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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
UH, NOVEMBER THE THIRD, COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE.COMMITTEE MEETING IS NOW IN SESSION.
UH, IF I COULD GET EVERYBODY TO RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE O IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR RELIGIOU STANCE.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ALRIGHT, AND ASHLEY, THIS HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AND POSTED SUBJECT TO FOIA.
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
NOW CAN WE GET THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.ALRIGHT, AND MR. REACH SECONDED THAT, UH, MOVING INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO, SIR.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.
[6. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT]
ITEM SIX, THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT.WELCOME, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
TODAY MY REPORT, I HAVE ASKED REBECCA WITT, THE DIRECTOR OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG, TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.
SHE'S HERE TO SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH THOSE FUNDS AS FAR AS PROGRAMS, UM, PROJECTS, AND THE OUTCOMES OF SOME OF THOSE.
REBECCA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO YOU GUYS WATCHED THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE ARE USING HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID CRISIS, THIS IS A CRISIS THAT CONTINUES TO IMPACT OUR FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THIS NATION.
TODAY, I AM GONNA SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT THE, THE STRATEGIES, UM, MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH FUNDING FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA OPIOID RECOVERY FUND BOARD.
THIS WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE RESULT OF A STATEWIDE LAWSUIT AGAINST PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
THEY ARE NOT DERIVED FROM TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
INSTEAD, THESE ARE, UH, GUARANTEED POLITICAL SUB FUNDS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO SUPPORT OPIOID ABATEMENT EFFORTS.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO MAKE.
IT ENSURES THAT WE HAVE A DEDICATED AND SUSTAINED EFFORT TO INVEST IN PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY, UH, INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
OUR APPROACH IS COMPREHENSIVE.
IT IS ALSO COMMUNITY CENTERED.
IT FOCUSES ON THOSE THREE AREAS OF PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO STARTING WITH PREVENTION, UM, IT'S OUR MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY, I BELIEVE, BECAUSE WE WANNA STOP SUBSTANCE MISUSE, OPIOID MISUSE BEFORE IT EVEN BEGINS.
SO OUR FIRST PREVENTION STRATEGY IS, OF COURSE, INCREASING ACCESS TO LIFESAVING NALOXONE.
UH, IT'S A LIFE SAVING NASAL SPRAY THAT HELPS PEOPLE TO SURVIVE AN OVERDOSE OR A POISONING EXPERIENCE SO THAT THEY CAN GET MEDICAL ATTENTION.
WE HAVE PLACED FREE VENDING MACHINE IN THE COUNTY DETENTION CENTER ALREADY.
UM, PEOPLE CAN GO IN THERE AND RETRIEVE FREE NARCAN, UH, ANYTIME THE THE DETENTION CENTER LOBBY IS OPEN.
AND WE ALSO ARE ABOUT TO EXPAND THIS BY PLACING VENDING MACHINE IN THE, OF THE HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DSS BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET ON DUKE STREET.
WE WILL ALSO PLACE, UM, NARCAN VENDING BOXES AT ALL SIX LIBRARY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY SO THAT THE PUBLIC IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS CAN ACCESS FREE NARCAN AT ALL TIMES.
WE ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
WE HAVE AN OPIOID PREVENTION COORDINATOR FULL-TIME WHO LEADS OUTREACH EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE UNITED WAY'S SHOWERS OF DIGNITY SHOWER TRAILER, AND PARTNERING WITH COASTAL EMPIRE MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS HIGHWAY TO HOPE RV FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY RESPONSE VEHICLE THAT'S DEDICATED TO POPPING UP IN PLACES ON
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OD MAP, WHERE WE'RE SEEING HOTSPOTS ACROSS THE COUNTY WHERE OVERDOSES ARE SUSPECTED OVERDOSES ARE OCCURRING.UM, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE SCHEDULED PRESENTATIONS, UH, PREVENTION EDUCATION AT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SENIOR CENTERS, UH, SCHOOLS, TECHNICAL COLLEGES, AND OF COURSE USCB.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN THIS PREVENTION EFFORT AS WELL.
WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE RISKS OF OPIOID MISUSE AND ACCESS TO NALOXONE.
WE BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE NALOXONE IN THEIR FIRST AID KIT, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN SAVE A LIFE.
OUR MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ALSO FOCUS OUR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON SOME OF THE PALMETTO BREEZE BUSES.
UM, SO PEOPLE CAN SCAN A QR CODE, SEE THE PHONE NUMBER THERE, AND KNOW WHERE TO GET HELP.
WE HAVE PSAS ON STREAMING AUDIO PLATFORMS SUCH AS SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC AND ON VIDEO PLATFORMS LIKE ROKU, FIRE, TV STICK, AND APPLE TV.
ADDITIONALLY, WE USE GEOFENCING MESSAGES TO TARGET MOBILE DEVICES IN HIGH RISK AREAS.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY YOU'RE IN A STORE AND YOU GET A CERTAIN POPUP AD ON YOUR PHONE OR A COUPON THAT'S THE RESULT OF A PRODUCT CALLED GEOFENCING? SO WE PLACE GEOFENCING ADS IN HIGH RISK AREAS TO TARGET OPIOID MISUSE OR OPIOID POISONING, AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ACCESS TO HELP.
WE ALSO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF UNUSED OPIOID MEDICATIONS BY DISTRIBUTING FREE DRUG DISPOSAL BAGS, KITS TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF ACCESS TO MEDICATIONS, UH, OR OPIOID MISUSE.
AND WE ALSO SUPPORT THE CORONER'S OFFICE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE, UM, PROVIDE TOXICOLOGY TESTING KITS THAT ARE QUANTITATIVE THAT WILL TELL THEM IN REAL TIME, WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DOING A BLOOD TEST, IF THERE WAS ENOUGH OF A SPECIFIC SUBSTANCE IN THE PERSON'S SYSTEM TO RESULT IN A FATALITY.
AND WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO PRETTY MUCH WHERE THAT OCCURRED WITHIN A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT AND DO COMMUNITY RESPONSE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE SEEING SPIKES IN OVERDOSES IN A CERTAIN, UH, LOCATION IN THE COUNTY.
SO THAT'S OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS.
AND WE ALSO, OF COURSE, HAVE TREATMENT EFFORTS BECAUSE WE NEED STRONG PATHWAYS TO TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IMPACTED BY OPIOID USE DISORDERS.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR INCARCERATED POPULATION WHO ARE HIGH RISK.
OUR INMATES IN THE DETENTION CENTER HAVE ACCESS, UM, TO A FULL ASSESSMENT WITH A CERTIFIED ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELOR, AND THEREAFTER THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN 10 GROUP EDUCATION SESSIONS WITH THAT ADDICTION COUNSELOR.
WE ARE EXPANDING THAT EFFORT CURRENTLY BY PLACING A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST WHO IS A PERSON IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY, UH, ALONGSIDE THAT COUNSELOR IN THE DETENTION CENTER, SO THAT THEY CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO, UM, RECOVERY RESOURCES AND, AND HELP THEM PLAN FOR THEIR TRANSITION BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY UPON REENTRY.
WE ALSO, IN THE COMMUNITY PROVIDE MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT, UM, AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO INSURANCE, TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE INSURANCE BUT CAN'T AFFORD THE COST OF CARE.
UM, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY, THEY CAN MEET WITH A, UH, A COUNSELOR IN PERSON IN BUFORT OR BLUFFTON IN OUR TWO OFFICES.
AND WE'VE ALSO IMPLEMENTED TELEHEALTH, TELEMEDICINE, SO THEY CAN MEET WITH A LICENSED ADDICTION COUNSELOR NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE.
WE'RE ALSO EXPANDING ACCESS TO CARE BY EMBEDDING A COUNSELOR AND A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST IN OUR PARTNER CLINICS WHERE THEY CAN WORK ALONGSIDE PHYSICIANS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS.
THIS IS A VERY INTEGRATED CARE APPROACH.
IT ENSURES THAT PEOPLE GET THE HELP THEY NEED, THE TYPE OF HELP THEY NEED, AND THEY GET IT WHERE THEY NEED IT.
WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO A CONTRACT WITH SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WILL HELP US DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THIS WILL INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF OUR DATA, IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, PARTNERS, CITIZENS, AND THE LIKE TO MAP OUR EXISTING RESOURCES AND TO IDENTIFY THE GAPS IN RESOURCES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE GOAL IS TO TARGET ROOT CAUSES OF SUBSTANCE USE AND OVERDOSE, AND TO UNDERSTAND WHICH OF OUR POPULATIONS ARE MOST AT
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RISK HERE.THESE FINDINGS FROM THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL RESULT IN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL INFORM OUR FUTURE PLANNING AND ENABLE US TO SUBMIT STRONG TARGETED APPLICATIONS FOR SCORE FUNDING.
THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING A LONG TERM DATA INFORMED STRATEGY THAT MEETS THE REAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO JUST TO CLOSE OUR WORK IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS GROUNDED IN COMPASSION.
IT IS COLLABORATIVE, AND IT IS EVIDENCE-BASED.
EFFECTIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OPIOID USE CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL HEALTH, THE SAFETY, AND THE WELLBEING OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU HERE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT BECAUSE HEALING IN OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANY ONE OF US CAN DO ALONE.
IT TAKES ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING THE HOPE, THE HEALING, AND THE LASTING CHANGES.
AND EVERY DAY I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I GET TO WITNESS ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE TO SEE THEM RECOVER, TO HEAL, TO BECOME HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WORK IS ALL ABOUT.
AND HOW MAY I ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
UH, OPEN UP WITH QUESTIONS NOW.
CAN CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE POPUP, HOW THAT WORKS? OKAY, GREAT QUESTION.
WITH THE, UM, OVERDOSE MAP, IT'S POPULATED BY EMS. WHEN THEY GO OUT TO A A SUSPECTED OVERDOSE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST A DOT ON THE MAP.
