[1. CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          IT IS 2:00 ON MARCH 3RD. THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING. NOW IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIA LOVE THE UNITES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC WHICH STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALL RIGHT, THIS MEETING A PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE 
          [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
ORLEANS FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. SARAH THAT'S CORRECT. 
          IN ITS OWN RIGHT. AND NOW I COMB FOR A FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA OR IF THERE IS ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS THIS AGENDA AS WELL. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA. IS THERE SECOND? SECOND. 
          OKAY. THAT'S TAB AND ALICE ON THE FIRST AND SECOND AND MY MOTION TO REMOVE NUMBER NINE FROM THE AGENDA. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO THE REMOVAL OF ITEM NUMBER NINE WHICH IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MARSH AND PAUL HAMILTON TO THE BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE FEBRUARY 2029. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT BEING REMOVED THIS AGENDA OR SEEING NO OBJECTION THAT ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL MOTIONS TO MODIFY THIS AGENDA? I SEE NONE. CAN HAVE A VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. 
          IS ANY OBJECTION TO APPROVING IT AS AMENDED? NO. 
          NO. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE IT AS AMENDED. 
          OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT SECOND SET? ALL RIGHT. NOW IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA AS AMENDED AND SAYING NO OBJECTION. THE AGENDA IS APPROVED AS AMENDED AND NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. IS THERE WE HAVE 15 MINUTES. 
          IS THERE ANYBODY I WOULD LIKE TO SAY STAND UP AND MAKE A FEW COMMENTS? I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE ROOM TODAY FROM EMS. YOU'RE WELCOME TO TAKE THE MIC IF YOU LIKE. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP. 
          ANYBODY YOU WANT TO SPEAK FREELY IF YOU WANT TO. DON'T BE SHY. 
          ALL RIGHT. SEEING THAT NO ONE SIGNED UP AND NO ONE WISHES TO SPEAK, I 
          [6. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT]
WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND THEN WE'LL MOVE IN TO ITEM NUMBER SIX. 
          THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WE'RE GOING TO REPORT FROM BOTH BARBARA OLSON AND JOHN RAMSEY. GREAT. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I JUST HAVE AN INTRODUCTION FROM THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. KATRINA ON JOHN DOE SHE IS OUR OUTREACH SYSTEMS AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE HER AND SHE CAN SHARE WITH YOU WHAT SHE HAS BEEN WORKING ON IN THE COMMUNITY. SHE CAME WITH THE IN MAY OF LAST YEAR. SHE'S NOT NEW TO THE COUNTY ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE ALCOHOL AND DRUG DEPARTMENT AND SHE THE GROUND RUNNING SO I LIKED FOR HER TO COME UP HERE AND TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT SHE HAS BEEN DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU MR.. 
          THANK YOU EVERYONE HERE. MY NAME IS KATRINA. I'M VERY GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY AND THERE'S A LOT DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON AS MS.. AUDRA SAID OF THE POSITION FOR MYSELF I FEEL THAT IN MAY OF LAST YEAR AND WHEN I TOOK THE POSITION THERE WERE A LOT DIFFERENT THINGS WE WANTED TO DO ALL AT ONCE BUT WE DO HAVE TO DO THINGS SYSTEMATICALLY. 
          PART OF WHAT I DO AS AN OUTREACH SYSTEMS COORDINATOR IS ONE I DO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL IN PLACE SO THAT COULD BE GOVERNMENTAL STATE, CITY AND THAT INCLUDES NONPROFIT GOVERNMENT FAITH BASED THAT EXISTS TO HELP OTHERS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WHAT I STARTED OFF DOING PRETTY QUICKLY TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS OUT THERE FIRST AND FOREMOST. FROM THERE I MOVED ON TO IDENTIFYING WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE? WHAT DO THEY NEED? WHAT ARE THEY SAYING THEY NEED ? I ALSO INTERVIEWED LOCAL BUSINESSES AS WELL AND GOT THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY WERE SEEING WHEN ANYTHING PERTAINING TO THE UNSHELTERED COMMUNITY RESIDENTS OF  COUNTY FROM THAT ONCE I HAD AN IDEA OF WHAT WAS IDENTIFIED LEADS AND ALSO ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL UNSHELTERED COMMUNITY I WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT A COUPLE OF OUTREACH EVENTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ONE PLACE AND ALSO WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT I WAS ABLE TO START BUILDING A A MAP OF REPORTED OR OBSERVED SITES WHERE THERE ARE EITHER COMMUNITIES OF UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS OR THROUGH FACEBOOK POSTS OR 
          [00:05:02]
ANYTHING ANY INFORMATION THAT WAS AND I WAS ABLE TO GATHER I WAS ABLE TO START BUILDING A MAP OF SORTS AND THAT WAS IN THE EVENT OF ONE PLACE CALLED ME AND SAID HEY WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY DO OUTREACH TOGETHER WHERE CAN WE GO? I HAD SOMETHING IN PLACE TO DO THAT. I ALSO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT AS WELL. 
          I ALSO STARTED CREATING A COMMUNITY CONTACT LOG. WE DO RECEIVE A LOT OF CALLS FROM UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS THAT SOME OF THEM DO HAVE CELL PHONES. 
          WE RECEIVE PHONE CALLS FROM CONCERNED PARENTS OF UNSHELTERED. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN FROM OUT OF STATE AND I'VE DONE WITH THAT CONTACT LOG IS AS PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME I'M LOGGING PHONE NUMBERS I'M ASKING THEM WHAT ARE THE NEEDS. 
          THERE ARE CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT OTHER AGENCIES HERE DO HELP WITH AS FAR AS SPECIFIC NEEDS. 
          SO IF THERE'S A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUE I KNOW WE CAN REFER THEM TO A FOR EXAMPLE HOPE OR HORIZONS AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT I TRY TO GET ON THESE PHONE CALLS TO POINT PEOPLE ANY RESOURCES THAT COULD HELP THEM IF THEY ARE UNSHELTERED IN THE EVENT THAT NOTHING LOCALLY FOR THEM WE DO HAVE AND WORK ONE PLACE SO EVERY PERSON THAT IS REFERRED TO ONE ANY PLACE AS WELL WE THEM THAT PHONE NUMBER AND WE WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE OUTNUMBER WELL TO HELP THEM IN ANY SITUATIONS THAT COULD HELP THEM. LASTLY I DID WANT TO DISCUSS JUST REALLY BRIEFLY THE WARMING SHELTERS THAT ARE IN PLACE HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL. I'M NOTICING A LOT OF MOMENTUM FROM THE HILTON HEAD COMMUNITY AND AS WELL OUT HERE IN BEAUFORT. 
          THE GREAT THING ABOUT NOT THE GREAT THING BUT ONE OF THE ONE OF THE SILVER LININGS WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESSNESS IN THIS AREA IS THERE IS COMMUNITY BY AND AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WHEN I TALK TO BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS AND CHURCHES COMMUNITY MEMBERS BUSINESS THERE IS A BUY IN TO HELP PEOPLE AND WE ARE SEEING THAT AND WE ARE SEEING EVIDENCE OF THAT THROUGH THE WARMING SHELTERS THAT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO HELP THOSE THAT HAVE NOWHERE TO GO IN ANY EXTREME COLD WEATHERS I THINK IT WAS 36 DEGREES AND BELOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO OPEN UP WARMING SHELTERS. WE ALSO DID WE DID SUCCESSFULLY CREATE AND PLAN A FOUR DAY RESOURCE EVENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ABOUT 12 DIFFERENT OTHER AGENCIES. IT WAS IT WAS PLANNED TO BE VERY BIG WE HAD ALL OF ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT WERE BOUGHT INTO THIS PROGRAM AND WERE READY AND EXCITED. THEY TURNED IN MEETINGS. THEY DID A LOT OF WORK AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF THE SNOW THAT OCCURRED, IT MADE THE ICE ON THE ROADS VERY DANGEROUS . IT HAD TO BE CANCELED. BUT WE ARE GOING TO UTILIZE ALL THOSE BUILT IN FRIENDSHIPS THAT WE DID TO CREATE THAT EVENT AND WE CONTINUING TO LOOK FORWARD FOR A SUMMER EVENT. DETAILS FOLLOW LATER. WE'RE STILL IN THE PLANNING PHASES OF TAKING WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IN THIS WINTER AND DO AS WELL IN THE SUMMER. 
          IN ADDITION TO I HAVE MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE DOING THEIR OWN RESOURCE EVENTS AND GIVING THEM FEEDBACK ON DIFFERENT AGENCIES EXIST SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO DO WHAT THEY CAN DO AS WELL IN THEIR PARTICULAR CITY FOR HELPING UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS. I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL I HAVE TIME TO SHARE AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ? I DO. I MEAN, KATRINA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU AND AUDRA AND EVERYBODY DOING. WHO IS YOUR CONTACT AND I DON'T TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT BUT WHO IS YOUR CONTACT IN HILTON HEAD FOR WHAT YOU DO AND I'M NOT I'M NOT I'M NOT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN THAT. OH NO NO LISTEN THAT'S FINE BUT REACH OUT TO ME BECAUSE I'M ON HILTON HEAD AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON THERE. 
          I'D LIKE TO SEE IF I CAN HELP COORDINATE BE OF SERVICE TO YOU SO THAT'D BE GREAT. 
          YEAH. YES. LOVE TO DO THAT. 
          YES, THANK YOU. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE ON HILTON HEAD FROM VARIOUS AGENCIES COMING TOGETHER TO HELP. SO I GUESS WE CAN WE CAN FOLLOW UP. I APPRECIATE THAT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU. THIS IS 180 PLACE AN ACTUAL NATIONAL. 
          CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT WHAT ONE ANY PLACES ARE MAIN CONTACT FOR THE UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS. 
          NOT SURE IF THEY'RE NATIONAL BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ASSIGNED AGENCY FOR OUR AREA SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION THAT WORK WITH WITH UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS. ONE PLACE JUST HAPPENS TO BE OURS IT IS THE CLOSEST ONE IT IS IN CHARLESTON. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS SAYING THAT THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY SELF AND WORD THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD THAT THE ONE PLACE IT IS A NONPROFIT IT'S A SHELTER AND BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE RESOURCE EVENT THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AND WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE WINTER STORM THAT IS KIND OF THE CREATION OF HUMAN SERVICES STAFF WHERE HUD HAS CHANGED THE POINT IN TIME COUNT EVERY OTHER YEAR. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERY YEAR AND WE MAKING IT A RESOURCE EVENT THAT WOULD BE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND UNOFFICIALLY DO OUR POINT IN TIME COUNT FOR BE FOR A COUNTY. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING 
          [00:10:01]
THAT HIGHER. YEAH. AND WE'LL HAVE VENDORS THERE AND INDIVIDUALS THERE THAT CAN ASSIST YOU KNOW IN OTHER ASPECTS NOT JUST THE UNHOUSED. 
          LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE PLEASE. WHEN YOU DO THAT YOU CERTAINLY WILL AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU TODAY TODD DAVIS. COME ON UP HERE. YOU YOU MAY KNOW TODD. 
          HE'S WORKED FOR ME COUNTY FOR THREE YEARS ALREADY. HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS OUR MANAGER OF FLEET SERVICES AND I'M INTRODUCING YOU TO HIM TODAY AS OUR DIRECTOR OF FLEET SERVICES. SO WE DID A LITTLE REORGANIZATION OF SOME COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND WHILE FLEET SERVICES WAS A DIVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE NOW IT IS ITS OWN DEPARTMENT AND IT COMES UNDER MY SUPPORT IN THE SILO ALONG WITH COUNTY EMS, OUR DETENTION CENTER MOSQUITO AND ANIMAL SHELTER. 
          SO NOW IN ADDITION TO THOSE HAVE FLEET SERVICES. SO I'M REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCED DIRECTOR LIKE TODD WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE. 
          SO I MIGHT TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TODD. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT FLEET SERVICES DOES AND THEN AND TODD TELL YOU ABOUT HIMSELF AND HIS STAFF. 
