efforts to enact legislative reform recognizing EMS as an “Essential Service” in Georgia. John Smith shared updated wall-time information, citing average times for six specific zones. John also announced the groundbreaking (the following week) for the new Doctors Hospital standalone Emergency Room on North Bel Air Road at the former Fatz Café location. One year to completion. John Smith and Asst. Chief Willis shared a heat map with truck-by-truck information. Discussion evolved into talks about “wasted” 9-1-1 calls for non-emergencies. John Smith is going to assemble a “Top 20” list from calendar year 2024 to show where these calls are coming from. Chief Jeremy Wallen moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:56AM. Motion was seconded and approved.