AND UNTIL IT'S CONFIRMED, OF COURSE IT'S JUST A SUSPECTED OVERDOSE.
WHEN WE SEE THOSE DOTS POPPING UP, WE CAN GET THINGS CALLED A SPIKE ALERT ON THE OD MAP.
AND THAT SPIKE ALERT WILL TELL US, HEY, YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON IN THIS AREA.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE CAN GO INTO THAT AREA AND WE HAVE THE SUV, WE SET UP A TABLE.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE FREE NARCAN ON THE SPOT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO A BRIEF SCREENING, UM, AND A REFERRAL TO TREATMENT SERVICES, MOBILE ACCESS IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE GROUND.
UM, AND SO WE LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THOSE POPUPS.
SOMETIMES THEY SEE IT WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING BY, BUT WE ALSO ADVERTISE THAT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SO THAT THEY KNOW, HEY, TOMORROW IF I NEED NARCAN OR I NEED HELP, I CAN GO TO THAT SPOT AND I CAN GET IT.
THEY CAN GO ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S DRIVEN BY AN OUR OPIOID, UH, PREVENTION COORDINATOR.
AND WE'RE WORKING TO ALSO TAKE, WE ALSO TAKE OUT PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, PEOPLE IN RECOVERY TO ACCOMPANY THEM.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY IN RECOVERY THERE TO ENCOURAGE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'VE HAD SUCCESS STORIES ALREADY, UH, IN A SHORT TIME.
UM, JUST ONE LAST WEEK, UM, A GENTLEMAN THAT, UH, CONTACT WAS MADE AT A POP-UP EVENT AND WAS A LITTLE BIT RELUCTANT AT THE TIME TO GET HELP, UM, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE OUR INFORMATION AND LAST WEEK THEY CALLED AND WITHIN MINUTES WE HAD THEM SCHEDULED TO COME INTO THE OFFICE FOR AN APPOINTMENT.
UM, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT STRATEGIC PARTNERS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH OUR HIGH SCHOOLS? UM, AND I'M SURE YOU, BUT I JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT.
WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, ALL OF OUR, WITH THE, WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE GO OUT AND WE HAVE, UM, NOT ONLY THE OPIOID PREVENTION SPECIALIST, BUT WE HAVE A TOTAL OF FIVE FULL-TIME PREVENT CERTIFIED PREVENTIONISTS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AT NEXUS CARE, THEY COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTY, BOTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND THEY DO PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND LAST WEEK YOU MAY HAVE SEEN OUR HUGE SUCCESS WITH RED RIBBON CAMPAIGN.
UM, WE HAD A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND WE HAD A LOT OF PARTICIPATION FROM, FROM COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS CITIZENS IN THAT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, UH, TO TALK ABOUT PREVENTION.
SO WE DO GO INTO OUR, OUR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE PREVENTION, EDUCATION, PRETTY MUCH ON A, ANY VARIETY OF TOPICS THAT THEY NEED.
NOT ONLY OPIOID PREVENTION, BUT IT COULD BE ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, TOBACCO, VAPING, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT WE, WE ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH A POPULATION THAT IS TRANSIENT.
WHETHER THEY'RE COMING FROM ANOTHER COUNTY OR, UM, OUTSIDE OUR STATE.
THEY COME IN HERE, VACATION, WHATEVER.
HOW DO WE HANDLE THOSE PEOPLE? WELL, THAT'S A, A GREAT QUESTION AS WELL.
[00:15:01]
HAVE TRANSIENT PEOPLE AND EVEN SOME OF OUR OWN CITIZENS, I WOULD SAY, ARE TRANSIENT BETWEEN COUNTIES.THEY'RE HERE AND, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW THEY MIGHT BE IN ONE OF OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES OR ANOTHER PART OF THE STATE.
UM, SO WE'RE PART OF A LARGE NETWORK.
UM, WE DON'T EXIST ALL BY OURSELVES AT NEXUS CARE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE'RE PART OF THE, UM, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IN WHICH THERE ARE, ARE A TOTAL OF 31 COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE MANY PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT WE CAN CONDUCT OUTREACH TO THEM.
SO IF PERSON NEEDS HELP, THEY COME THROUGH OUR DOOR AND THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE, THEY'RE FROM ANOTHER, UH, COUNTY.
UM, WE CAN, UM, REACH OUT ACROSS THE STATE AND CAN COORDINATE HELP NO MATTER WHERE A PERSON IS FROM.
QUICKLY, UM, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, UM, REPORT AND, UM, YOU APPROACH, UM, IN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM.
UM, ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, HAVE YOU NOTICED THE REDUCTION IN NUMBERS OF OPIOID, UH, UM, PATIENTS? AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS A LOT OF, A LOT OF YOUR FUNDING IS OUTSIDE OF FUNDS, UM, MAINTAINING THIS PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT THROUGH YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT YOU WOULD PUT THE ORGANIZATION, WE USE ALL THE RESOURCES YOU CAN RIGHT NOW, BUT EVENTUALLY, UM, UM, NOT HAVE A NEED FOR ALL THOSE RESOURCES AND STUFF, UM, BUT SORT OF MAINTAINING THE PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT, ASKING THAT IS THAT, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT, UM, YOUR PROGRAM TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM AND THEN IT DIES BECAUSE THE LACK OF RESOURCES FROM THE OUTSIDE.
UM, BUT LOCALLY, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT EFFORT.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE, UM, PUTTING YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, WHICH WEED YOURSELF OFFER THE PROBLEM.
SO THAT'S A COMMENT, A STATEMENT IF YOU WANNA COMMENT ON IT.
IT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE OF SUSTAINABILITY, OF PROGRAMMING.
AND I HAD, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SCORE BOARD JUST LAST WEEK, UH, AT A-B-H-S-S-A MEETING WITH ALL THE DIRECTORS ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, CURRENTLY SCOR HAS, UH, ADEQUATE FUNDING, UM, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE, THE RECENT, UM, SETTLED THE LAST PIECE OF THE SETTLEMENT WITH, UH, PURDUE PHARMA AND THE SACKLER FAMILY TO SUSTAIN, UM, PROGRAMMING UNTIL 2041 FOR OPIOID ABATEMENT INITIATIVES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO, ON THE ONE HAND, UM, MR. GLOVER, THE FUNDING IS GOING TO BE SECURE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THAT FUNDING IS ONLY MEANT TO INCREASE CAPACITY.
IT'S NEVER MEANT TO REPLACE OUR CURRENT PROJECTS OR OUR CURRENT FUNDING.
UM, IT'S ONLY MEANT TO EXPAND CAPACITY.
AND PART OF THAT IS LOOKING AT, UM, I, I HOPE THAT BY 2041, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MUCH PROGRAMMING DIRECTED AT OPIOID ABATEMENT IF WE'VE DONE OUR JOBS WELL.
UM, BUT WE KNOW ADDICTION IS, IS SOMETHING THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE PRESENT.
UM, SO WE, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG TERM, UM, HAVING PROGRAMMING THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN, UH, NOT JUST TO ADDRESS OPIOID USE, BUT TO ALSO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE OF ALL KINDS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I I DO HAVE ONE.
I DIDN'T, ARE Y'ALL PLANNING ON EXPANDING THE, UH, VENDING MACHINES? AND I WAS THINKING MYRTLE PARK IS, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS THERE, THEY ARE THERE, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DISTRIBUTION BOX 24 HOURS A DAY.
SO THIS CAN GO KIND OF LIKE A NEWSPAPER STAND.
UM, AND IT'S WEIGHTED DOWN SO IT WON'T BLOW AWAY IN A HURRICANE.
UM, AND IT CAN BE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING ACCESS 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, SO THAT EVEN WHEN NOBODY'S THERE AT, UH, DPH OR AT NEXUS CARE, UM, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IT THERE.
AND, AND, AND SOME OF THE BOXES ARE, ARE ALSO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PORTABLE.
THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THOSE, UH, VENDING MACHINES ARE, YOU CAN'T PICK 'EM UP AND MOVE THEM.
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ARE JUST LIKE A NEWSPAPER BOX AND YOU CAN PICK THEM UP AND MOVE THEM IF YOU NEED TO, TO ANOTHER LOCATION.AND I, ALONG THAT SAME LINE, HAVE YOU FOUND THAT THERE'S A BARRIER WITH THEM BEING AT GOVERNMENT LOCATIONS VERSUS TRYING TO FIND A PARTNER OF A PRIVATE PARTNER IN THE COMMUNITY TO PUT THESE, PUT THOSE BOXES? I, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY BARRIERS AS OF YET.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER COUNTIES, THESE ARE, THIS IS A STRATEGY THAT OTHERS HAVE IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTED WITH GREAT SUCCESS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO PUT THOSE DISTRIBUTION BOXES.
AND THE GOAL IS REALLY TO SATURATE THE COUNTY WITH ENOUGH BOXES AND DOSES OF NARCAN SO THAT IF SOMEONE HAS OPIOID POISONING, THAT SOMEONE'S AROUND WITH A FIRST AID KIT OR HAS IT IN THEIR CAR OR THEIR BAG THAT THEY CAN HELP.
SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT SATURATION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, ALTER ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE A C REPORT? THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
ALRIGHT, YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[7. DISCUSSION ITEMS]
THE DISCUSSION ITEMS. THE FIRST ONE IS SEVEN, A PRESENTATION OR DISCUSSION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UH, SERVICES HIRING AND ORDER TO IMPLEMENT A FOURTH SHIFT.I BELIEVE IT SAYS, UH, DONNA OWEN B.
THE DIRECTOR OF EMS AND KAREN MORRIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS FOR THE UPDATE AS WELL.