          SO TODD HAS SERVED AS A FLEET MANAGER FOR COUNTY FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. 
          HE'S GOT MORE THAN 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN FLEET SERVICE MANAGEMENT MOSTLY COMING FROM THE MILITARY HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT POSITIONS FROM A DIESEL MECHANIC, SHOP FOREMAN SUPERVISOR AND THE MOTOR TRANSPORT CHIEF. 
          VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT HE DOES NOW. HE MANAGED CORRECTIVE AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR ALL TYPES OF CIVILIAN AND MILITARY VEHICLES BOTH STATESIDE OVERSEAS. OUR FLEET SERVICES DEPARTMENT MANAGES OVER 1100 ASSETS. 
          THAT'S JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WITH WITH A GAS AND A DIESEL ENGINE AND MANY ELECTRIC MOTORS AS WELL NOWADAYS WHEELED EQUIPMENT TRACKED EQUIPMENT STATIONED EQUIPMENT ALL ACROSS COUNTY INCLUDING COUNTY ASSETS ON, THE SKI ISLAND. THEY TRAVEL OUT THERE WEEKLY WITH OUR WATERFOWL VESSEL AND LITTLE BOAT PROBABLY BETTER CALL A BOAT THAN A VESSEL RIGHT . SO THE DEPARTMENT IS NOW A FULL SERVICE AGENCY. 
          WE THEY START FROM THE VERY BEGINNING SOURCE ACQUIRE VEHICLES DO UP FITS WHICH WOULD BE ANY ADDITIONS THEY MIGHT NEED FOR ELECTRONICS OR OTHER MECHANICAL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO THEM TO SERVICE THE DEPARTMENT THERE THEREFORE THEY COMPLETE WARRANTY WORK MAINTENANCE REPAIRS AS WELL AS MANAGE INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR FUEL OPERATIONS AND ROUTINE INSPECTIONS AND COLLECT A LOT OF DATA SO THEY HAVE A REALLY GOOD DATABASE THAT COLLECTS ITS USAGE IN THE HOURS AND FUEL USAGE AND ECONOMY ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS SO WE KNOW IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THOSE VEHICLES WHEN WHEN THEY'VE REACHED THAT POINT. 
          LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURNS SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE BEST VALUE FOR THOSE FOR VEHICLES BEFORE THEY BECOME WORTH LESS THAN THEY ARE TRADED. 
          SO IT'S A BIG JOB TO TAKE CARE OF . CURRENTLY CURRENTLY THE TEAM OF 14 EMPLOYEES WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPENINGS RIGHT NOW THAT WILL PROBABLY BE FILLED QUICKLY. 14 FOLKS MAKE IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY. 
          IT REQUIRES WELL-ORGANIZED, EXPERIENCED DEDICATED STAFF TO GET THE DONE RIGHT. 
          TODD'S TEAM'S FOCUS FOR THE YEARS EFFICIENCY FOR SERVICE REDUCING THE FLEET SIZE DISPOSING, DISPOSING OR REPURPOSING UNDERUTILIZED AND UNNECESSARY VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT. THAT'S A BIG JOB AND A LOT OF TIME BUT THEY'RE REALLY ON IT AND TRYING TO MAKE IT A DIFFERENCE IN THIS YEAR. TODD WILL SAY A FEW WORDS TO JIM. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO OUR ATTENTION AND SOME OF MY CURRENT GOALS I WANT TO TRY TO DO FOR THE FLEET AND THAT'S ONE THING IS STANDARDIZING THE FLEET UTILIZING MOTOR POOLS WHICH GOES INTO OTAS INTO REDUCING THE FLEET WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE CREATING EQUIPMENT AROUND RENTAL STRATEGY. SOMETIMES IT'S COST SAVINGS IF YOU RENT VERSUS TO IMPROVE SERVICES. SOUTH OF THE BROAD RIVER CURRENTLY EMS SHERIFF'S OFFICE FROM HILTON HEAD HAD TO COME UP TO NORTH BROAD FOR MAINTENANCE THAT'S KIND OF INEFFECTIVE. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO CREATE SOMETHING OR MAYBE HAVE SOMETHING DOWN THERE SOUTH AND BROAD SUPPORT OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE 
          [00:15:02]
SUPPORT CITY PORT ROYAL IF THEY WOULD LIKE IT. BLUFFTON FARMERS ARE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR VEHICLES, OUTFITTING THE VEHICLES RIGHT NOW THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 7 TO 8 MONTH DELAY ON FITTING AS PUTTING THE RADIOS LIGHTS K-9 UNITS PUT TOGETHER WHERE WE CAN TURN AROUND FARTHER AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VERSUS THAT SIX MONTHS BEHIND WEIGHT. 
          WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S IT IF YOU EVER COME OUT TO GARAGE PLEASE ALL I'LL ASK YOU DO IS REACH OUT TO MY SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND SO WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT A TIME FOR YOU TO DO THAT AND QUESTIONS I HAVE EVERY QUESTION YES. SO YOU SAID YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE OTHER AREAS, THE MUNICIPALITIES IN TAKE SERVICING THEIR VEHICLES? THAT'S CORRECT AND I THINK THAT'S PART WHAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO COLLABORATE TOGETHER. COULD I PRESUME WOULD CHARGE THEM FOR THAT? YEAH. NEVER MIND TALKING THAT. JUST TO THROW IT OUT THERE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. SO. SO WHAT WE'LL DO AND PINKY WHERE'S PINKY? SHE'S BEEN A BIG HELP IN GETTING THIS DONE FOR US. 
          SO RIGHT NOW THE FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THAT DEPARTMENT IS AS A DEPARTMENT IN FY 2026, THE INTENT IS TO TRANSITION THAT INTO A GATSBY COUNT. BUT IT'S AN INTERNAL FUND. 
          SO WHAT AN INTERNAL SERVICE FUND IS ALLOWS THE ORGANIZATION TO CHARGE FOR SERVICE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. SO WE COULD SERVE OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES OR ANY OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RECOUP SOME OF OUR COST THAT MIGHT BE IN EQUIPMENT OR EVEN OUR TRAINING OR PERSONNEL. BUT NORMALLY WE JUST FOOT THE BILL FOR A DEPARTMENT. 
          SO THE WAY THIS KIND OF SPREAD THAT LOAD OUT THE THINGS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO. 
          YES MA'AM? YES, MA'AM. AND NOW WHAT DO THEY DO TO GET INTO SOME OF THEM RIGHT NOW HAVE CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL AND IT BECOMES COSTLY. 
          SO A LOCAL PROVIDER YOU KNOW SOME PLACE IT DOESN'T ALL CHANGE LOOK AT AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE AND THERE'S A DIFFERENT RATE THAT THEY MIGHT CHARGE FOR AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF WHAT IT IS AND THE MOMENT IT GOES INTO THAT DIFFERENT RATE THE PRICE CAN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THE EXPENSE. SO WE CAN REALLY THERE'S GREAT POTENTIAL FOR US TO GENERATE NET REVENUE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT TO OFFSET SOME OF THOSE COSTS FOR THE COUNTY AS WELL AS SAVE SOME OF THE MUNICIPALITIES SOME DOLLARS. OKAY, THANKS. 
          YES, ABSOLUTELY. YES, SIR. THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR TODD RATHER THAN YOU. BUT NEVERTHELESS TODD TALKED ABOUT TURNING THE TIME AROUND AS FAR AS UPGRADING THE VEHICLES LIKE THE K-9 UNITS AND GETTING THEM READY RATHER THAN HAVING WAIT SIX MONTHS OR REDUCING IT DOWN TO A WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF. 
          I JUST QUESTION TELL US HOW YOU PLAN TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW I HAVE ONE TECH THAT CURRENTLY DOES IT AND WE PLAN ON DOING TIME LAPSE VIDEO TO SHOW YOU FROM START AND FINISH WHAT IT IS IMCA DOES TO CURRENT MUNICIPALITIES. YOU HAVE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, MULTIPLE STATE AGENCIES ALTERNATE AS ONE ORGANIZATION. 
          IF WE MAKE IT WHERE WE CAN DO IT IN-HOUSE WITH LOCAL AREA, WE CAN SPEED IT UP SPEED UP THE PROCESS. OKAY THAT'S ROUGHLY THANKS BUT WE CAN HAVE TO BUILD A CAR FROM BRINGING IT IN-HOUSE RATHER THAN RELYING ON WITHOUT. YES. 
          GOT IT. EITHER GET TO STATESBORO OR CHARLESTON AFTER DROP VEHICLE OFF AND JUST LEAVE THERE UNTIL THEY CAN GET TO IT. I GOT YOU SO THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, JOE TODD, THIS MIGHT BE FOR YOU. YOU TALKING ABOUT. 
          HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT YOU DOING IF THEIR VEHICLES AREN'T THE SAME MODEL IS ARE VEHICLES. 
          THE GOAL IS TO GET THEM ON BOARD BUT MOST OF THEY PROBABLY WON'T REALLY WANT TO STANDARDIZE THE FLEET IS BECAUSE JOHN DEERE CHEVROLET FORD I HAVE TRAINING ACCESS TO THEIR ORGANIZATION AND SO OUR TAX WILL BE TRAINED ON FORD EQUIPMENT AND CHEVROLET EQUIPMENT. I'M HOPING THAT NEWSPAPERS WILL GO BACK TO THAT. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. 
          [7. DAUFUSKIE ISLAND FERRY UPDATE]
THANK YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO AN UPDATE FOR THE SMOKY ISLAND FERRY. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON ONGOING ACTIVITIES BOTH COUNTY AND PROVIDER AND SOME INFORMATION ON SOME OF OUR SITES. SO AS TODAY IT'S CURRENTLY OPERATING ON SCHEDULE WITH THE JEANNE THAT WAS PUT IN SERVICE LAST WEDNESDAY THIS WEDNESDAY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW A NOTICE COME OUT BUT WE'RE MAKING SOME ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR HANDICAPPED PARKING AT PINCKNEY ISLAND AND SO EXCITING THAT'S GOOD TO MAKE THOSE 
          [00:20:02]
IMPROVEMENTS. THAT'S KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON WE ALREADY MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS WITH BLOCKING AND DRAINAGE AND IN THE TENT THERE'S AN EXISTING PIECE OF SQUARE TUBING THAT WAS BENT IN ONE OF OUR STORMS THAT I'M WORKING WITH O'QUINN MARINE TO REPLACE THE TENT. SO THERE IS A SAGGING AREA THAT DOESN'T HOLD WATER AT THIS POINT. SO THANK GOODNESS. AND WE CHECKED THAT AS YOU WERE PROBABLY CONTACTED LAST WEEK ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, THE 7 P.M. RUN FROM PINCKNEY ISLAND TO THE FESCUE ISLAND COMMUNITY TO HAD AN OVERHEATED STARBOARD ENGINE. 
          THE CAPTAIN ALERTED THOSE ON BOARD AND DOCKED AT THE NEAREST DOCK ON THE FIRST KEY UPON DISEMBARKED AND MR. TURNER HIMSELF BROUGHT ANOTHER BOAT TOOK THEM TOMORROW SO THAT THEY MADE THEIR DESTINATION THAT MORNING THE 830 RUN AND RETURN DID NOT OCCUR BECAUSE IT TAKES LONGER THAN AN HOUR TO SWITCH OUT TO GET IT BACK UP BOATS ARE RESUMED 10:00 FROM PINCKNEY ISLAND. THE BOAT THAT WAS USED THAT DAY IS THE SOLE THAT WAS THE ONE FROM THE BEGINNING AND IT IS WHAT HE USES AS HIS EMERGENCY BACKUP BECAUSE OF TIMES WHEN A BOAT COMES OUT IT'S FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS AND IN THIS CASE THE QUEEN JEAN HAD BEEN OUT OF THE WATER FOR TWO WEEKS FOR PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS AND IT WAS RECEIVING HIS COAST GUARD INSPECTION THAT DAY THE 25TH TO BE PUT BACK ON THE 26TH AND IT DID COME BACK INTO SERVICE ON THE 26TH. I WENT THAT THAT DAY ON THE 26 TO VISUALLY INSPECT I'M NOT A BUILDING THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS FOR. 