UH, WELL WE APPRECIATE BEING HERE, MEMBERS OF COUNTY COUNCIL.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BRING TO YOU WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING WITH OUR 24 7 2, WHERE WE'RE AT AND, AND ALL THE WORK.
THIS PROJECT IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME AND KAREN 'CAUSE WE WORK ON IT DILIGENT WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BRIEF, YOU DO THE, UM, POWERPOINT AND THEN WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
THIS IS HOW OUR IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION IS GONNA BE JANUARY OF 2026.
THAT'S OUR GOAL TO GET A 24 72 SHIFT UP AND RUNNING.
THIS ALL BEGAN, AS YOU CAN SEE, JUNE OF 2025 AND OCTOBER.
IN THAT PERIOD WE HIRED 17 EMTS AND PARAMEDICS.
WE'RE HIRING ADDITIONAL FIVE AT THIS POINT.
SO THIS IS LIKE, UM, IT'S IN MOTION.
WE HAVE INTERVIEWS AGAIN, WHAT TOMORROW? SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
UM, THIS WAS A HIRING PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 125 DAYS COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO THE APPLICATION STATUS FOLLOWING THE ADVERTISEMENT, WHICH BEGAN ALL OF THIS AND OF THE 24 72 SCHEDULE IS THE EMTS WERE INCREASED BY 43%.
BUT THE PARAMEDICS, WHICH IS WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SEEKING IS THAT, UM, 233% INCREASE.
AND THE PREVIOUS YEAR WE PROBABLY HAD WHAT ONE PARAMEDIC, WE HAD ONE PARAMEDIC WHO DIDN'T STAY THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO BEING ABLE TO PUT THE ADVERTISEMENT OUT THERE THAT WE'RE MOVING TO THIS SHIFT.
SO WHAT WE PROJECTED, THE SHIFT WE DO IT, IT DID IMMEDIATELY WAS IT BEGAN TO BRING THOSE APPLICATIONS IN ONE OF THOSE PARAMEDICS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY ONE OF THEM, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE WILLING TO COME.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYONE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT FIT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT BOY DOES IT GIVE YOU A WHOLE LOT MORE TO, YOU KNOW, TO WORK WITH THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE DECLINED THE OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT WERE NUMBER ONE REASON.
THE COST OF LIVING IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
AND OF COURSE YOU TIE THAT INTO ABSOLUTELY THE SALARIES.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY WANNA MOVE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE.
BUT IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO LIVE HERE.
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY HAVE TROUBLE AFFORDING THAT.
UM, THE NUMBER THREE CHECK WE FOUND WAS THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND ABOUT MOVING TO A NEW LOCATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE COMING FROM ANOTHER STATE, YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, MAYBE I'M NOT READY TO MOVE ACROSS STATE AND, AND START A NEW LIFE.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALWAYS THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE TOOK A POSITION ELSEWHERE WHERE A FEW LITTLE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T ANSWER AFTER WE TALKED TO THEM.
BUT THERE WERE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY, YOU KNOW, UH, 30 YOU SAY, OH, 30 PARAMEDIC APPLICATIONS, LET HIRE 'EM ALL.
WELL, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT EASILY, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, SOME YOU, YOU HAVE TO, BECAUSE WE WANNA BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE COUNTY TAX DOLLARS.
I DON'T WANNA JUST HIRE EVERYBODY SO THAT IN THREE MONTHS THEY'RE GONE AND NOW I'VE GOTTA TRAIN 'EM AGAIN, UNIFORM AGAIN AND ALL THAT, ALL THE COSTS AND EXPENSE THAT GOES WITH THAT.
AND WE DO ASK, UM, SO WHEN WE SAY THESE, UM, DECLINE TO OFFER AN EMPLOYMENT, THESE WERE PEOPLE THAT WE INTERVIEWED.
WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, CHECKING THEIR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY, LOOKING AT THEIR REFERENCES THAT THEY GAVE US.
UM, HAD THE INTERVIEWS AND THESE WERE PEOPLE THAT WE WANTED TO HIRE AND WE EXTENDED THAT OFFER TO THEM, GOT ALL THE WAY TO THAT POINT TO WHERE THEY WANTED THE POSITION AND THEN CAME
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BACK AND SAID, UM, SO WE HAVE TRIED TO DO SOME THINGS ON OUR END TO HELP, HELP OFFSET WITH SOME OF THIS.UM, LAW BAY HAS WORKED WITH US TO HELP WITH SOME OF THE HOUSING SITUATIONS, BUT THEY, THEY ONLY HAVE SO MUCH UNIT THAT CAN OFFER OUT THERE.
UM, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER, WE HAVE A GREAT PERSON IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA DEPARTMENT WHO HAS HELPED PUT TOGETHER PACKETS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING HERE FROM OTHER PLACES WHERE WE'VE TALKED TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO SEE DID THEY DO ANYTHING PARTICULAR FOR RESPONDERS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, TACKLE SOME OF THAT ON OUR OWN.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT, THAT COST OF LIVING HAS COST US QUITE A FEW OF THESE OF 10.
AND THEY SEE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE.
BUT THEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE COST IN, IN LIVING IN, BUT COUNTY, LIKE KAREN SAID, UM, LAUREL BAY HOUSING WAS WONDERFUL 'CAUSE THEY, THEY GAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT THERE WAS ONLY SO MANY OPENINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY FILLED THAT WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
BUT IT'S ALSO LIKE SHE WAS SAYING, THEY PUT IT TOGETHER A PACKET SO PEOPLE WOULD SEE THAT THE BEACHES, WHERE THE STORES ARE, SOME OF THE BETTER THINGS THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY BRINGS INTO ATTRACT.
TRYING TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THAT THINK ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS COUNTY IS TO LIVE IN.
UM, AND SOME TOOK IT AND UNFORTUNATELY WE COULDN'T GET EVERYBODY TO TAKE THAT OFFER.
SO OUT WE HAVE 130 TOTAL FUNDED STAFF POSITIONS AND AT THIS POINT WE HAVE 11 ADMIN STAFF, WHICH ARE COMPLETELY FILLED.
108 RESPONDERS REQUIRED FOR OUR FOUR SHIFTS WOULD BE 27 PER SHIFT, 11 PART-TIME EMTS OR PARAMEDICS.
AND SO OUT OF THE 64 PARAMEDICS, WE HAVE 11 VACANCIES, 44 EMTS.
WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES, WHICH SOME OF THAT MAY BE FILLED TOMORROW AFTER INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER, TELL YOU ANYTHING WE DIDN'T TELL YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO HOW MANY DECLINED EMPLOYMENT AFTER YOU WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS? 10.
AND ARE THEY REQUIRED TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY? LIKE THE SHERIFF? WELL, WE HAVE IN SAVANNAH.
AS LONG AS THEY CAN GET TO WORK ON TIME.
AND IS OUR SALARY NOT COMPETITIVE OR IT'S NOT, THE SALARY IS, IT'S THE COST OF LIVING.
THE SALARY WHEN THE SALARY'S POSTED.
WE DON'T SPRING THAT ON ANYONE ON WHEN WE DO OUR ADVERTISEMENT.
IT'S, IT'S THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR SALARY IS BEFORE YOU EVER APPLY IT IS WHEN THEY START TO THE COST TO LIVE THERE.
A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT HERE COULD COST YOU $2,500 A MONTH.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S JUST A SIMPLE WELL THAT'S WHY I ASKED IF WE DON'T REQUIRE THEM TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY.
COURSE I THINK, JOE YEAH, MY QUESTION WAS ANSWERED.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UM, APPLICANTS WERE LOCAL? THERE WERE A GOOD MANY, UM, GOOD BIDDY? YEAH.
UH, WE HAVE REHIRED A A COUPLE THAT HAD WORKED FOR US PREVIOUSLY.
UM, WE'VE HIRED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS ILLINOIS, UM, ONE FROM TEXAS, BUT LOCAL THERE HAS JUST BEEN HANDFUL OF LOCAL, MOST ALL OF THE PARAMEDICS THAT ARE LOCAL ALREADY WORK FOR US UNLESS THEY HAPPEN TO BE, YOU KNOW, FIRE.
UH, AND THEY DON'T HAVE A PARAMEDIC.
AND WE'VE NOT TAKEN ANY OF THOSE.
SO WE PULLED A LOT IN FROM OTHER PLACES.
WE, WE, UM, I JUST SAW AN ARTICLE, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND THEIR TRAINING.
WERE YOU ABLE TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF THOSE GRADUATES THAT CAME OUT OF, UM, THAT SCHOOL? SO THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK, UM, AS A PARAMEDIC OR AN EMT.
YOU HAVE TO HOLD NATIONAL REGISTRY AND YOU HAVE TO HOLD SOUTH CAROLINA CREDENTIALS AS A PARAMEDIC OR AN EOT.
WE'RE, WE, WE DON'T CROSS LINES AND THEY ALLOW, THEIRS WEREN'T.
AND WE, YOU HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED TO RIDE IN OUR TRUCK.
WE, ON SOME JOBS YOU CAN GO START AN OFFICE AND WORK YOUR WAY OUT OR GET YOUR CERTIFICATION LATER.
THE, IT IS THE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IT, THAT I THINK YOU, YOU USED TO BE, SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY, GERALD WAS, THAT'S RIGHT.
I WAS TRYING, I KNEW, I THINK MR. DAWSON USED TO BE A PARAMEDIC.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS TALK ABOUT THE CREDENTIALING PROCESS.
SO MY QUESTION IS THAT, UM, ON THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR TRAINING AFTER, ARE THERE ANY EFFORT BEING MADE OR INITIATED A SALARY? YOU OR SOMEBODY TO TRAIN PEOPLE FOR? WELL, THESE POSITIONS WE HAVE A, UH, AN AGREEMENT WITH, WELL WE WORK WITH ACE OUT THERE FOR, THEY, THEY HAVE A EMT CLASS MM-HMM
AND WE GO OUT THERE AND HELP THERE WITH, UM, JENNIFER ON HER CLASS.
AND THEN WE'LL DO A PRESENTATION TO SEE IF THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED.
[00:30:01]
A FEW PEOPLE FRESH OUT OF THE A SCHOOL AND THEY CAME TO WORK VERSUS EMTS AND THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE.THEY'RE, AS SOON AS ONE CLASS ENDS THAT TECHNICAL COLLEGE, IT'D BE GOOD.
UM, I UNDERSTAND GOING OUTSIDE, WOULD IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW THE EFFORT THAT ARE BEING MADE JUST FOR EMPLOYMENT LOCALLY? YES.
SO, UM, AND, AND, AND, AND ENCOURAGING THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE, UM, AND ENCOURAGING, UM, THE UNIVERSITY TO TRAIN OR TO GET PEOPLE READY FOR THESE JOBS.
I THINK IF YOU HAVE LOCAL FOLKS, YOU ARE NOT GONNA RUN INTO A WHOLE LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT YES, SIR.
THE, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL AND BEAUFORT COUNTY EMS NEARLY COMPETE FOR THE SAME TYPE OF EMPLOYEES WHILE THE INDUSTRIES ARE RELATED TO EACH TO ONE ANOTHER.
BEAUFORT MEMORIAL AND THE, AND THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE ARE TRAINING FOLKS IN NURSING, UH, NURSING STAFF AND RADIOLOGIST, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM PARAMEDIC, UH, FROM PARAMEDIC TRAINING.
SO THE TWO ARE THE SAME TYPE OF PEOPLE WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT COMPETING INTERESTS.
ONE THING THAT YOU WILL SEE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET COMING FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY EMS, IS A PUSH, UM, FOR A TRAINING BUDGET IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE SOME OF OUR OWN EMTS INTO PAR INTO THE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN HOMEGROWN OUR OWN EMTS AND ADVANCE THEM TO PARAMEDIC CLASS.
IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PROCESS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE HAVE INSIDE AND CREATE OUR OWN PARAMEDICS.
SO YOU'LL BE SEEING THAT COMING UP IN OUR NEXT BUDGET.
THIS IS A NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF PARAMEDICS.
NOT JUST HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND SO THAT'S WHY KAREN AND I DISCUSS, I MEAN LIKE, LET'S HOME GROWN.
EM, 'EM, THEY, THEY'RE EMTS FOR US NOW.
WE GOT WHAT, ALMOST SEVEN WANTING TO GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL READY TO GO.
AND, AND YOU HAVE TO, THE SCHOOLS HAVE TO BE ACCREDITED, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THAT RUN THE PARAMEDIC PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WE USE LEFT COUNTRY REGIONAL MS OUT OF WALK.
THEY DO AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM AND WHEN THE MEDICS COME OUT, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH STREET READY.
IT DOESN'T TAKE ME VERY LONG TO GET THEM OUT IN THE FIELD.
AND WE HAVE SEVEN READY TO GO.
THEY'RE STARTING A AND D IN JANUARY.
AND THEN IN MARCH OF, WE'LL ROLL IN THE PARAMEDIC.
SO WE'VE GOT SEVEN OF 'EM LINED UP.
SO WE, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
YOU HAVE TO BRING THE, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT ARE FROM WITHIN AND WE KNOW THEM AND THEN WE MAKE IT AS EASY FOR THEM TO GO TO SCHOOL.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THE REASON PEOPLE WANNA GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL, IT'S ALMOST TWO YEARS AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S A LOT, LOT OF TIME AWAY FROM FAMILY AND HOME.
SO WE'VE COME UP WITH AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO HELP THESE PEOPLE SO THEY CAN NOT MISS SO MUCH HOME TIME, BUT STILL BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL AND ADVANCE THEMSELVES TO A PARAMEDIC.
IT'S A DIFFICULT CLASS AND YOU GOTTA BE NATIONAL REGISTRY AND YOU GOTTA PASS IT.
AND YOU EFFORT TO GET THIS, UH, FOURTH SHIFT UP AND RUNNING, UH, IN 2026.
I, I SEE YOU SAY YOU REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
ARE THEY EMTS? UH, AND PARAMEDICS.
WE TOOK THOSE, THOSE POSITIONS AND WE ADDED THEM TO OUR FOURTH SHIFT.
SO WHEN I, NEXT YEAR WHEN I'M TRYING TO BUDGET, IT'LL BE, MAKE IT A LOT EASIER.
UM, WE WE'RE TRYING TO GO MORE TO FULL-TIME PEOPLE, BUT WE DO WANNA KEEP SOME PART-TIME PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO CLASS.
I NEED THOSE EMTS TO COVER SOMEBODY TO GO TO CLASS WITHOUT HAVING GOING TO A LOT OF OVERTIME AND STUFF.
UH, THAT WAS MY CONCERN AS TO WHETHER YOU USING THOSE PART-TIME AND CONVERTING THEM TO FULL-TIME.
WE, WE TRY TO GET THEM, BUT IF THEY ALLOW 'EM ALL PART-TIME 'CAUSE THEY GOT A POSITION SOMEPLACE ELSE, WE'LL FINE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE A RECRUITING EFFORT BEING MADE WITH, UH, THE BASES AROUND HERE WITH THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVY? YOU GET THE CORPSMAN.
SO SOUTH CAROLINA EMS ASSOCIATION, UM, THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE THE UMBRELLA FOR EVERYTHING.
EMS AND THEY HAVE A HUGE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.
UM, I DUNNO IF Y'ALL CAUGHT ANY OF IT, BUT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY DOING THINGS.
SO WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON, THERE'S A LOT SOCIAL MEDIA.
I, I WISH Y'ALL COULD SEE SOME OF THE ASSOCIATIONS.
HOPE SOME OF YOU'VE SEEN THAT ON FACEBOOK.
OUR COMMERCIALS, THEY'RE PRETTY CUTE.
BUT YEAH, THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF WAYS OF REACHING PEOPLE.
AND WE ARE TACKLING IT FROM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I'M LAYING THERE THINKING ABOUT THE, THE STRESS AND, AND TRYING TO GET THIS BECAUSE IT DOES NOT AFFECT ME PERSONALLY.
IT AFFECTS EVERY PERSON ON THOSE TRUCKS.
AND Y'ALL CAN HEAR THOSE SIRENS GOING UP AND DOWN THIS ROAD ALL THE TIME AND THEY'RE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN AND WE WANT TO GET THIS SHIFT GOING.
SO WE'RE TACKLING IT IN EVERY WAY WE CAN THINK OF.
AND IF WE HAVE SOME, UM, FORMER MILITARY, UM, THERE'S A BIG PROGRAM HERE TO HELP BRING THE CORPSMAN IN MEDICAL REGISTRY HAS PUT A EASIER PROGRAM TO HELP THEM SLIDE FROM MILITARY TO CIVILIAN.
[00:35:01]
UM, IS THERE A PROHIBITION ON, ON HIRING FIREFIGHTERS OR A HESITATION TO DO SO? ABSOLUTELY NOT.BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE HEARD THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WOULDN'T GO LIKE OUT TRYING TO RECRUIT THEM AWAY FROM THE FIRE EMS. A MATTER OF FACT, UM, WE HIRED TWO FAIRLY RECENTLY AND ONE OF 'EM JUST DECIDED THAT EMS WASN'T, HE'D RATHER STAY A FIREFIGHTER AND HE WENT BACK TO FIRE AND THAT'S FINE.
UM, AND I'VE GIVE, I'VE LOST A PARAMEDIC TO A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S OKAY.
'CAUSE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA REALLY WANNA DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO IF YOU'RE HAPPY, YOU'RE A FIREFIGHTER, OKAY.
BUT IF YOU WANNA COME WITH EMS, COME ON BOARD, WE'RE DOWN HERE.
UM, BUT WE DO A LOT OF, TRUST ME, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, I'VE, I'VE NEVER, I THINK EVEN HR WAS IMPRESSED WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAME UP WITH.
KAREN'S ON THE BOARD WITH THE EMS ASSOCIATION.
I'M ON THE LOW COUNTRY BOARD REGIONAL FOR EMS. SO ANYTIME WE CAN GET THAT WORD OUT, WE GET IT OUT.
AND WE WANT, WE WANT THE BEST OF THE BEST AND KEEP THIS THE REPUTATION THAT BEAVER COUNTY.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KAREN DID LEARN WHEN SHE WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE IN ORIENTATION.
WE HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BEING THE BEST.
WE ASK WHY ARE YOU SEEKING EMPLOYMENT WITH BE COUNTY? THAT'S JUST YOU CAN KIND EMS IS QUESTION WE ASK EVERYONE THAT INTERVIEWS THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER IS THE 24 7 2, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY'RE AN EMT OR A PARAMEDIC.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER.
AND NUMBER TWO, IT, IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME, I'LL ADMIT IT.
UM, IT WAS THE PROFESSIONALISM AND WHAT THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT BUFORD COUNTY EMS. YOU'VE GOT GOOD EQUIPMENT, YOU PAY WELL.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, FOUNDATION, A GOOD TRAINING PROGRAM.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS NUMBER TWO WHEN I WAS
AND THINGS THAT WE ALSO HEAR IS BECAUSE PEOPLE GO THROUGH, I CALL IT THE LITTLE GENERAL, UM, SHE'LL PUT 'EM THROUGH THE 40 HOUR ORIENTATION PROGRAM AND THEY'LL COME OUT THERE AND SAY IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ORIENTATION PROGRAMS THEY'VE EVER COME ACROSS.
BECAUSE A LOT OF PLACES WILL HIRE YOU.
HERE'S TWO DAYS, GET ON A TRUCK AND GO OUT AND RUN.
THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO PASS THE KAREN INSPECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PAR THAT TRUCK AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO KNOW EQUIPMENT WISE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, RULES AND REGS.
YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT MAKES SURE THAT YOUR COUNTY IS REPRESENTING YOU WELL AND DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM DOING THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO OUR, AND WE PERFECT.
BUT WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL TRAINED WHEN THEY GO OUT THERE AND IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES THAT THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, THEY KNOW THEY CAN COME TO ME.
THEY KNOW THEY CAN GO TO KAREN AND SAY THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW SOMETHING OR EQUIPMENT OR WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA LEARN.
WE WANT YOU TO LEARN AND KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, TO FOLLOW UP ON A QUESTION I WAS ASKED EARLIER ABOUT THE REASON WE'RE HAVING SOME GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND THEN DECLINE BEING HIRED WAS BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING AND SALARY.
AND SO OUR SALARIES ARE COMPARABLE TO THE REGION.
I THINK IF YOU, I THINK THAT YOU MENTIONED IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN BEFORD COUNTY, LET'S SAY MAYBE YOU LIVE IN HAMPTON, THAT SALARY MAYBE GOES A LITTLE FURTHER.
IT IS TRYING TO LIVE HERE IN BUFORD WITH THAT SALARY.
THAT THAT'S WHEN, SO IF SOMEONE IS MOVING, LET'S SAY FROM ILLINOIS AND HE, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT AN APARTMENT AND THEY'RE LOOKING IN BUFORD BECAUSE THEY'RE MOVING TO BUFORD, THAT'S ALL THEY KNOW IS I'M GOING TO BEFORD COUNTY EMS. SO THEY MAY NOT REALIZE, YOU KNOW, GOING, THEY COULD LIVE OUTSIDE THE AREA.
SO THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE DO WITH THEM BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NO, UH, RULE ON WHERE YOU HAVE TO LIVE AT.
YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK ON TIME.
BUT OUR NUMBER ONE ISSUE IS THE COST OF LIVING.
THE COST OF LIVING IS THE VERY FIRST THING WE MENTION.
AND THE REASON, THE REASON I ASK THAT IS BECAUSE WE AS COUNCIL, WE'VE, WE ARE STRUGGLING TRYING TO BUILD WHAT WE CALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WITH ALL THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE COST OF LIVING TO MAKE THE HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR, UM, RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO WANNA MOVE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS GOING FORWARD.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ACTUALLY BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT IT'S GOT TO BE TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE LIKE THIS ON ENTRY LEVEL EMTS AND PARAMEDICS CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WHAT'S AN ENTRY LEVEL? EM T MAKE 56.
MY OTHER, UM, COMMENT WAS, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOUR STAFF, ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS, ALL THE DEPUTIES, EVERYONE THAT SHOWED UP TO THE MASS EVENT.
SO I MEAN THE WHAT EVENT? I KNOW IT WAS A, A HUGE EVENT, A HUGE NIGHT.
WE HAD OUTSIDE HELENA THE SHOOTING EVENT.
AND ALL OF YOU WERE THERE AND I MEAN THERE WERE A LOT OF POSTS ON FACEBOOK, HOW GREAT ALL OF YOU WERE, HOW GREAT THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE DEPUTIES.
AND SO IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[00:40:01]
THAT.AND THERE YOU CAN SAY ONE THING ABOUT THIS COUNTY POLICE FIRE EMS. WE WORK TOGETHER.
WHEN WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER, WE COME TOGETHER.
AND THAT NIGHT, I MEAN, I THINK I GOT HOME AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, BUT THERE WAS EVERYBODY INCLUDING THE HOSPITAL WORKING TOGETHER AND PULLING AND DOING THINGS RIGHT.
AND I MEAN, LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS FIRST ON, THEY WERE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
UH, FIRE WAS WONDERFUL AND THEN MY PEOPLE WERE PROFESSIONAL AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE GOING IN AND TAKING CHARGE AND SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS HOW YOU DO A MASS CASUALTY.
'CAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE GET TO USE BEING AROUND A MASS CASUALTY.
AND IT IS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN A LOT OF TIMES OTHER THINGS.
BUT YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DO APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT THEY DID OUT THAT NIGHT AND EVERYBODY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
CONGRATS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHERIFF.
IT'S PROBABLY, UM, YOU, YOU LOOK AT THOSE OF US THAT WORK FOR EMS AND YOU PROBABLY THINK, OH, OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULD SAY THAT.
BUT I GO ALL OVER THE STATE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA MS ASSOCIATION.
I TALK TO ALL DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS AND SLEEP EASY AT NIGHT.
UM, TELLING YOU THIS, THAT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT EMS AGENCY HERE.
WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE BEST FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TOP SHELF.
WE REALLY DO HAVE THAT HARD TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE.
ALRIGHT, MOVING INTO DISCUSSION ITEM SEVEN B, PRESENTATION DISCUSSION CONCERNING PROGRESS TOWARDS THE SOLICITATION OF A FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION STUDY.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS, UM, THE FIRE SERVICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT CONSOLIDATION STUDY WAS INSPIRED, UM, THROUGH ST UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
AND IT WAS DIRECTION FROM, UH, COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL TO THE ADMINISTRATOR TO FUND THIS, UH, IN THIS, UH, BUDGET YEAR AND THEN COMMENCE DOING THIS STUDY.
SO THIS, UH, THE STUDY WAS FUNDED IN THIS YEAR.
UM, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ASKED ME TO, UH, TO BEGIN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.
SO AS PART OF THAT PROJECT, I REACHED OUT TO FIRE CHIEFS, UM, AND TO EMS TO ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTORS.
AND WE BEGAN DISCUSSING, UH, THE ISSUE AT HAND.
IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS HAD A VOICE AT THE TABLE AND THAT WE LISTENED CAREFULLY TO AND, AND TRIED TO COMBINE, UH, UNDERSTAND EACH OF THEIR NEEDS, UH, SOME OF THEIR HISTORY AND COMBINE THEM INTO, UH, THE OPTIONS FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL AND IT'S ON THE SCREEN.
SO BEFORE I GET TO THAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, IS TALK ABOUT THE COMPLEX NATURE OF FIRE SERVICE CONSOLIDATION, WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST SO YOU UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE HISTORY, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, TO DATE.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WORK OPTIONS AND, UH, GIVE YOU OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHICH OF THOSE ITEMS IN THE LIST OF SCOPE OF WORK WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN WE CAN TALK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE FIRE CHIEFS IN THE ROOM AND, AND, UM, THEIR, UH, SUPPORT AS WE'VE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WE HEAR FROM THE PROFESSIONALS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS, UM, AND, AND THEIR, UM, THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES THAT COME ALONG WITH THIS TYPE OF WORK.
UM, SO THE BRIEF HISTORY, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, AND THERE'S PROBABLY SOME OLDER THAN THIS, UM, THERE WAS A, UH, FIRE SAFETY CONSOLIDATION STUDY, UH, THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY ELLE HU HODGES AND ASSOCIATES IN 1990.
SO THIS DISCUSSION OF FIRE SAFETY CONSOLIDATION HAS EXTENDED MORE THAN THREE DECADES.
THIS, UH, THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS STUDY WAS, UM, THE HURRICANE JUST THE YEAR BEFORE HURRICANE HUGO.
UH, DURING THAT H HURRICANE, THERE WAS A CONSOL, NOT REALLY CONSOLIDATION OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS AT THAT POINT, BUT A GROUP OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD TO WORK TOGETHER IN ALL OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HAD TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO EVACUATE THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT THIS STORM WENT A LITTLE NORTH OF US, BUT YET THE, THE GROUP OF PUBLIC SAFETY BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT TEAMWORK AND WORKING TOGETHER WAS AT THAT TIME.
THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY MOSTLY FOCUSED ON ISO AND PLA ISO IS THE INSURANCE, UM, INSURANCE, OH MY GOODNESS.
INSURANCE SERVICES ORGANIZATION.
SO IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN INSURANCE RISK ASSESSMENT, UH, FOR EACH COMMUNITY AND THAT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY'S ABILITY TO, UH, MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.
SO IT, IT REALLY LOOKED AT EACH ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THEY COULD PROVIDE AND HOW WE
[00:45:01]
COULD IMPROVE, UM, OUR RESPONSE TO THOSE RISKS IN, UM, AS IT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HUGO.AFTER THAT, THERE WAS A PAPER IN 1997 WRITTEN BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, SO RANDY WROTE A VERY GOOD PAPER THAT TALKED ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATION AND LEFT A ROADMAP FOR FUTURE CONSOLIDATION THAT ALTHOUGH IT'S FROM 1997, IT'S A VERY GOOD PAPER, IT WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND DOES REALLY LAY THE ROADMAP FOR THAT.
AND IT DID, UH, EVEN IN THAT PAPER, IT REFERENCED THE 1997 WORK.
UM, IN BETWEEN 2001 AND 2004, THERE WAS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT.
THERE WAS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT, UM, BETWEEN, UM, THE BURTON FIRE DISTRICT, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
AND THIS WAS A, WHAT THEY CALL THEN THE PORT ROYAL I ISLAND CONSOLIDATION ATTEMPT.
THIS WAS THE CLOSEST THAT, UM, THAT I CAN RECALL OR HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THAT ANY TWO DEPARTMENTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WELL, I CAN'T SAY THAT QUITE, THAT ANY MODERN DEPARTMENTS CAME TO CONSOLIDATION.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONSOLIDATION ON LADIES ISLAND.
THERE WERE, UM, TWO DEPARTMENTS THERE, SOME LADIES ISLAND AND ST.
HELENA DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE VOLUNTEER AND THEY JOINED TOGETHER.