          THIS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OPERATIONS ARE HAPPENING. PEOPLE ARE EMBARKING DISEMBARKING, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT THEY SAID THEY DID THEY DID AND IT WAS INSPECTED BY THE COAST GUARD AND THAT WILL HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE COAST GUARD DID APPROVE THAT THAT AFTERNOON ON THE 25TH TO GO IN ON THE 26TH. 
          BUT THEY HAVE THEIR ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT HAPPENED BY THE COAST GUARD. 
          THE QUEEN JEANNE GOES BACK FOR ITS INSPECTION THIS MONTH. THE MANATEE TWO WILL HAVE ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION IN MAY. GOOD NEWS IS THERE THERE IS A NEW CONTACT FROM THE DEFENSE SCOUTING COUNCIL THAT I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH. THEY HAVE A NEW HEAD, THEIR TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. HIS NAME IS DON HUNTER AND WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS AND WE'LL CONTINUE THOSE GOING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THE FORCE SCALE IN COUNCIL, WITH RESIDENTS AND WITH THE PROVIDERS TO POTENTIALLY MAKE THINGS BETTER AS A GROUP WE HAD AN ISSUE ON SATURDAY WE NEEDED WORK ON AT PINCKNEY ISLAND. THIS IS THE NATURE OF WHEN WE HAVE SUPER HIGH OR SUPER LOW TIDE SUPER HIGH DOESN'T AFFECT BUT SUPER LOW TIDES AT PINCKNEY ISLAND CAN CAUSE THAT FLOATING DR. BEYOND THE MUD SO THEY HAD TO DELAY ONE EMBARKATION JUST IN THAT WAS RECEIVED REAL TIME PICTURES FROM THE PROVIDER TO SHOW ITS SETTINGS REACHED OUT TO PUBLIC WORKS AND TO DUNCAN O'QUINN WHO DONE A LOT OF DOCK WORK FORCED US TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS. 
          IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HOWEVER, THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE'S SUPER LOW TIDES HAPPEN RARELY AND WHEN IT'S ALSO RARE THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN ON AN EMBARKATION DEPRECATION TIME BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO FOLLOW UP RECENT ISSUES THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY RECEIVED EMAILS ON THAT WE HAVE AS WELL ABOUT THE MELROSE DOCK AND WE IMMEDIATELY FORWARD THEM TO THE OWNER AND OUR CONDEMNATION PROCESS CONTINUES WITH THAT FACILITY AND THAT IS MY REPORT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FRANK YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          THANKS FOR THE UPDATE. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT I DON'T THINK I HEARD YOU MENTIONED AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER. THAT'S FINE BUT IS THERE ANY MOVEMENT ON THE FEES FOR CARGO? WE NOT HAD ANY MORE COMMENT RECENTLY. 
          THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT FEES. THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO ASK ABOUT DOCKING FEES WHICH WE CONTINUE TO NOT KNOW THE ACTUAL RIGHT WE HAVE NOT WE'VE WE GET PERIODIC WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY RECENT ACTIVITY IN THAT AREA BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DISCUSS GOING FORWARD. FAIR ENOUGH THANKS FOR 
          [8. DISCUSSION OF FUNDING A FOURTH SHIFT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE FY 26 BUDGET. (FISCAL IMPACT: Fiscal Impact is outlined in the attached documentation) - John Robinson, Assistant County Administrator]
EVERYBODY ELSE. HAVE YOU ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE TO BE MOVING INTO ITEM EIGHT DISCUSSION OF FUNDING A FOUR SHIFT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET FISCAL AS OUTLINED IN THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT. 
          AND JOHN ROBINSON, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THE DISCUSSION SINCE THIS IS DISCUSSION ONLY DO WE NEED A MOTION TO OPEN UP FOR DISCUSSION SO THERE'S NO ACTION YET PUT ON FOR A MOTION. 
          YEAH IF I GET A MOTION TO OPEN UP DISCUSSION SO MOTION ALL RIGHT. 
          GOT TO GET A SECOND SECRETARY. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANKS, JOHN. ALL RIGHT, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE THE IS FILLED WITH RESPONDERS THIS THIS OFF DUTY CREW JUST PRESENCE SHOULD SHOULD TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO COUNTY AND TO OUR PROFESSIONAL EMS SERVICE PARAMEDICS AND EMT. SO GOING TO JUST TALK FOR A MOMENT I SENT THE PACKAGE OUT. 
          [00:25:02]
IT WAS IN IT IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL IF EVERYONE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THAT IS GREAT. THE FIRST PAGE IS JUST A FEW SHORT PARAGRAPH IT'S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IF EVERYONE GOT TO SEE THAT AND GOT TO READ THROUGH IT I WON'T COVER IT IF SOMEONE WANTS ME TO I CAN COVER THAT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IF YOU LIKE ESSENTIALLY WHAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SHIFTING IS THE FUNDING REQUIRED TO SHIFT FROM A 2448 SCHEDULE OR A THREE SHIFT SCHEDULE TO A 2472 SCHEDULE WHICH IS A FOUR SHIFT SCHEDULE. 
          WHAT YOU WILL SEE WHAT WHAT WE WILL DO TODAY LET ME INTRODUCE THE TEAM FIRST BEFORE I GET THERE. SO RIGHT HERE IN THE FRONT ROW IS IS OUR EMS TEAM THIS IS DONNA OMB. SHE IS THE OUR DIRECTOR. YES. 
          HOW IS THE BACK OF THE ROOM IS OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EMS KAREN KAREN MORRIS IS OUR EMS TRAINING OFFICER FOR HOW MANY YEARS TEN PLUS AT LEAST. YEAH, 88. 
          WELL FOR SURE IN 2013. YEAH AROUND AND MARCY IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE ORGANIZATION TOGETHER SHE IS THERE OFFICE MANAGER MANAGES EVERYTHING FROM TIME TO WHO'S IN THE WRONG PARKING SPOT SOMETIMES AND ALL OF THEIR INVOICING MATERIAL A VERY, VERY BUSY PLACE AS WELL AS YOU SEE THE REST OF STAFF HERE, WHO ELSE IS IN THE ROOM? KELLY BACK THERE IS OUR LOGISTICS PERSON. WE HAVE SENIOR CREW CHIEFS AND CREW CHIEFS IN THE ROOM. WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT I DON'T KNOW AND FOLKS THAT I WORKED WITH 20 YEARS AGO. SO WE HAVE LOTS AND OF WISDOM WHEN IT COMES TO MEDICAL CARE RIGHT BEHIND US. SO THIS THIS STARTS OFF TODAY. DONNA IS GOING TO COME UP AND REALLY TALK TO ABOUT THE PROBLEM IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE WHICH IS THE VERY FIRST STATEMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXHAUSTED AND PHYSICALLY MENTALLY EXHAUSTED EMPLOYEES, STAFF MEMBERS THEN PINKY, OUR CFO BACK HERE THERE SHE IS. SHE IS GOING TO BE GOING HELP EXPLAIN HOW WE GOT THERE BY RECLASSIFYING SOME VACANCIES IDENTIFY LINE POSITIONS, MOVING POSITION CONTROL NUMBERS AND WHAT BOTTOM LINE NUMBER IS OF NEW VACANCIES THAT WE TO FUND AND THAT'S EIGHT AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE EIGHT PEOPLE SO SHE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SOME AND THEN FINALLY KAREN MORRIS IS GOING TO IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME STATISTICS WHY THIS SOLUTION IS THE RIGHT ONE THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS OUT THERE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU DONNA HAS BEEN BENDING MY EAR FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND IT TOOK ABOUT OH, I DON'T KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER TO OPEN MY EYES. 
          AND THEN ONCE I GOT ON BOARD THIS I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I TELL YOU I'VE WORN THEM OUT COLLECTING DATA AND DOING THE DOING THE RESEARCH THAT SAYS THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 
          SO KAREN IS GOING TO END IN THAT BY ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. 
          ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE SAYS THIS IS THE SOLUTION FOR OUR PROBLEM. 
          THIS IS GOING TO MAKE MOST SENSE. IT'S ECONOMICAL, IT'S EFFICIENT AND IT WILL EFFECTIVE. DONNA, YOU NEED OF THIS. NO, I GOT ONE THING SO GOOD AFTERNOON. FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND TIME TO LOOK AT THIS PRESENTATION US I CAN'T EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO YOU SEE A SHOWING OF THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT AND THIS IS ONLY A SMALL GROUP OF THEM IF THEY ALL HAVE COME THEY WOULD HAVE BUT THEN IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. 
          BUT ANYWAY I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW FOR A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON ME I'VE BEEN HERE 43 YEARS AT LEAST. YES. SO NO, I DIDN'T START ON A COVERED WAGON BUT. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND I'VE GROWN THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 
          I STARTED AS AN EMT, BECAME A PARAMEDIC, BECAME A CREW CHIEF, BECAME A SUPERVISOR, A DIRECTOR. I WENT TO NURSING SCHOOL IN BETWEEN THERE SOMEWHERE. 
          I CHOSE THIS OVER EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DONE THIS THIS IS THE BEST GROUP OF PEOPLE YOU CAN EVER WORK WITH AND I'M SO PROUD OF BUT ALSO HAVING BEEN HERE THIS LONG AND GONE THROUGH THE SYSTEM I KNOW WHAT THEY FACE. USUALLY NOBODY HAS TROUBLE HEARING ME. 
          OKAY? I WHAT THEY FACE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE AND THE PHYSICAL DEMAND THE MENTAL STRESS, THE SLEEP DEPRIVATION, THE LOSS OF , FAMILY TIME IT'S ANOTHER WORLD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHEN I STARTED HERE IF SOMEBODY SAID DON, YOU'RE WORKING FIVE DAYS, I SAID OKAY, I WASN'T AS SMART AS MY CHILDREN ARE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A WORK LIFE BALANCE AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO BE A HEALTHY PERSON TO HAVE THAT. 
          [00:30:04]
I WAS JUST SO EXCITED TO HAVE A JOB IF THEY TOLD ME YOU CAN STAY HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN GO HOME I'M LIKE OKAY BUT TRUTHFULLY THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB OF THESE PEOPLE AND LIKE I SAID IT'S JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THEM. BEFORE WE EVEN MOVE FORWARD ON THAT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE EMS HAS ALWAYS MET THE CHALLENGE OF THE COMMUNITY THERE. ANY TIME YOU'VE ASKED ANYTHING OF US OR YOU NEEDED SOMETHING FROM US THESE HAVE STEPPED UP WITHOUT REGARD OR QUESTION WHEN WE HAD AND THERE WAS SO MUCH TIME IT WAS LIKE A DELAY OF GETTING COVID TESTS. WE TURNED BASE INTO A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD GET A COVID TEST. OUR PARAMEDICS WENT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE WAS ENOUGH PEOPLE TO GET VACCINES. THEY STEPPED UP AND GAVE VACCINES. WE HAD TESTING. THEY WOULD GO TO THE TESTING SITES AND HELP OUT WITH THAT TOO. THE COMMUNITY WAS TAKING CARE OF SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW EVEN EVEN SMALL THINGS WHEN IT WAS SNOWING AND EVERYBODY ELSE WAS HOME WE NEVER SHUT A DOWN. THEY STAYED ON THE ROAD AND I'VE GOT SOME YOUNG PEOPLE THAT PROBABLY HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN SNOW LET ALONE DRIVEN ON SNOW AND THAT YOU DRIVE A #16,000 TRUCK AND THAT IT'S A IT'S A CHALLENGE. THEY MET THAT CHALLENGE BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DO. THEY SAY DURING HURRICANES WHEN EVERYBODY GOES HOME OR LEAVES AND GO SOMEPLACE ELSE THEY'RE HERE FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU NEED THEM AND WHATEVER YOU NEED THEM FOR. OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS THE INTEREST IN PUBLIC SERVICE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IT USED TO BE EVEN WHEN I STARTED PEOPLE WOULD BE VOLUNTEERING THEY CAN GET A JOB AND GET HIRED THAT NO LONGER EXISTS. 