AND NOW THE TOWN OF THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND THE CITY OF BEAUFORT ARE ESSENTIALLY ONE, UH, TYPE OF ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
AND THERE'S SOME OTHER EXAMPLES ON HILTON HEADS PINES AND THAT KIND OF THING, BUT A GLOBAL CONSOLIDATION.
THIS WORK THAT WAS DONE BY CHIEF ROUNDTREE AND, UM, CHIEF WENDELL WELBURN BACK THEN WAS PROBABLY THE CLOSEST TO ALMOST GETTING TO THAT CONSOLIDATION.
IN 2011, THERE WAS AN EMS STUDY, WHICH WAS A FIRE SUPPORT ANALYSIS STUDY THAT ALSO LOOKED AT SOME CONSOLIDATION EFFORTS OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EMS SYSTEM AND HAD SOME DISCUSSION, UH, ABOUT CONSOLIDATION AT THAT POINT.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE EIGHT INDEPENDENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS, NOT INCLUDING MILITARY FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UH, WITHIN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND ONE SINGLE COUNTYWIDE EMS, UM, AGENCY.
UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY EMS PROVIDES THAT TRANSPORT, EEM TRANSPORT, ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT FOR EVERY, EVERYWHERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS A FIRE, IS A MUNICIPAL OPERATED DEPARTMENT, WHICH PROVIDE THEIR OWN FIRE BASED EMS SUPPORT.
SO, UM, WHILE EACH OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED STUDIES DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL THAT'S CREATED BY CONSOLIDATION OF DEPARTMENTS, THEY ALL AGREE THAT CONSOLIDATION OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS MUST HAPPEN PRIOR TO ANY INCLUSION OF EMS. BECAUSE EMS IS ALREADY THAT CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT ONE TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT WOULD FRACTURE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF E UH, RESPONSE ABILITY OF EMS. UM, AND EACH OF THEM, WHILE WE HAVE DONE ALL THESE STUDIES, SOME OF THEM HAVE INSPIRED SOME CHANGE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONS, SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN ISO, SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN EQUIPMENT AND QUALITY PROCEDURES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
NONE OF THEM HAVE RESULTED IN ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TOWARDS CONSOLIDATION.
UM, NOT, NOT FROM WITH THE COUNTY'S INVOLVEMENT.
UH, AND THEY, EACH OF THEM BOILS DOWN TO MONEY.
DOES THE, DOES THE EFFORT OUTWEIGH THE COST? AND WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COST, IT IS EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THAT, OF THOSE DOLLARS.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
THERE ARE PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES OF INFORMATION AND I'M SURE IF YOU WANNA SIT DOWN WITH CHIEF KLEIN, THERE HE IS.
HE HAS STUDIED THIS FOR YEARS.
CHIEF KLEIN, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A FIRE CHIEF IN QUE COUNTY? SINCE 1994.
SO I, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT, UM, EVERY FIREFIGHTER AT SOME POINT IN THEIR CAREER HAS HEARD THE WORD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY CONSOLIDATION AND HAD THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AND MADE SOME EFFORT FOR OR AGAINST THAT.
UM, IT IS RARE TO FIND, UM, SOMEONE WITH AS MANY YEARS OF THAT EXPERIENCE, UH, UNDER THEIR BELT AS A CHIEF CLIENT, AND MADE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS IN THAT DIRECTION AS WELL.
UM, SO AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, I BEGAN BY MEETING WITH ALL THE FIRE CHIEFS.
[00:50:01]
IN THE ROOM TOGETHER.I PUT IT ON THE TABLE, HERE'S THE WORK THAT I'M DOING, UM, START SWINGING.
UH, AND WE HAD AN OPEN CONVERSATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT EACH OF THEIR CONCERNS.
WE TRIED TO, AND IT WAS PROBABLY TWO HOURS OR SO, WE TRIED TO BOIL THOSE DOWN, DOWN THOSE CONCERNS AND BEGIN TO WORK ON WHAT I SHARED WITH YOU.
THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK OUTLINED, THOSE THINGS THAT, THOSE CONVERSATIONS, EACH OF THOSE RABBIT HOLES THAT WE COULD BOIL DOWN INTO AN ACTIONABLE, UM, ITEM THAT WE COULD WORK TOWARDS.
UM, I ALSO FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH, UH, INDEPENDENT CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH, EACH OF THE FIRE CHIEFS, UH, ONE-ON-ONES, SOMETIMES SITTING IN THEIR OFFICE WITH COFFEE, SOMETIMES OVER THE PHONE, SOMETIMES EMAIL OR WRITTEN BACK AND FORTH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS PROPERLY REPRESENTING EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR CONCERNS.
SO ONE THING THAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THAT IT IS DIFFERENT FROM MOST OTHER PLACES.
THERE IS, THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF FIRE SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONSOLIDATIONS ALL OVER THE STATE AND ALL OVER THE NATION.
WHAT MAKES BEAUFORT COUNTY UNIQUE IS THE NATURAL TRANSITIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, BRIDGES AND ISLANDS THAT CREATED THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND TAXING DISTRICTS THAT MAKE FIRE SERVICE IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS IMPORTANT TO THOSE AREAS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, WE CAN, I'LL TALK ABOUT LADIES ISLAND BECAUSE IT'S A NICE LITTLE ISLAND AND IT'S GOT ISLAND IN ITS NAME.
THE LADIES ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT ITSELF IS ISOLATED IN A WAY BY BRIDGES.
AND OVER TIME THAT TAXING DISTRICT HAS BECOME SELF-SUPPORTING ON ITS OWN.
THE BENEFIT OF CONSOLIDATION COULD BE, UM, INCREASED RESILIENCY FROM THOSE AREAS.
YET WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE NATURAL BOUNDARIES THAT SUPPRESS THAT, UH, SEPARATE THESE AREAS.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAD A LOTS OF THAT DISCUSSION.
SO WE DEVELOPED THIS LIST OF ITEMS, UM, AND MADE AND HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO GO FORWARD FOR THIS SCOPE OF WORK WHILE ON THE LIST THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, THAT'S ON THE BOARD AND I HAVE SOME, UH, EXTRA COPIES IF, UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE THEM.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ONE OR WOULD LIKE ONE? SO I HIGHLIGHTED A FEW HERE JUST FOR YOU.
OH, I DON'T HAVE YOUR HIGHLIGHTED.
SEE THE SAME, LEMME SEE HIGHLIGHTED.
SO THAT INFORMATION WAS IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE, UM, THESE ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE, UH, THAT WE CAME UP WITH COLLECTIVELY.
THERE ARE 13 OF THEM, I THINK, UH, NUMBER SEVEN AND NUMBER 13 ARE NEARLY THE SAME.
UH, SO WE HAD, UM, ALL LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
COST ANALYSIS, UH, FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, SERVICE DEMAND AND STANDARDS, ISO RATINGS, COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
MUCH OF THIS WORK, WORK CAN BE DONE BY THE EXPERTS IN THE ROOM TODAY.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ME, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ROW OF FIRE CHIEFS BEHIND ME.
WE HAVE THE TALENT AND THE EXPERTISE HERE.
THE BIGGEST HURDLE THAT WE HAVE TO, TO LEAP, AND IT'S EVIDENCED BY ALL THESE REPORTS FROM ALMOST 30 YEARS, IS HOW DO WE FUND THIS PROPERLY? HOW DO WE SHARE IN THIS SERVICE EQUITABLY ACROSS THE COUNTY AS WE MOVE FORWARD? I'VE THE ONES THAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU.
UH, WHAT, UH, WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M SEEKING TODAY IS YOUR INPUT ON WHAT WE PUT OUT TO BID, UH, FOR THE CONSOLIDATION STUDY.
THE PRIMARY ONES ARE WHAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED AND THE REST I CAN PUT OUT FOR BID AS ALTERNATIVES SO I CAN HAVE FOLKS BID ON THEM AND GIVE US AN A LA CARTE PRICE AND WE CAN CHOOSE TO DO IT OR NOT.
UM, THE FIRST IS THE COST ANALYSIS TO ESTABLISH THE TOTAL COST OF SERVICE FOR ALL THE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES TO COMPARE THE CURRENT COST OF RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND NON-RESIDENTIAL FIRE SERVICE DELIVERY TO THE PROJECTED COST OF THE CONSOLIDATED SYSTEM.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT ARE THE TAXES GONNA LOOK LIKE? HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA COST YOU AS A RESIDENT VERSUS WHAT IT COSTS YOU TODAY? WHAT WILL IT COST YOU TOMORROW? WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS? WE HAVE, UH, DEBT SERVICE TO CONSIDER? WE HAVE, UM, AGREEMENTS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO ONE ANOTHER THAT'S OUTSIDE OF AN
[00:55:01]
AUTOMATIC AID OR A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT, FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS.AND THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT AS WELL.
UM, SERVICE DEMAND AND STANDARDS.
THIS IS TO ASK TO DETERMINE THE MINIMUM LEVEL OF SERVICE BASED ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE DETERMINE COST, WE FIRST HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE EXPECTATIONS OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT SERVICE DELIVERY, AND THEN HOW DO WE MEET THAT.
THIS IS ONE THAT, UM, THAT HONESTLY WE'LL WORK ITSELF OUT.
THE FIRE CHIEFS WILL UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.
EVERY ONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH ISO WELL BACK INTO THE, UH, SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY A CONSULTANT TO DO FOR US.
SO THE, SO FAR, THE ONES I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED ARE NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE, AND NUMBER FIVE.
SO NUMBER FIVE IS COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.
THIS IS TO REVIEW AND ASSESS THE DIFFERENCE IN WAGES, BENEFITS, AND RETIREMENT PLANS AMONG PARTICIPATING AGENCIES.
UH, THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, WHERE A LOT OF COST COMES IN.
UH, JUST BENEFITS ALONE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, COMPENSATION AND SALARIES, UH, AND BRINGING FOLKS, BRINGING ALL OF THESE AGENCIES INTO A A COUNTY TYPE OF BENEFIT PLAN WILL BE COSTLY.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US IS NUMBER SEVEN, UH, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE.
THIS IS TO DEFINE THE NECESSARY LEGAL GOVERNMENTS AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES, INCLUDING INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS, CONTRACTS, TO SUPPORT THAT POTENTIAL CON.
UM, CONSOLIDATION NUMBER 13 IS VERY SIMILAR, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT ANALYZING, ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND DETERMINE THAT CAUSE UH, COURSE OF ACTION FOR CONSOLIDATION BECAUSE SOME OF OUR AGENCIES ARE COUNTY RIGHT, UH, ENABLED OR COUNTY, UM, ESTABLISHED, UM, AGENCIES.
SOME ARE STATE, UH, HAVE STATE, UH, ENABLING LEGISLATIONS AND OTHER ARE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PSDS.
SO THERE BECOMES SOME, UM, THINGS TO DISCUSS THERE.
UM, BEFORE I OPEN IT FOR QUESTIONS, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ADDRESS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL SERVICES.
URBAN SERVICES OR A URBAN LEVEL OF SERVICES REQUIRES THE DENSITY OF POPULATION TO GENERATE THE TAX DOLLARS IN REVENUES TO SUPPORT THAT URBAN LEVEL OF SERVICE.
AS WE GO INTO RURAL AREAS, THE, UM, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS OR THE POPULATION AND DENSITY IN THAT AREA SUPPORTS CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM AND PUBLIC SAFETY THAT'S PROVIDED.
WHEN WE CONSOLIDATE DEPARTMENTS AND WE MIX URBAN AND RURAL, THERE WILL BE AN INEQUITY IN COST OF THAT SERVICE.
SOMEONE'S GOT TO PAY FOR AN INCREASE IN LEVEL OF SERVICE.
WE'RE ASKING THAT A CONSULTANT LOOK AT THAT FOR US, DETERMINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE HURDLE WE NEED TO GET OVER TO ACHIEVE THAT.
IF WE FIND THAT THE REPORT FROM THIS STUDY COMES BACK AND THERE IS A PALATABLE RES RESPONSE TO THAT, UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THEN FOR US TO PUT OUR TEAM OF FIRE CHIEFS BACK TOGETHER, TAKE THIS PIECE OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND BEGIN TO SOLVE THE REST OF THE PROBLEMS MOVING FORWARD.
ASK YOU IF YOU AGREE WITH, WITH THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE PRESENTED, ASK YOU IF YOU AGREE WITH THE HIGHLIGHTED UM, ITEMS THERE, AND WE, IF SO, THEN WE WILL LIST THOSE AS THE PRIMARY AND THE BALANCE AS ALTERNATIVES.
BEFORE I OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
SHOULD WE, I KNOW THIS IS DISCUSSION ONLY, BUT ARE YOU ASKING FOR AN ACTION ITEM ON THIS, UH, OR DIRECTION? WELL, WE CAN'T ASK FOR AN ACTION ITEM.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS, SIR, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ME AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU AGREE, YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD, I CAN TAKE THAT AS UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER THE RRP.
SO NO VOTE BECAUSE IT IS ONLY DISCUSSION.
THAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION I WANTED.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I'LL START DOWN HERE.
UH, MS. GLOVER, THERE'S LOTS OF FIRE CHIEFS HERE THAT ARE READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THEY MAY HAVE COMMENTS AS WELL.
WE SEE 'EM WHILE THEY'RE MM-HMM
MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, WHAT'S, WHO'S, WHAT'S THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND CONSOLIDATION? YES, SIR.
SO RIGHT NOW, TWO MAIN FACTORS.
TWO MAIN FACTORS ARE WHAT WE, UH, WHAT WE DISCUSSED A FEW MINUTE MOMENTS AGO, UH, ABOUT THE NATURAL, THE NATURAL BARRIERS ARE THE NATURAL DEFINING
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RESPONSE AREAS.UH, MOST OF BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ISOLATED BY BRIDGES AND SMALL ISLANDS.
UH, BUT THERE COMES A POINT WHEN MUNICIPALITIES BEGIN TO ANNEX INTO, UH, INTO, UM, THE COUNTY PROPERTY, INTO NON MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES THAT LEAVES BEHIND DONUT HOLES.
UM, WHERE THE UNINCORPORATED OR PSD TYPE FIRE DEPARTMENT STILL HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL NON MUNICIPAL PROPERTIES THAT HAVE TO BE PROTECTED.
HOWEVER, THE HIGHEST VALUE PROPERTY THAT PREVIOUSLY WAS TAX DOLLARS GOING TO THAT ENTITY, THOSE TAX DOLLARS NOW GO TO THAT MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND THEY LEAVE BEHIND, UM, LESS DOLLARS IN THE UNINCORPORATED OR PSD TYPE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO PROVIDE SERVICE.
SO IN A WAY, A CONSOLIDATION BETWEEN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ERASES THAT LINE.
THESE ORGANIZATIONS ALL ARE FUNDED FROM THE SAME SOURCE, AND THERE IS NO COMPETITION.
IN OTHER WORDS, ANNEXATION CANNOT FRACTURE FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICE ANY LONGER.
ONE OF THE OTHER TOPICS WAS, UM, FROM MS. TABER, AND THIS WAS TO LOOK AT NORMALIZATION OF COMPENSATION ACROSS, UH, ACROSS THE DISTRICTS.
AS WE LOOK AT THE SALARIES AND COMPENSATION FOR FIRE OR FIREFIGHTERS IN AN URBAN SETTING, IT IS NOT, IS COMPARABLE, BUT NOT COMPARABLE TO THAT COMPENSATION OF A FIREFIGHTER IN AN URBAN AREA OR IN A, UH, RURAL AREA.
THE DIFFERENCE IS, IS THAT RISK, AGAIN, FIREFIGHTERS IN THAT URBAN AREA, THEY HAVE MORE FUNDS, THEY HAVE MORE PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE OR PER ACRE, UH, THAN THE RURAL AREA.
SO WHILE THE RISK OF A SINGULAR HOUSE FIRE IS THE SAME TO A FIREFIGHTER, THE FREQUENCY OF THOSE HOUSE FIRES IS MUCH DIFFERENT.
IN THE CITY OF BUFORT OR TOWN OF PORT WALL, FOR INSTANCE, OR EVEN IN BLUFFTON, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX CAN HAVE BETWEEN 75 AND 300 APARTMENTS.
IF THE AVERAGE, UH, HOME HAS FOUR PEOPLE IN IT, WITH 300 APARTMENTS, THERE'S 1200 RISKS OF PEOPLE.
RIGHT? AND EVERY TOASTER AND EVERY MICROWAVE AND EVERY HEATER AND EVERY HAIR CURLING IRON AND EVERY SOURCE OF FIRE VERSUS A RURAL AREA, WHICH IS ONE HOME PER THREE ACRES AND PROBABLY THAT SAME NUMBER OF FOUR PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, THE RISK OF FREQUENCY OF THAT FIRE IS MUCH LESS REDUCED.
SO THE INDEPENDENT RISK THAT FIREFIGHTERS STILL EXIST IF THEY ALL GO TO THE SAME FIRE, BUT THE NUMBER OF FIRES OR NUMBER OF RISKS THEY PUT THEMSELVES AT ARE DIFFERENT.
SO YOU SEE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN COMPENSATION FOR SOMEONE WORKING IN A MORE URBAN AREA VERSUS SOMEONE THAT'S WORKING IN A MORE RURAL AREA.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S HELPFUL OR NOT.
WELL, YOU, WHAT YOU HAVE SAID TO ME IS THAT, UM, UH, IN MY RURAL DISTRICT MM-HMM
THAT I REPRESENT, UM, THERE'S REALLY NOT A NEED FOR US TO LOOK AT CONSOLIDATION.
WELL, SIR, I'M GONNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
UH, THAT'S YOU ASKED FOR MY OPINION.
UM, YET I SERVE ALSO THE INNER CITY OF BEAUFORT AS WELL, AND THERE'S A NEED FOR MAYBE BETTER FIRE SERVICE THERE.
I'M NOT TOO SURE BECAUSE THE MUNICIPALITY HANDLES THE FIRE DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, BUT ON THE RURAL AREA, LADIES ISLAND SING HELL, EVEN THOUGH ANNEXATION HAS OCCURRED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND THE LADIES ISLAND ST.
HELL FIRE DISTRICT TO SERVICE THOSE AREAS, THOSE DONUT HOLE AREAS THAT THE CITY IS NOT ACTUALLY COVERING RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA CONVINCE ME THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON A PLAN? WELL, YOU'RE SO THAT'S WHY I AM.
THERE, THE, UM, AS I STATED IN THE BEGINNING, THE COMPLEXITY, THE COMPLEX NATURE OF, OF THIS IS VERY DEEP.
UM, AND I'M EXPRESSING ME, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT, UM, ALL AREAS, UM, MAY NEED CONSOLIDATION.
SO I NEED TO BE CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE PATH WE NEED TO PURSUE.
UM, THIS IS, UH, A STUDY THAT IS LONG OVERDUE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, OUR FIRE CHIEFS ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
I THINK YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER A VERY COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE OF WORK.
YOU'RE GOING TO TARGET CERTAIN, UM, PEOPLE THAT DO THIS FOR A LIVING.
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WHEN YOU PUT IT OUT, DO YOU HAVE SOME SENSE OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO DO SUCH A STUDY? YES, SIR.IF WE, IF WE LIMIT THE PRIMARY RESPON, THE PRIMARY QUESTIONS OF THE CO SCOPE OF WORK RIGHT NOW, UH, WE HAVE BUDGETED, AND IT'S IN COUNCIL'S BUDGET IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OTHER STUDIES CONDUCTED, AND BASED ON THAT LIMITED AMOUNT, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT MUCH OF THE STUDY.