          THAT'S GONE THE AVERAGE TIME NOW IT TAKES TO MAKE A PARAMEDIC OR HIRE A PARAMEDIC THROUGH THE SYSTEM IS SIX MONTHS AND WE HAVE TO HAVE WE HAVE A PARAMEDIC ON EVERY TRUCK IN YOUR SYSTEM AND OUR QR BS TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED STAFFING FAR TOO OFTEN ARE 24 ON 48 OFF TURNS INTO A 48 ON AN A 24 OFF AND I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT 8 HOURS ON STRAIGHT NONSTOP AND THEY COULD RUN 48 HOURS AND THEN THEY GET TO GO HOME FOR 24 HOURS. 
          BUT BY THAT TIME YOU'RE EXHAUSTED AND YOU'RE READY TO LAY DOWN. 
          SO WHAT FAMILY TIME DO YOU HAVE? NOT MUCH. 
          IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN THEY HAVE MET THAT CHALLENGE. ALSO WE HAVE INCREASED OUR CALLING FROM IN 2015. WE RESPOND TO ABOUT 14,200 CALLS IN 2024. 
          THAT NUMBER IS 1510 AND WE HAVE AN INCREASED OR STAFF SO THAT'S A LOT FOR THESE PEOPLE AN INCREASE OF 51% AND THAT'S THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR THESE PEOPLE. 
          BUT THEY'VE MET THAT CHALLENGE AGAIN AND WITH THE INCREASE OF UNFORTUNATE WE HAD THE INCREASE OF MANDATORY OVERTIME TO COVER THIS TRUCK BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY WASN'T COMING IN THE NEXT DAY SOMEBODY HAD TO STAY THAT PUTS A BURDEN ON THESE PEOPLE BUT THEY DID IT BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT INCREASES RISK FACTORS. YOU HAVE RISK FACTORS LIKE INCREASED PERSONAL INJURY, VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND ERRORS IN DELIVERING PATIENT BECAUSE YOU IMAGINE BY 48 HOURS YOU'RE EXHAUSTED. I THINK THEY SAID SOMEWHERE LIKE THE 30TH HOUR YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY TIRED ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GOING UP. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS OR SO ONE OF THE TRUCKS THEY RAN 17 CALLS AND AT 24 HOURS I THINK ABOUT THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME TO EAT, SLEEP OR LAY DOWN OR DO ANYTHING. THE SHIFT BEFORE THAT THEY HAD EIGHT CALLS AFTER MIDNIGHT THERE IS NO AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THEY'RE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY EXHAUSTED. IT ALSO MAKES THE MORALE LOW BECAUSE YOU'RE SO EXHAUSTED YOU CAN'T HAVE A HIGH MORALE WHEN DOING THAT. WE'RE ALSO FACING A NATIONWIDE PARAMEDIC SHORTAGE AND IT'S NOT JUST SEGUE TO SOUTH CAROLINA, IT'S EVERYWHERE. 
          AND OF COURSE SO WE'RE ALL VYING FOR THE SAME PERSONNEL AND THE NUMBERS ARE VERY SMALL AND THERE'S NOT AS MANY PEOPLE GOING TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOLS THAT USED TO DO THIS. 
          SO WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU IS THE WHO MEETS THIS CHALLENGE WITH WHAT HAS PROVEN AND I WON'T REPEAT THAT THE SYSTEMS THAT MEET THIS CHALLENGE WITH WHAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU HAS PROVEN TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF QUALITY PER PAIR PERSONNEL WILL THRIVE. 
          THE SYSTEM THAT DON'T RECOGNIZE WHAT THE WORKFORCE NEEDS TODAY THEIR VALUES WILL THEY WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO FILL POSITIONS AND THEY'LL END UP WITH DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH MANDATORY BACKUP. THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS THAT SHUT TRUCKS DOWN. 
          WE'VE NEVER SHUT A TRUCK DOWN. WE PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO YOU SO EVERYBODY'S AREA WELL COVERED BUT AGAIN THEY'RE VERY TIRED AND IS THIS IS THE THE GOLD STANDARD WHICH IS COMING WHETHER WE DO IT RIGHT NOW OR LATER THE GOLD STANDARD WILL BE 2472 AND EVERYBODY AROUND US IS STARTING TO DO THAT NOT JUST IN SOUTH CAROLINA BUT EVERY STATE BECAUSE THIS WHAT THE WORKFORCE OF THESE PEOPLE WANT NOW IT'S NOT I SAID LIKE IT WAS 30 OR 40 YEARS AGO WHEN I WORKED HERE BUT. NOW THEY WANT TO WORK LIFE BALANCE AND THEY DESERVE THAT THEY HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A LIFE AND STILL DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE COUNTY. COUNTY IS ALSO A A UNIQUELY HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND I'M NOT PREJUDICED BUT THE BEST OF THE BEST WE ARE ONE THAT IN 2024 OUR AGENCY WON THE STATE FOR 
          [00:35:05]
THE PARAMEDIC OF THE YEAR THE ADVANCED EMT OF THE YEAR AND THE EMT OF THE YEAR. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE 40 SOME YEARS. I'VE NEVER SEEN ONE ONE THIS ONE AREA THAT GOT ALL THREE AND HAD A LOT OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AND DIRECTORS CALL ME AND SAY HOW'D YOU DO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE THE BEST I MEAN USUALLY MAKE IT ONE OF THAT GROUP WE GOT ALL THREE THE STATE ALL THREE AS OUR PEOPLE AS THE HIGHEST AND TEAMS HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU A BACKGROUND OF ANYTHING AND ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE WE HAVE EVERYBODY HERE FROM MY PEOPLE MY TEACHING PEOPLE MY MONEY PERSON AND OF COURSE HOME THE HUMAN RESOURCES I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS WE CAN EITHER BE LIKE AS LONG AS I WORKED I'VE SAID BEFORE COUNTIES ALWAYS STRIVE FOR THE BEST OF THE BEST AND WE'VE ALWAYS SET THE BAR HIGH SO PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE AND WORK AND A FEW THERE I GOT SOME GOOD QUESTIONS I, I UNDERSTAND LIKE YOU KNOW WE HAVE HIGH WE HAVE THE BEST INSURANCE WE HAVE RETIREMENT BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE THAT'S THE THE THING TODAY IN THIS WORKFORCE WHICH WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE AND I HAD TO CHANGE MY THINKING ALL AROUND TRUST ME IS IT'S A WORK LIFE BALANCE. THEY WANT TO DO THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD FOR YOU BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO HAVE TIME OFF TO HAVE A FAMILY, SEE THEIR FRIENDS ENJOY LIFE. AS WE ALL KNOW LIFE CAN BE SHORT. 
          SO AGAIN I'M GOING TO LET MY TEAM ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS I BROUGHT EVERYBODY HERE THAT CAN POSSIBLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS FOR YOU I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER I CAN ANSWER FOR YOU BUT I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US. 
          COUNTY THE STATE AS THE STATE GOLD AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS 2472 IS WHERE IT'S GOING EVERYWHERE. IT'S GOING TO DO IT NOT JUST HERE BUT EVERYWHERE. 
          THEY'VE REALIZED PEOPLE CAN NO LONGER FUNCTION LIKE WE TALKING ABOUT WITH 48 HOURS ON AND 24 HOURS OFF AND HAVING NO LIFE I THOUGHT I HAD A LIFE BUT APPARENTLY I DIDN'T I DIDN'T KNOW MY KIDS TO TELL ME YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LIFE. YOU WERE ALWAYS WORKING SO YOU MISS LIKE PEOPLE MISS A LOT TOO. THEY MISS BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAYS SO THAT YOUR FAMILIES CAN STAY SAFE AND I THINK THAT THEY DESERVE THIS AND. I HOPE YOU WILL LISTEN TO EVERYTHING AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE ANSWERS. THANK YOU. 
          YES, I HAVE A QUESTION, GEORGE. HOW MANY I REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING OFFICER TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN YEARS AGO HOW MUCH TRAINING YOU HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR AND WHEN THEY DO THAT TRAINING WELL FIRST OF ALL HOW MANY HOURS IS IT IN A YEAR REQUIRED AND DO THEY HAVE TO BE OFF DUTY WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE TRAINING? YES, AND IT DEPENDS ON LEVEL OF CREDENTIALS BECAUSE EACH DIFFERENT LEVEL HAS TO MAINTAIN DIFFERENT YES, IT DOES MATTER YOU GOING OFF DUTY AND THAT WAS OF THE THINGS WE IDENTIFIED WE WERE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT WHEN WE WERE DOING SOME OF OUR RESEARCH WAS THE COST OF MAINTAINING THOSE CREDENTIALS WAS OF THE BARRIERS. SO OUR SYSTEM HAD ALREADY FACED THAT HEAD ON WE DO THAT IN-HOUSE SO THERE IS NO COST FOR OUR PERSONNEL TO MAINTAIN THEIR CREDENTIALS. WE TAKE CARE OF EVERY BIT OF THAT BUT THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT COST. OKAY THANKS. I GUESS SO. 
          FIRST OF ALL THANK MR. ROBINSON . I HARASSED HIM WITH ANY NUMBER OF QUESTIONS BUT. I KNOW YOU'RE STILL SMILING. THAT'S ONLY A THIRD OF THE PRESENTATION NOW WE STILL THINK HE'S GOING STILL GOING TO TALK. AND KAREN, AS YOU CAN THE WAY WELL, ONE THING I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL THE PUBLIC BECAUSE I LEARNED NEW THINGS HERE I'LL TAKE A Q RV. SURE A QUICK VEHICLE. WHAT DOES IT DO IN THE ZERO RESPONSE SO PUBLIC I THOUGHT THOSE ARE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR DIALOG RIGHT. 
          SO WE EXPLAINED THAT TO THE BOARD SO TALK ABOUT ZERO BECAUSE THE QUICK RESPONSE VEHICLE A IS A Q RV THAT CAN RESPOND WHEN ALL THE AMAZONS ARE TIED UP THEY CAN THEY HAVE EVERYTHING ON THEIR VEHICLE THAT WORKS A CALL THE SAME AS AN AMBULANCE THEY JUST CAN'T TRANSPORT BUT THEY CAN GET THERE QUICKLY TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSON'S TAKING CARE OF AS FAR AS A ZERO THAT'S SOMETHING THE CHARLESTON WAS TALKING ABOUT. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE NO TRUCKS AVAILABLE TO GO TO A CALL WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT. WE'VE COME CLOSE BUT WE HAVE NOT AND THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT THESE PEOPLE GO THROUGH IF EVEN IF THE SOUTH IS BUSY AND THE NORTH IS NOT, THESE TRUCKS GO OVER THERE AND STAND BY TO COVER THEIR CALLS AND SOMEONE ELSE OVER HERE HAS TO COVER THEIRS. 
          IT'S ALWAYS MOVING YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY MOVING TO MAKE SURE THE TERRITORY IS COVERED AND NOBODY HAS TO WAIT VERY LONG FOR AN ANIMAL TO GET THERE AND IT WHERE WE HAVE QR CODES THAT ARE OUTLYING LIKE FRIPP ISLAND WE ARE OUT IN SHELDON SO THAT THEY CAN STILL HAVE SOMEBODY BEFORE THE ANIMALS GET THERE. SO IT'S VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT AND THESE PEOPLE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COVERING THIS TERRITORY SO YOU HAVE ALL THE NEEDS YOU GOT MET ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAKES SENSE. WELL I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO THE RESTROOM BECAUSE I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS BUT THEY MAY ANSWER IT AS WE GO. OKAY. 
          SHE SHE'S GOT A LENGTHY LIST. IT LOOKS LIKE I SENT IT TO ALL OF YOU IT'S ONLY 35 QUESTIONS. 
          [00:40:05]
YEAH THAT'S NORMAL. DON'T LIKE PEOPLE THINK IT WAS 35 THAT WOULD BE A DISSERTATION SO MY PART'S ALWAYS EASY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY WANT THEY GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT SO CURRENTLY WE WERE RUNNING PERSONNEL NUMBERS PREPARING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET AND THIS REPORT IS A LITTLE DATED BUT WE STARTED ON JANUARY 13TH AND OF COURSE WHEN DONE SUBMITTED 27 NEW POSITION REQUESTS I SAID ARE YOU CRAZY? NO SO WE LOOKED AT HER VACANCY ROSTER. SHE HAD 24 VACANT POSITIONS AND EMS OBVIOUSLY AND IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO FILL THESE POSITIONS. SO WE SAT DOWN, WE WENT OVER WHAT THEY HAD VACANT WHAT THEY NEEDED TO TO FULLY STAFF A NEW SHIFT FOR THIS 1272 I KEEP MY SENATOR 2422 FOR I'M TERRIBLE ANYWAY SO WE LOOKED AT THEIR VACANCY SO WE CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO ONLY REDUCE IT DOWN TO LEADERSHIP ROLES FOR THIS NEW 2472 I WILL GET IT RIGHT EVENTUALLY POSITIONS AND THREE AND FIVE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS CURRENTLY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE 21 I BELIEVE IT ENDS UP BEING 21 POSITIONS AND RE CLASS THEM TO FULLY STAFF THEIR NEW SHIFT AND THEN ONLY ASK DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE THREE NEW LEADERSHIP ROLES AND THREE NEW FIVE NEW FULL TIME EMPLOYEES. SO OVER TIME RIGHT NOW THEY'RE GOING TO ABSORB IT AND WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE IN THEIR BUDGET BUT OVER TIME IT'LL END UP GETTING TO THE GOOD BECAUSE THEIR WILL GET REDUCED DRASTICALLY. 
          I THINK THE NUMBER WE CAME UP WITH SO CLOSE TO $1.8 MILLION SO OVER OVERTIME THIS ACTUALLY PAY FOR HERSELF BECAUSE THE EIGHT NEW POSITIONS ARE WHAT ARE NEEDED BUT AS THEY START FILLING THESE ROLES THEY WILL START REDUCING THEIR OVERTIME BUT THEY'RE PAYING TO THE TUNE $3.3 MILLION NOW. SO ANY QUESTIONS SO? THE TARGET FOR THE NEXT BUDGET IS WHAT EIGHT NEW FTE MONEY? NO, NO. YEAH. 
          ONE DOLLARS. SORRY. SO I GET THAT FOR YOU. 
          I HAVE IT OPEN OVER THERE BUT. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT DOWN SO THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET AND FOR THE YEAR AFTER BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FILL BUT AS THEY'RE FILLING THESE I DON'T THINK SHE'LL FILL THEM ALL IN IN THE FIRST YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PART OF THE FISCAL YEAR. BUT AS SHE'S FILLING THAT THE OVERTIME IS REDUCING REPEATEDLY SO I THINK YOU'LL END UP SEEING IT PROBABLY BETTER OFF YEAH IT WILL GET REDUCED US HAVING THAT FOURTH SHIFT BECAUSE INSTEAD OF HAVING PEOPLE NEXT DOOR BUT IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE YES SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE CAN BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS FOURTH SHIFT IN THE OVERTIME WILL GO DOWN BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT 3.3 MILLION TO GO JUST OVERTIME. OKAY THIS WILL START GOING AWAY BECAUSE I WON'T I WON'T BE PAYING THEM THE TIME AND HALF THAT I'M PAYING THOSE ALL EVERY PERSON THAT WORKS OVER IS GOING TO BE IT'S A SCHEDULED AND UNSCHEDULED RIGHT SO AND WE CAN SHOW YOU THIS ALL IN NUMBERS BUT I CAN SEND THAT TO YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT BUT IT WILL REDUCE AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF HOMEWORK TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS THE BEST OPTION FOR THIS COUNTY AND HOW IT WOULD REDUCE HOW EVERYBODY ELSE THERE IS NOBODY HAS GONE 24 SEVEN TO CHANGE THE MINDSET. NO IT'S WORKING. GO BACK TO THE WAY THIS IS A PROVEN FACTOR THAT. IT WORKS NOW FOR THE MORALE THE STAFF BUT FOR THE COUNTY WITHIN BUDGET OKAY YEAH IT IT'S 55% OF YOUR CURRENT $3.2 MILLION BUDGET OVER TIME BUDGET IS UNSCATHED OVERTIME AND SO THAT WOULD BE 1.76 MILLION, CORRECT? OKAY. 
          YES. AND WE'RE THIS IS A CUSHION SO WHERE WHERE DO YOU SEE YOU LOSING PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN I SEE YOU HAD CHARLESTON MIX SO YOU LOSE TO CHARLESTON EFFINGHAM COUNTY I'M JUST IN GENERAL PEOPLE ARE GETTING BURNED OUT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST EXPLANATION THEY'RE GOING TO PLACES LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PLACE LIKE TOLD YOU ARE GOING AROUND ALREADY DOING THE 24 SEVEN DO I GET CALLS ALL THE TIME ARE WE GOING 2472 I NEED TO KNOW FOUR APPLY FOR ANOTHER JOB HOLD ON LET ME LET ME GET THROUGH THIS OR WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY THAT SAYS I JUST CAN'T DO THAT SCHEDULE ANYMORE AND THAT'S A LOT OF IT. 
          THEY LOVE THEIR JOB. THERE'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. 
          IT'S IT'S JUST A BURNOUT FACTOR 48 HOURS ON AND 24 HOURS OFF. IT DOESN'T LEAVE YOU A LIFE. 
          THAT'S WHAT THIS WORKFORCE WANTS IS A LIFE. WELL, I MEAN PEOPLE COULD COMMUTE TO CHARLESTON OR EFFINGHAM COUNTY REALISTICALLY REAL IS TYPICALLY THE PLACES THAT HAVE DONE THIS HAVE ACTUALLY PULLED FROM THE WHOLE STATE BECAUSE. 
          YOU'VE GOT THREE DAYS OFF. PEOPLE CAN WORK ANOTHER JOB IF THEY CHOSE TO DO THAT YOU KNOW BUT IT GIVES THEM ANOTHER EVEN FOR SOME REASON IF YOU WORKED ON THAT TUESDAY AND GOT STUCK ON BACKUP YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TWO MORE DAYS OFF WHICH IS MORE THAN YOU HAVE NOW. 
          SO THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FROM TOWN THAT END ONE? YEAH MY COLLEAGUES DEAL VERY WELL WITH THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT AND I APPRECIATE THAT HUMANISTIC SIDE IS THIS HEARD YOU SAY SOME OF YOU FOLKS MISS BIRTHDAYS FOR KIDS AND ALL THIS 
          [00:45:03]
24 SEVEN IT'S GOING TO IT WILL NOT SOLVE YOUR ISSUES TO HELP EACH OTHER DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO TO MAKE THOSE BIRTHDAYS IT MAY NOT SOUND 100% BUT I'LL MAKE IT A AND BE HOME A WHOLE LOT MORE WITH THEIR FAMILY TO SEE YOUR KIDS GROW UP. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. 
          NUMBER ONE IN FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING ALL THESE AWARDS I DO I MEET LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY VALUE WHAT YOU DO SO WE APPRECIATE IT AND IF WE CAN MOVE IT FROM A DISCUSSION TO A DECISION, DO THAT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. NO, BUT LISTEN, I KNOW WE CAN'T BUT WANT TO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE THAT IF I MAY DAVID YEAH. TO TO ALL OF YOU I SAY TO YOU I ADMIRE YOU FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU FOR THE STRESS AND THE AND THE IMPACT THAT YOUR JOB HAS ON YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR PERSONAL LIFE. THERE'S THIS WHOLE PROPOSAL THEY ARE PRESENTED TO US I THINK IS IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. 
          THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT THESE FOLKS GO THROUGH UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN THERE. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH EMS AS A PARAMEDIC IN THE PAST AND TO GO FROM A COMPLETE POSITION OF RELAXED NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING BUT YOU'RE NOT ACTIVELY INVOLVED TO GO FROM THAT POINT TO FULL BLAST EMERGENCY EXIT TO AN ACCIDENT HEART ATTACK, STROKE VICTIM, WHATEVER THAT WEIGHS ON THAT THAT'S THE MENTAL ASPECT THAT THESE FOLKS DEAL WITH ON A CONSTANT BASIS AND SO I MY MY HAT'S OFF TO AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU I'M YOU MY FULL SUPPORT THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. YEAH, I THINK IT WAS CHAIRMAN. I NEED TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON 24, 48, 24, 72. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO WILL ANSWER THAT QUESTION YOU WANT YOU QUESTION WHAT THAT WHAT THAT MEANS WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE 24 ON WORKING AND GET THREE DAYS OFF I UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS MY PAY STUB SURE AND AND BASICALLY IF I'M GOING TO BE OFF THREE DAYS VERSUS ONLY TWO DAYS THEN I'M MAKING MORE MONEY NOT OVERTIME. 
          NO. AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE JUST HOURS WORKED FOR IS BASED ON 40 NO SIR. SO THAT'S I NEED TO ABSOLUTELY. I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION AND CATHERINE IS HERE TO HELP US WITH THAT. SO THE WAY OUR SHIFT WORK EMERGENCY SERVICES SHIFT WORK EMPLOYEES WORK SO IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT OUR EMS EMPLOYEES AND SOME OF OUR SHARE IS A SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR OUR AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR SURE THEIR ANNUAL SO THEIR SALARIES ARE ARE CALCULATED ON THEIR ANNUAL SALARY THEIR TOTAL COMPENSATION THE YEAR NOT NECESSARILY AN HOURLY RATE SO THE SHIFT IN THE SHIFT IN THIS THE WORKED SO IN A 4820 448 SHIFT SCHEDULE THE AVERAGE EMPLOYEE WORKS 56 HOURS PER WEEK OR 112 HOURS PER PAY PERIOD. THE WHICH IS A LOT THAT'S 20 THAT JUST NUMBER ALONE IS 20 TO 16 PER YEAR WHERE IS THAT RIGHT MAYBE CATHERINE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT SOME AND THEN WHEN WE SHIFT TO 2472 IT BECOMES MUCH LOWER 42 HOURS PER WORKWEEK IN THE ANNUAL SALARY CAN STAY THE SAME. YES, I ANTICIPATED QUESTION SO I GOT SOME I GOT SOME NUMBERS FOR YOU IF YOU WANTED TO GO OVER THAT. SO I'LL START WITH JUST YOUR AVERAGE 40 HOUR AND A WEEK EMPLOYEE MYSELF INCLUDED WE ARE 2080 HOURS IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR. OKAY SO THE 2448 SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW THEY ARE SCHEDULED 122 SHIFTS PER YEAR. THEY'RE PHYSICALLY WORKING THOUSAND 958.5 HOURS PER YEAR BUILT IN OVERTIME EQUATES THAT TO BE 3398 HOURS IF WE MOVE TO THE 2472 WE WILL REDUCE OUR NUMBER OF SHIFTS FROM 120 TO 291 SHIFTS PER YEAR PHYSICALLY WORK IN 2,206.7 5 HOURS PER YEAR BUILT IN OVERTIME EQUATES TO 2270 HOURS PER YEAR. SO WHILE THEY WILL BE HAVING LESS HOURS WORKED WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT IN INCREASING THEIR PAY THEY'LL STILL GET THEIR ANNUAL THAT THEY GET NOW BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'LL JUST HAVE TO DO SOME RE 
          [00:50:02]
FIGURES ON WHAT THAT EQUATES TO AS AN HOURLY BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING LESS HOURS OKAY THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS THE 2448 YOU HAVE IN NUMBER OF FULL EMPLOYMENT THAT THAT THE VACANCY ACCELERATES SO YOU HAVE AN IN INTERVAL WITH NEW 2470 872 WHAT DOES THAT BOTTOM IN NUMBER ULTIMATELY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO REACH THAT THE FIRST YEAR BUT YOU WILL TO REACH IT AT SOME POINT. SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHAT IS THAT? YEAH SO FINAL IN NUMBER IF WE JUST TALK ABOUT THE SO THERE'S 11 ADMIN FOLKS AND THERE ARE SOME PART TIME FOLKS BUT IF WE FOCUS ON THE SHIFT WORK EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW IT'S 95 IT'S REALLY 94 WITH ONE PART TIME PARAMEDIC THE 2448 SCHEDULE WHEN WE SHIFT TO 2472 IT WILL BE 108 SO 27 FIRST RESPONDERS SHIFT WORK EMPLOYEES PER SHIFT PLUS THE ADMIN FOLKS AND RIGHT OKAY OKAY AND THEN SUBJECT FINAL YES SIR OF CONCERN AND I HEARD MS. DONOVAN TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE WANTING TO COME HERE I AM MORE INTERESTED IN PEOPLE ARE HERE SO I AM MORE INTERESTED IN HOW WE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WHOEVER TO MAKE SURE THAT CAN EMPLOY AND GET THOSE FOLKS EQUIPPED TO BE A OF THIS PROGRAM. 
          YES SIR THERE THERE ARE A FEW TRAINING PROGRAMS HERE COMING HERE WANTED TO COME HERE. 
          I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE WHO HERE AS WELL. I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          AND SO THE STAFF WE LIKE THAT WE LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY TRAINED LIVING ON OUR COMMUNITY TO COME WORK FOR US FOR SURE THE TRAINING PROGRAM HOW LONG IS PARAMEDIC SCHOOL LIKE 14 MONTHS NOW SO MORE THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE WE GET TO THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED THE PROGRAM AND IT OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS WE HAVE WE HAVE GOTTEN EACH ONE OF THOSE CLASSES SO WE ARE TRYING TO WORK FROM HOME EVERY MORNING AND THESE ARE THE CHANGES AND THEN YEAH MAKE SURE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE. SO I DO BELIEVE IMMEDIATELY TO FIND THE TALENT THAT WE NEED IT'S GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO REACH MULTIPLE STATES NOT JUST INSIDE SOUTH CAROLINA, NOT JUST IN COUNTY. WE'RE GOING TO REACH ALL OVER THIS REGION FOR THE BEST TALENT I'M QUITE CERTAIN WE WILL I HOPE WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE HERE ALREADY. YES, SIR. OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, CARRIE. KAREN'S GOT KAREN'S GOT THE LAST BIT OF CLEAN UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHY AGAIN THE 24 SEVEN 2472 IS THE RIGHT THING SHE'S GOT HER DISSERTATION WITH HER. I JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND THEN YOU CAN ASK ME WHATEVER YOU LIKE. SO I STARTED THE IN 1988 PRIOR TO THEM HIRING ME I VOLUNTEERED FOR 250 HOURS AND I INTERVIEWED THREE TIMES AND REASON FOR THAT IS HOW BIG THAT APPLICANT POOL WAS. THERE WERE THAT MANY PEOPLE THAT WANTED A JOB SO FAST TO 2015 AND I AM ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA EMS ASSOCIATION AND I REPRESENT THE LOWCOUNTRY ON THAT BOARD. SO WE START HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE HIRING IF GOT A SHORTAGE? AND WHAT WE BEGIN TO FIND OUT IS EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM SO YOU CAN'T JUST SAY IT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO THAT. SO WE GOT A GRANT AND I'M TALKING TO SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION WE GOT A GRANT AND BUILT DASHBOARD AND THAT DASHBOARD WENT OUT TO ALL EMS AGENCIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. AND WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW IS WHAT IS YOUR OPTIMAL STAFFING AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF MAYBE THERE WERE JUST SOME AGENCIES THAT MIGHT JUST NOT BE GOOD TO WORK FOR OR DO WE HAVE A REAL PROBLEM? WELL, WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT SHORTAGE WAS STATEWIDE. 
          WHAT WE LATER FOUND OUT IS THAT WAS NATIONWIDE. SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE FOUND AND NOW JUST THINK WE'RE NOW WE ARE IN 2018 WHEN THIS WORKFORCE STUDY COMES OUT. 
          SO WHAT WE ALSO FOUND OUT WAS THAT OF THE PARENTS THAT WERE CURRENTLY RECERTIFYING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN AND 8% PLANNED ON LEAVING THE CAREER FIELD WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. SO YOU'RE ALREADY SURE AND NOW YOU'VE GOT THAT PERCENTAGE OF THEM THAT ARE PLANNING ON LEAVING WE LOOKED AT THE EMT SCHOOLS, THE STUDENTS THAT WERE IN THAT AND ONLY ABOUT 70% OF THOSE EVEN PLANNED ON COMING IN THE EMS FIELD. 
          SO KNEW THAT WE KNEW WE HAD A REAL PROBLEM IN 2021 THERE WAS A CONGRESSIONAL PAPER ON THE 
          [00:55:07]
WORKFORCE SHORTAGE IN EMS. SO YOU AT THAT POINT IT WAS LIKE WILDFIRE ALL OVER THE NATION. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO IDENTIFIED WAS THE JOB SATISFACTION 92%. THERE ARE VERY FEW CAREER FIELDS HAVE A SATISFACTION RATE OF 92% OF THOSE THAT LEFT THE FIELD NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO WAS THAT WORK LIFE BALANCE PAY AND WHAT I WILL SAY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY THEY HAVE WORKED VERY HARD AND DONE VERY WELL IN GETTING PAY UP TO A LIVABLE WAGE AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THE THE BARRIERS TO EDUCATION THAT WAS ISSUE SO WE WENT BACK TO THE STATE AND WE GOT A GRANT TO MAKE EMT AND PARAMEDIC SCHOOL FREE SO ANYONE THAT WANTED TO GO WE COULD FIND FUNDING FOR THAT STILL DIDN'T GET OUR NUMBERS WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE BUT AT LEAST WE COULD PAY FOR THAT. ONE OF THE OTHER BARRIERS WAS THAT COST OF MAINTAINING YOUR CREDENTIALS AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE COUNTY HAS MET THAT A LONG TIME AGO DO THAT IN-HOUSE SO OUR PERSONNEL DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A DIME TO KEEP THEIR CREDENTIALS UP TO DATE AND JUST KIND OF A LITTLE SNIPPET FOR YOU ALL OF OUR PARAMEDICS HAVE TO BE CLASS AND I FEEL LIKE CLASS NOW IS AROUND $300. SO THAT'S JUST ONE LITTLE TINY THING THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE. 
          SO LIKE I SAID A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WERE TO IDENTIFY AND WE STARTED TRYING TO LIKE SEE WHAT COULD WE FIX. AND THE OTHER THING WE FOUND WAS WE HAD AN IDENTITY CRISIS. 
          NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNEW WHAT I THINK. MR. DAWSON YOU SAID THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW WHAT WE DO SO SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION GOES BACK, WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY AND DO A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO BILLBOARDS HIRING JUST ANYTHING CAN THINK OF TO GET THAT OUT THERE. SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WHERE WE IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS WE CORRECT THEM AND HERE'S WHERE WE ARE WE'RE AT WHAT IS THAT ONE THING THAT WE CANNOT FIX? SO WE HAD TO LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE THAT SHORTAGE WAS STATEWIDE. SO WE STARTED TRYING TO FIND AGENCIES THAT WERE FULLY STAFFED AND FIGURE OUT WHAT DO YOU DO AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO WE TO DO IT TOO. AND IT WASN'T IN SOUTH CAROLINA WE HAD LOOK ELSEWHERE. 
          SO WE STARTED LOOKING ALL AROUND US AND NORTH CAROLINA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WE LOOKED AND THIS IS EARLY LIKE IN YOU KNOW, 2021, 2022 AND AT THAT TIME ABOUT 26 OF THEIR COUNTIES HAD GONE TO THE 2472 SCHEDULE AND THEY WERE FULLY I SPOKE TO ONE OF THE DIRECTORS THERE THIS MORNING AND I SAID HOW'S IT GOING? AND HE SAID IT'S GOING GREAT. 
          WE HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. I REACHED OUT TO PASCO FLORIDA BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT SOME OF THE SIZE OF THE AGENCIES SO I'M LIKE LET ME FIND THIS A BIG ONE. 
          THEY HAVE OVER 930 EMPLOYEES THAT PROVIDE FIRE EMS SERVICE I HAVE THEIR NUMBERS OF WHAT CALL VOLUME THAT THEY RUN IS OVER 100,000 CALLS A YEAR AND THEY FLIPPED THAT SWITCH AS THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD GO 2472 NEXT JANUARY. BUT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRAW THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BY THIS SEPTEMBER WHEN I SPOKE WITH DEFINITELY CHIEF WHY WHAT HE TOLD ME WAS WHAT REALLY SHOCKED THEM WAS HOW WIDE THEIR POOL WAS WHEN THEY STARTED TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THAT EXTRA DAY IN THERE YOU FIND PEOPLE ONE DAY WANTING TO GET OUT OF WHATEVER SHIFTS. THEY WERE WORKING NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPE SHIFTS WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT EMS AND FIRE BUT THEY WOULD DRIVE FOR THAT 2472 AND THEY REALLY WERE ABLE TO KIND OF HOW THE BEST OF THE BEST AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT WILL BRING TO US. WHAT I HAVE NOTICED SINCE WE STARTED BACK WITH THIS IN 2015 IT'S STARTING TO CLOSE IN ON US WHEREAS I COULDN'T FIND AN AGENCY IN SOUTH THAT WAS USING THAT SCHEDULE. YOU'RE FINDING MORE AND MORE OF THEM. 
          I WORK WITH OUR SISTER AGENCY WHICH WAS AIKEN BECAUSE I WANTED TO FIND SOMEONE THAT WAS CLOSE TO US AND THEIR DIRECTOR CHRIS HE HE TOLD ME HE SAID KAREN HE SAID HAD NOT HAD AN APPLICATION FOR A PARAMEDIC IN SO LONG. HE SAID I COULD NOT TELL YOU HE SAID THE DAY WE ANNOUNCE THAT WE WERE GOING 2472 I HAD 20 OF THEM AND RIGHT NOW IF YOU CALL HIM TODAY HE WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THEY HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK IT WORKED SO WELL THEY WERE ABLE TO STAND UP TO ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES AND THAT TIME IS GOING TO COME FOR US. 
          [01:00:01]
OUR CALL VOLUME INCREASING Y'ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I DO. THIS COUNTY IS GROWING AND WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE THE SAME NUMBER OF PERSONNEL AND AMBULANCES. SO THE TIME IS GOING TO COME WHEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THOSE AMBULANCES TOO. SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GRASP THOSE PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH EVERYWHERE FROM LIKE I SAID FROM FLORIDA, CAROLA MOVING IN THIS WAY AND NOW AGENCIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA IT'S COMING AND IF YOU START LOOKING ONLINE AND YOU WANT TO LOOK AT LIKE WHAT IS THE GOLD STANDARD ? IT IS A 24 SEVEN. 
          SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES THAT HAVE DONE IT AND BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU. WE WOULD LOVE REVOLTING TO NOT JUST CARRY IT AROUND. YEAH THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I HAVE SOME ON IT SO IF YOU DON'T MIND VERY JUST FOR ME VERY QUICKLY I'D LIKE TO SUM UP WHAT YOU JUST HEARD AND THEN OPEN THE FLOOR FOR ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. WE'VE GOT ALL THE STAFF HERE TO ANSWER EVERYTHING SO AND THEN WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF YOU SO YOU HEARD US IDENTIFY CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED RESPONDERS. 
          WE HAVE TO FIX THAT PROBLEM. IT IS A STAFFING IF WE'RE GOING TO ATTRACT THE BEST STAFF WE'VE GOT TO FIX THAT. WE PRESENTED YOU HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT RECLASSIFYING SOME PART TIME POSITIONS, MOVING SOME FOLKS AROUND, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FOLKS PER SHIFT TO GET US TO THAT 108 IT HAS AT THIS POINT A MINIMAL ON MOST OF THE NEW EIGHT EMPLOYEES WILL BE COVERED WITH THE REDUCTION IN OVERTIME YOU KNOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS IT'S RIGHT AROUND $702,000 THAT IT COSTS US FOR THOSE EIGHT POSITIONS AND WE'LL THAT JUST IN THE PREDICTED REDUCTION IN OVERTIME COST IN THE FIRST YEAR SO IT NEARLY LOOKS NOW IT'S GOING TO GROW I'LL TELL YOU THAT AS OUR POPULATION GROWS THE NEED WILL GROW FOLLOWED BY WHAT KAREN JUST TALKED ABOUT THE STATISTICS THAT SAYS THIS IS THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TODAY AND IT'S NOT NECESSARY BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO DIRECT THE ACTING ADMINISTRATOR RIGHT NOW TO COME BACK TO YOUR COMMITTEE WITH A RESOLUTION THAT WILL COME TO COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL AND THAT RESOLUTION WILL DEFINE OR DESCRIBE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS. SO YOUR COMMITMENT FUNDING THESE POSITIONS IN THE 526 BUDGET AND WHAT THAT DOES FOR FOR EMS IS ALLOW US TO BEGIN TO ADVERTISE NOW FOR SHIFTS SCHEDULE WE CAN WITH THE VACANT POSITIONS ARE ALREADY FUNDED WE CAN BEGIN TO FILL THOSE AND ADVERTISE THE 2472 SCHEDULE SO THAT IS THE INTENT OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION TO END AT THAT POINT SO I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS AND WHOEVER THE AS BEST PREPARED WILL STEP UP TO THE MIC AND GIVE IT THEIR SHOT TO HAVE A OUT. 
          SO IN I SENT MY TO ALL OF COUNSEL RECENTLY SO I AND I'VE ASKED MR. ROBINSON FOR RUN DATA PER UNIT AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT SO I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE IT TODAY BECAUSE EXAMPLE I LIVE IN SUN CITY ANYBODY SERVICED SUN CITY OC SO YOU KNOW WHAT DO YOU DO MOST OF LEFT IN ASSESSMENT? DON'T YOU HAVE A YEARLY VISIT? SO I'LL TELL YOU HOW MANY IN SUN CITY. THAT'S RIGHT THE THE THE JOB FOR OUR RESPONDERS IS TO IS TO RESPOND TO THOSE MEDICAL EMERGENCIES IN A PRIORITY WHERE THEY'RE AT THEIR MOST EXTREME THAT LIFT IN ASSIST IS A CATEGORY THAT THE FIRE SERVICES TOOK OVER BECAUSE OUR RESPONDERS NEED TO BE RESPONDING TO CARDIAC EMERGENCIES AND RESPIRATORY EMERGENCIES AND FRACTURES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO TYPICALLY DO NOT RESPOND TO THOSE TYPES OF INCIDENTS. YEAH I SAY SHOULD GO TO REAL EMERGENCIES THEY DO. 
          THEY DO. THERE'S NO TIME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT I'M SURE THE ESPECIALLY AT 34 YEAH YEAH I KNOW WELL YOU'RE GOING TO GET 39 EVENTUALLY SO IT'S COMING SOON. IT'S COMING SOON ENOUGH BUT I WAS ALSO INTERESTED I KNOW OUR EMT IS THE ENTRY LEVEL JUST LIKE SHERIFF JUST LIKE YOU KNOW, FIRE. 
          IT'S LOW. JUST LIKE TEACHERS. SO I WAS I ASKED FOR MR. ROBINSON TO GIVE ME HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTIES AS FAR AS OUR PAY THE SALARIES. 
          YEAH. KATHRYN IS THAT WHEN YOU I MEAN I KNOW OUR BENEFITS ARE GREAT BUT YOU KNOW CATHERINE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE HOME MY AND CATHERINE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT A COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY THAT WE DID LAST YEAR THAT JUST MAKES THAT COMPARISON. WELL, THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW WE DID THIS SALARY REVIEW WITH OUR PEERS THROUGH THE CLASS AND 
          [01:05:03]
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY FOCUSED ON THE ANNUAL OF THAT NOT THAT I REALLY BECAUSE THE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU EARLIER THEY'RE THEY'RE WORKING 800 HOURS MORE THAN I WORK AND WE ALL WORK AND EVEN WITH THE 2472 THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE WORKING OVER 200 HOURS A YEAR MORE THAN I WORK IN ANY OTHER ADMIN STAFF. THE ANNUALS ARE STILL INTACT. 
          THAT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE COMPARISON TO WHAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR CLASS IN COMP STUDY. 
          IT'S JUST A MATTER MAKING SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THAT FOR THE FOR THE STAFF AT EMC TO KEEP AT THEIR ANNUAL AND ADJUST THEIR HOURLY WHICH EQUATES THAT THEIR HOURLY WILL BE HIGHER THAN WHAT THEIR HOURLY IS TODAY. WELL THE REASON I ASK THEM BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE WE JUST WENT TO CAC THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT YOU CAN'T GET DEPUTY SHERIFFS BECAUSE YOU DON'T PAY THEM ENOUGH SLED TAKES THEM DO YOU KNOW WHAT MUNICIPALITIES TAKE IN THE STATE TAKES AND I WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS THE CASE ALSO THAT'S WHY AS COMPARABLES OF PAY SCALES YEAH AND I MEAN WE CAN VINCE ARE GOOD WE CAN WE CAN DO ANOTHER I CAN GO AHEAD AND SURVEY OTHER H.R THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND SEE WHAT THEIR SKILLS ARE TO SEE IF IT CHANGED ANY FROM THE LAST TIME FROM FROM LAST YEAR. I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AND GET THOSE NUMBERS TO YOU AND I REALLY WAS INTERESTED IN DATA AND SOME OF THE LARGER COUNTIES THE COUNTIES IN OUR PACKET ARE ARE VERY SMALL AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS PEOPLE GO TO A COUNTY WHERE THERE'S ONLY 4000 PEOPLE SURE OF VERSUS ARE WERE 200,000 AND THEN CHARLESTON WAS THAT MIX BUT THE REST OF THEM OTHER THAN AGAIN ARE ALL SMALL COUNTIES AND SO I DID MR. ROBINSON FOR THAT INFORMATION. I THINK GETTING HIM COUNTY IS PRETTY BIG. SO WHEN I WHEN I DO THE SALARY 71,540 IS YEAH BUT THAT'S NOT ANYWHERE NEAR I WOULD NOT DO THAT SALARY WHEN I DID A SALARY COMPARISON I WILL ONLY TARGET OUR TIER ONE COUNTIES. OKAY I'LL GET THAT FOR YOU. IT'S GREAT BUT I THINK WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE TO EFFINGHAM COUNTY. I KNOW TWO YEAH I KNOW TWO PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH JUST ONE. YEAH, WHATEVER. YOU FINISHED? YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON. I IT'S JUST ONE QUESTION IF IF YOU YOU ASKED US TO CONSIDER THIS. YES, SIR. 
          IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, JUST THE EIGHT EIGHT NEW FUNDED POSITIONS WOULD BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. BUT IS THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WELL IN THE 2026 BUDGET, YES, SIR. OKAY. I CALLED IT NEXT YEAR BUT IT IS SIX. OKAY. OKAY. 
          NEXT FISCAL YEAR. YES, SIR. OKAY AND WHEN WOULD YOU GET STARTED? WHEN WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT THIS? WE'D LIKE TO GET STARTED LAST WEEK SO AS IF WE IF WE GO THROUGH THE RESOLUTION PROCESS IN OTHER WORDS, THE RESOLUTION PROCESS WOULD GIVE SOME COMMITMENT TO THE FUNDING FOR THOSE POSITIONS AND ALLOW US TO BEGIN ADVERTISING. SO AS SOON AS I CAN GET THAT RESOLUTION THE COUNCIL AND COUNCIL SAYS YES, LET'S DO IT THE NEXT DAY WE START ADVERTISING THE INTENT TO SHIFT TO 2472 SHIFT SCHEDULE. NOW AS FAR AS WHEN WE IMPLEMENT THE IMPLEMENTATION THE EMS CREW HAS PUT TOGETHER A WELL THOUGHT OUT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. SO THE THING THAT YOU DON'T DO WITH A BIG SHIP IS STEER IT FAST. WE HAVE TO BE WELL THOUGHT AND BE CAREFUL HOW WE HIRE AND HOW WE TRAIN FOLKS TO COME INTO OUR SYSTEM. 
          SO AS WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THEY WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE CURRENT SHIFTS SCHEDULE THAT WILL BEGIN TO TRAIN. THEY'LL LEARN OUR PROTOCOLS AND LEARN OUR SYSTEMS. THEY'LL LEARN THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. THEY'LL BE WELL WELL PREPARED AND THERE WILL BE A CRITICAL POINT THAT WE REACH JUST ENOUGH OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS TO MAKE THAT SHIFT AND MAYBE IT'S AROUND THAT I DON'T KNOW 1618 NUMBER ARE REALLY KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT OVERTIME LOOKS LIKE SO THE MINIMUM EVERY DAY IS 27 RESPONDERS HAVE TO BE THERE EVERY DAY SO IF WE STAND THAT FOURTH SHIFT AND WE'RE SHORT OF THOSE 27 RESPONDERS, WE STILL HAVE TO FILL THAT WITH OVERTIME. 
          THAT'S IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RESERVE SOME OF THAT $1.7 MILLION OF OVERTIME THAT WE LOOKED AT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RESERVE SOME OF THAT TO HELP THROUGH THIS TRANSITION PERIOD. WE'LL SEE THAT DECREASE SOME OVERTIME. 
          YEAH. ARE YOU SAYING TO ME THAT IF WE PASS ON A RESOLUTION YOU CAN BEGIN TRANSITION AND IN THIS FISCAL YEAR WE CAN BEGIN HIRING BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE INTEND AND WE WILL WITH YOUR SUPPORT TRANSITION TO 2472 NOW I THINK IT MAY BE A LITTLE SOONER AS SOON AS WE START ADVERTISING THAT WE WE DON'T HAVE TO FILL REALLY THAT MANY POSITIONS TO GET THERE. I'M THINKING PERSONALLY I'D LIKE TO SEE US BE ABLE TO PULL THE IN AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER TO HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO DO THAT. 
          BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE ON THE HIRING PROCESS AND THE TRAINING PROCESS THAT GOES IN THERE. THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE LONGER IT TAKE. 
          THAT'S FOR SURE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          ONE LAST QUESTION FROM THIS AREA AND WHAT'S THE IMPACT TO THE BUDGET FOR YOUR NEW 
          [01:10:04]
POSITIONS WITH SALARIES AND BENEFITS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. 
          SO THAT'S WE TOOK THOSE EIGHT POSITIONS. WE TOOK THE AVERAGE SALARY IT'S LIKE $68,000 ANNUAL THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THAT'S ONLY THAT'S NOT INCLUDING OVERTIME OR SCHEDULED OVERTIME YOU WE EVEN ADDED THE 3% COLA THAT MAY HAPPEN AS WELL AS YOU CAN CALCULATE AN AVERAGE OF 27% OF FRINGE BENEFITS ON TOP OF THAT AND IT DEPENDS WHICH MATH YOU DO WHEN IT COMES OUT RIGHT AROUND THAT 702 AND $705,000. 
          THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT LIKE YEAH LIKE FOUR OF US DID THE MATH AND WE ALL GOT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NUMBER SO BUT IT'S IN THERE NO OFFENSE BUT I'LL TRUST PINKY OKAY YEAH MY NUMBERS AROUND GUESSTIMATING ABOUT 725,000 WITH FRINGE THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THOSE SCHEDULED UNSCHEDULED OVERTIME HOPEFULLY THAT WILL REDUCE FURTHER BUT CURRENTLY EIGHT NEW POSITIONS WHICH WE WILL PRESENT TO YOU DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS LIKE WE'VE DONE IN YEARS PAST. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE CLEARLY THAT THREE OF THEM ARE THE SUPERVISED CREW CHIEF. 
          I NEVER GET THEM RIGHT. SORRY THEY'RE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS BUT THREE LEADERSHIP ROLES AND THEN FIVE NEW EMPLOYEES FOR THE TO FINISH OUT THE LAST SHIFT START BUT YEAH THAT WILL BE THE THING AND I DON'T THINK I'M NOT SURE I'M GOING TO DEFER BRIAN IS THE LEGAL MIND HERE BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WE'LL NEED TO DO RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY BUT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THIS BE FUNDED AS A PART OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR 26 BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND THERE'S ABOUT 78 POSITIONS CURRENTLY THAT ARE ALREADY FUNDED. 
          IF THIS PROCEEDS WE CAN TURN AROUND AND REPLACE THEM NOW STARTING KNOW WHENEVER AND GO AHEAD START ADVERTISING SO I'M REALLY SURE BRIAN YOU WANT TO CHIME IN YOU CAN GO DO THIS YEAH YOU WANT YOU HAVE YOUR MICROPHONE YOU CAN GO EITHER WAY WITH A RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL OR THE ADMINISTRATOR JUST BRINGING FORTH AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO GO AT THIS POINT. AGAIN, THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY ACTION COMING OF THIS DISCUSSION TODAY FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT WOULD TAKE A MOTION SO YOU'RE TAKING ACTION AND WE DIDN'T PLAN FOR THAT. SO I THINK IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH PINKY'S PLAN TO HAVE HER CONFER WITH MR. MOORE AND HAVE IT BE PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND DISCUSS AT THAT TIME IN COUNCIL AND GIVE THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN AT THAT TIME IT CAN OCCUR THAT WAY IF YOU PREFER FOR IT TO BE THE RESOLUTION WE BRING IT BACK FOR AN ACTION ITEM OR IT CAN JUST BE FORWARDED FOR ACTION TO COUNCIL FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND THEN ACTION THAT TIME AND THAT'S WHERE THE ACTION SHOULD COME IS FROM COUNCIL NOT FROM THE COMMITTEE. 
          OKAY THANKS. RIGHT WAS I HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS KIND OF IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION. EVERY EVERY PROFESSION HAS STANDARDS IF YOU HAVE THIS MANY YOU NEED THIS MANY EMERGENCY VEHICLES. YOU NEED THIS MANY FIRE TRUCKS. 
          BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO REMIND THE PUBLIC COUNTY IS UNIQUE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT GO FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHAT IN I'VE SEEN IT BASED ON HOW MANY SQUARE MILES OF ROADS THERE ARE HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE DO YOU DO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT STANDARD FOR HOW MANY YOU HOW MANY EMERGENCY PEOPLE YOU NEED PER THOUSAND PEOPLE IN COUNTY OR DO YOU JUST USE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR HOW MANY EMERGENCY VEHICLES YOU NEED? I'M JUST CURIOUS I, I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE LIKE THIS IS A SET NUMBER HERE WE HAVE 200,000. YEAH WELL I KNOW WE HAVE LIKE I SAID THERE'S 200,000 PEOPLE WE HAVE ONE ANIMALS PER 10,000 OR WE DON'T WE JUST COVER EVERY TERRITORY. 
          OKAY THIS IS DAVE THE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY ASKING RIGHT? YEAH. 
          THERE'S A TIMEFRAME THAT'S BELOW THAT RESPONSE TIME. YES THAT'S WHAT LOOKING FOR THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 8.5 9 MINUTES TO RESPOND IS A GOOD THING AND WE'RE IN THERE WITHIN THEN. YES, GREAT. AND BACK TO GERALD DAWSON'S POINT. MY MY FATHER WAS A FIREMAN FOR MANY YEARS AND I ALWAYS REMEMBER THEY ALWAYS GOT A CALL RIGHT BEFORE THE SHIFT WAS OR AND OR HE HAD TO DECOMPRESS FOR 24 HOURS ONCE SEE IF HE HAD AN ANSWER TO A CAR ACCIDENT AND BAD THINGS HAD HAPPENED OR WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE OFF THAT FIRST 24 OR AFTER YOUR OFFICE AS GERALD DAWSON PROBABLY KNOWS IT'S JUST TIME TO DECOMPRESS TOO IT'S AND THEN THEN YOU HAVE REGULAR LIFE HOPEFULLY RETURN TO WHERE YOU CAN DO NORMAL THINGS. 
          ALL RIGHT. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? YEAH, NOT A QUESTION BUT A COMMENT AFTER HEARING WHAT WE'VE HEARD. WE HAVE TO DECIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO EXPEDITE THIS IF IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY ACTION IF IT WAS A 
          [01:15:02]
DIRECTION FOR OUR ADMINISTRATION TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE WITH A RESOLUTION TO DISCUSS THAT WON'T HAPPEN FOR A MONTH ONCE THIS COMMITTEE IN THE NEXT MONTH DISCUSSES IT AND SAYS YES WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT TO COUNCIL THEN IT'S GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL MEETING THE SECOND COUNCIL MEETING OF THAT AND THAT MAY WELL BE TOO LONG THAT TIME IT MAY WELL BE EXPEDITE THIS WE DO DIRECT DIRECT ADMINISTRATION MAKE IT PART OF THE BUDGET SO YES WE CAN IN FACT DO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE BUDGET IN MY ESTIMATION ALL THE OTHER STUFF BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE HIT WITH INCREASES FROM VARIOUS OTHER GREAT GROUPS AND A JUDGMENT BE HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE THOSE? I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE BUDGET. 
          SO I'M I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF DOING A RESOLUTION OR ELSE AT THIS POINT ASSUMING I, I LIKE THE RESOLUTION. NO, MY QUESTION IS WHICH ONE MAKES IT QUICKER? WHICH ONE GIVES STAFF THE DIRECTION THAT HEY I CAN GO START HIRING SO IF THE RESOLUTION COMMITS US TO THAT BUDGET ITEM I MEAN EVEN THOUGH THEY BROUGHT IT BRING IT FORWARD TO US THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO BOTH SO THAT STAFF WILL KNOW THEY CAN GO OUT AND HIRING PEOPLE AND THAT'S THE KEY FOR ME. 
          I SUPPORT THE CONCEPT I WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT BUT HOW I MAKE THAT HAPPEN QUICKLY AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE BEST ONE IS ASKING. SO TO ME GIVING STAFF THE NOTION THAT HE COUNCIL IS BEHIND THIS I THINK THAT STAFF HAS READ THE ROOM DURING THE PRESENTATION AND THE PREFERENCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG THEM BOTH RUNNING SIMULTANEOUSLY THEY CAN COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING MONTH WITH THE RESOLUTION FOR A DRAFT TO BE FORWARDED TO COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN ALSO BE WORKING WITH IT WITH PINKY TO PUT IT INTO THE BUDGET FOR DISCUSSION AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS BUT THEY RUN CONCURRENTLY THERE SO WHEN THE RESOLUTION IS WORDED COUNCIL REACTION THERE ARE ALREADY INCORPORATED THE BUDGET AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION IF THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PREVIOUS I WOULD WANT TO DO BOTH. 
          I DON'T WANT TO A PARALLEL TO THEM. YEAH YEAH I THINK WHAT BRIAN SAID IS GOOD IT'S THE RESOLUTION GIVES STAFF ASSURANCE THAT THEIR SUPPORT BEHIND THIS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD IS ABSOLUTELY AND I TELL YOU I KNOW WE JOHN I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A CHANCE TO FULLY VETTED AND DISCUSS IT AND I THINK WE WERE BOTH SCRAMBLING, YOU KNOW WHICH COMMITTEE DOES GO TO A FINANCE COMMITTEE? IT HAS TO GO HERE. SO I THINK WITH PURPOSES TODAY WE REALLY WANT TO DISCUSS THIS AND KIND OF READ THE ROOM. SO I I'M FULLY BEHIND ALL THIS AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE DO TO HELP EVERYBODY OUT. I MEAN YOU ALL HELP US. THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS TRY TO HELP YOU ALL OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE HERE. ANSWER ANY MORE QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE TODAY IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING LATER TONIGHT OR TOMORROW SEND IT IN. WE'LL FIND AN ANSWER AND GET THE DATA FOR YOU AS WELL THEN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          [10. THE REAPPOINTMENTS OF HERBERT BURNES JR., MADISON CHISUM, GARY BRIGHT, AND THOMAS PEEPLES TO THE BURTON FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSION FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WE WILL MOVE ON NOW NUMBER NINE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TEN I HAVE A LONG LIST OF RE APPOINTMENTS HERE BUT THE FIRST ONE IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF HERBERT BURNS JR. MADISON CHISHOLM, GARY BRIGHT AND THOMAS PEEPLES TO THE BIRD AND FIRE DISTRICT FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029 THEY HAVE A MOTION ON SECOND I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. 
          YOU HAVE A SECOND SECOND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU TIME AND PAULA, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU DO. YOU ALL RIGHT? YEAH, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. 
          IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE REAPPOINTMENT? DOES THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS DISTRICT HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT? THERE'S SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ANY OF THEM HAVE A COMMENT. IT'S MOSTLY CAROL. MR. JOHNSON I DON'T OKAY. 
          I'M GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WITH THE IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING THESE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS FORWARD WILL THIS ONE GO TO COUNCIL? RIGHT. THIS IS JUST APPROVED HERE. YEAH. 
          OKAY. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY ANY OBJECTION MOVING THESE FORWARD ACCOUNTS OVER FOR FULL CONSIDERATION. ALL RIGHT. 
          [11. THE REAPPOINTMENTS OF GEORGE RAFFERTY AND GEOFFREY BRUNNING TO THE DAUFUSKIE ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
CNN THIS WILL MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL MOVING INTO ITEM 11, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF GEORGE RAFFERTY AND BRUNNING TO THE FUNKY ISLAND FERRY FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029. I DO HAVE A MOTION IN SECOND I'M DOING ALL RIGHT ALL SO I HEARD PAULA FIRST GERALD DO YOU WANT TO BE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS ANY COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING THESE FORWARD TO FOUR FOR CONSIDERATION? NO SAYING NONE. 
          [12. THE REAPPOINTMENT OF TRACEY ROBINSON TO THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
          [01:20:04]
THEY WILL BE MOVED FORWARD. ITEM 12 THE REAPPOINTMENT OF TRACEY TO THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029 I'LL MAKE THE MOTION OKAY NOW SEEKING A MOTION TO MAKE THE SECOND CAN I COME IN? SHE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A WHILE SHE'S A REALLY GOOD MEMBER. I'M BRINGING SOME GOOD INFORMATION FROM HER DISTRICT SO I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT HER. 
          ALL RIGHT, WELL I THINK THANK YOU TO HAVE IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION MOVING THIS INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL FORWARD TO A FULL COUNCIL AND SAYING NONE IT WILL MOVE FORWARD I DON'T 13 THE 
          [13. THE REAPPOINTMENT OF ALAN ARSENEAU TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
REAPPOINTMENT OF ALAN ARSENAULT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE FEBRUARY 2029 THE EMOTION RESPONSE EMOTION. ALL RIGHT, PAULA, CAN I GET A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IF NOT RIGHT. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MOVING THIS THIS INDIVIDUAL FOR 
          [14. THE REAPPOINTMENT OF SHERI PHILLIPS TO THE SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029 & THE APPOINTMENT OF ABRAHAM KELLY TO THE SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029.]
THE FULL COUNCIL SAYING I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD GOING ON TO ITEM 14, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF SHERRI PHILLIPS TO THE SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029 AND THE APPOINTMENT OF ABRAHAM KELLY TO THE SHERIDAN FIRE DISTRICT BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY 2029 MAKING A MOTION OF SECOND PLEASE. SO MOVE GERALD MAY GET A SECOND SECOND. ALL RIGHT YOUR IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT SEE NO DISCUSSION. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THESE INDIVIDUALS? 4 TO 4 COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION NO SAYING NON THEY WILL MOVED FORWARD AND WITH THAT IS THERE ANY OTHER TO COME BEFORE LATE SEEING NONE WE ARE BURNED AT 321. 
          OH THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANKS
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.