IF WE INCLUDED ALL OF THOSE ITEMS, THAT'S PROBABLY A MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE STUDY THAT WE'RE NOT PREPARED.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO DO A STUDY AND WE'RE GONNA HAMPER OURSELVES, WE MAY WELL NOT GET WHAT WE REALLY NEED.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE A STUDY THAT HAS THESE AS THE BASIS AND THE OTHERS AS ALTERNATIVES.
BECAUSE A COMPANY WHO DOES THIS FOR A LIVING MAY SAY, BY THE WAY, TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO THIS.
SO WE, THE INTENT IS THAT WE PUT THIS SCOPE OF WORK OUT BID, AND WE BRING IN COMPANIES THAT PRESENT THEMSELVES AND PREVENT, PRESENT OR PRESENT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WE, YOU, YOU ARE VERY RIGHT.
WE MAY FIND THAT A COMPANY SAYS YOU CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE RIGHT THING.
AND WE ARE CERTAINLY OPEN TO THAT.
SO, I, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
JOHN, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, UM, CONSOLIDATION OF THE FIRE SERVICES, IT IS A COMPLEX ISSUE.
UH, YOU ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT, UH, IN 2011, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE, UH, THERE WAS A A, A STUDY DONE, AND CHIEF KLEIN AND ALL THE FIRE CHIEFS, UH, WERE ACTUALLY, UH, PARTAKERS IN THAT STUDY AS WELL.
AND, AND THE, THE, THE, THE PRIMARY ISSUE IS TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE ALL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE DISPARITY IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY FOUND OUT, RIGHT? CHIEF, THAT'S WHAT THEY FOUND OUT.
AND IF, IF YOU HAVE THE DISPARITY IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND YOU TRY TO COMBINE, UH, THE FIRE DISTRICTS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, UH, INEQUITY AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED FOR THE POPULATED AREA VERSUS THE RURAL AREA.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE.
AND SO THE INEQUITY OF THE COST OF, UH, OF FIRE SERVICE IN THE RURAL AREA, UM, IS NOT GOING TO BE WHAT'S NEEDED IN THE, IN THE MORE DENSE AREA.
AND SO NOW WHEN THE TAXES GO UP FOR FIRE SURFACE COMBINED FOR THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE, THE FOLKS IN THE RURAL AREA WILL BE COMPENSATING FIRE SERVICE AND THE, AND THE LARGER AREAS.
AND, AND SO, UH, I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT THIS, THIS, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND, AS FAR AS MY TENURE ON COUNCIL, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND, UM, CONSULT CONSULTATION.
THAT STUDY THAT, THAT WE'LL BE DOING.
BUT I'M CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT IT'S, WHAT, WHAT IT'S GOING TO RENDER AS WELL.
SO, UM, I, I CAN SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD AND JUST SEEING WHAT IT, WHAT IT PRESENTS TO US.
NOT THAT I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT.
ALRIGHT, DEB, SO I DO HAVE YOUR PREVIOUS PAPER.
AND WHAT I, I REALLY LIKED IS IT SAYS WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE AND OUR EMPLOYEES.
A FIREFIGHTER IN BURTON MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS OR MAKE AS MUCH AS BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE.
A MILL IN BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP, 1 MILLION, 200,000 MAYBE LADIES ISLAND, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THIS STUDY, LOOKING AT THE ONES YOU HIGHLIGHTED MM-HMM
THOSE COULD LITERALLY BE DISCUSSED AND DONE IN HOUSE.
IT'S BA BASICALLY THE COST ANALYSIS COULD BE DONE WITH THE CHIEFS YOURSELF, OUR FINANCE, UH, CFOI DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.
I TOOK THE FIVE BUDGETS AND I COULD EASILY SEE THAT IF WE PUT THESE TOGETHER, THE MILLAGE GOES UP ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT IN LOOKING AT FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.
THESE CHIEFS ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT PINKY KNOWS THAT LOOKING AT AND SERVICE DEMAND AND STANDARDS, THEY CLEARLY HAVE IT.
DO WE HAVE THREE ON A TRUCK, TWO ON A TRUCK? I DON'T KNOW, COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS? SO NUMBER 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE.
I'M WONDERING WHY WE DON'T DO THAT IN-HOUSE FIRST AND THEN GET A CONSULTANT AND ALSO LOOK AT OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE CONSOLIDATED.
I KNOW THERE ARE ISSUES HERE, BUT SOME OF THIS COULD BE DONE INHOUSE.
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IF IT'S ABSOLUTELY OFF THE CHART, THEN WHY WOULD WE DROP A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO IT? OTHER THAN IN THIS PAPER IT SAID, I REALLY LIKE WHOEVER WROTE THIS.HE SAYS, IT'S TIME TO QUIT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND GET ON IT.
AND HE SAID, IT'S NOT WRONG TO NOT CONSOLIDATE.
IT IS WRONG TO NOT CONSIDER CONSOLIDATION AND STOP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
SO MY QUESTION IS NUMBER 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE, WHY COULDN'T THE CHIEFS AND YOU, AND I'M SURE THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO, BUT THEY KNOW IT BEST.
THEY LIVE THIS EVERY DAY AND PUT PINKY IN THE MIX.
YOU COULD PUT YOU, MIKE, YOU CAN DO 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE WITHOUT EVEN DROPPING A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THEN I THINK WHERE THE CONSULTANT COMES IN IS WHAT HAVE OTHER COUNTIES DONE? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST USING OUR DATA? SO I WAS LOOKING, I I HATE TO SOUND CHEAP ABOUT IT, BUT THESE GUYS KNOW BETTER THAN SOME CONSULTANT THAT'S GONNA WALK IN THE DOOR.
AND CHIEF KLEIN'S GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING.
I THINK CERTAINLY, I, I, I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU, AND I DO BELIEVE THE TALENT IS IN THE ROOM TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
BUT THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT CAME FROM COUNSEL WAS TO COME FORWARD WITH, UH, WITH A STUDY.
WELL, WE DID ASK FOR A STUDY, BUT YOU DID, IT COULD BE GENERATED BY THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW IT BEST.
UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT MS. TAVERNA SAID, BUT ONE THAT WAS NOT HIGHLIGHTED, I THINK SHOULD BE, OR WE'RE GONNA BE HERE, SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE HERE 10 YEARS AGAIN, IS THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND GOING BACK TO WHAT RANDY WOOD SAID, UM, BACK IN NINE SEVEN, THAT'S, THAT'S GOTTA BE, UH, SOMETHING, SOMETHING PUT ON PAPER ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, AND, UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE PRIOR WORK THAT WAS DONE BETWEEN, UM, CHIEF HARRY ROUNDTREE, THE BURTON FIRE DISTRICT, AND WENDELL WELBURN WAS SO CLOSE, AND THEY DID ALL OF THIS WORK BETWEEN THREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
THEY DID ALL OF THE FINANCIAL STUDY, THEY DID ALL OF THE PERSONNEL, THE ORGANIZATION, ALL OF THE LEGAL WORK.
UM, SO WHAT HAPPENED? IT CAN, IT CAN BE DONE.
SO WHAT HAPPENED, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT HERE.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO DO SOMETHING NEW.
WHEN, WHEN I GO BACK AND I LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE 1990 REPORT, I LOOK AT WHAT RANDY SAID IN 1997, WHICH IS STILL VERY GOOD WORK.
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THIS SINCE 1990.
IN 1990, THE BLUFFTON FIRE DISTRICT HAD THREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
NOW THEY HAVE 11 AND BUILDING 12 AND LOOKING AT 13.
AND THEY ARE AMONGST THE LARGEST FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UH, UM, THAT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE STATE, BUT THEY'RE A VERY LARGE ORGANIZATION.
UM, IN 1990, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT NOT COMBINED WITH PORT ROYAL, BUT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT ALONE HAD THE MOST PAID FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THINGS HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PAST 30 YEARS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AGAIN.
'CAUSE LIKE RANDY SAID, THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO WRONG IS NOTHING.
THE ONLY THING I WANT TO ADD IS THAT WITH ALL THE CHANGES WE'VE HAD, ONE CONSTANT CHIEF CLIENT, YOU'VE BEEN HERE 30 YEARS OR SINCE 1990, CORRECT.
MY CONS, MY THOUGHT IS WHY DON'T WE CONSIDER WHAT THE CHIEFS WANT? HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? OR WE TALKED TO YOU? I MEAN, HAVE WE IN THIS BACKUP? I DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT.
IS IT THERE, DENNIS? THAT'S WHY THE CHIEFS ARE HERE.
PLEASE ALSO, IF, IF YOU WANT TO ASK THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, I'M SURE THEY ARE PREPARED AND CHIEF, HE'S PREPARED.
I SEE YOU'RE JUMPING OUTTA YOUR SEAT IF YOU WANT.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME EXPERTS THAT CAN YES, SIR.
AND, AND GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE SAID, BUT, UM, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS THAT I HAVE SHARED WITH JOHN.
UH, AND I THINK OVERALL HE DID A DECENT JOB OF COVERING THOSE.
UM, AND IT WAS JUST STATED, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK THAT THE TALENTS IN THE ROOM, FIRE CHIEFS, MR. ROBINSON PINKY, WOULD FINANCE TO REALLY DO A THOROUGH LOOK AT, UM, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS TO THE TAXPAYER AT WHAT COST AND WHO PAYS THAT.
AND WE CAN RUN THOSE SCENARIOS AND WE CAN PUT UP FENCES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU THROW THE, THE PRESENTATION BACK UP, IT SAYS COUNTYWIDE.
ARE WE TRULY LOOKING AT COUNTYWIDE? BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOMEBODY ABSENT HERE TODAY.
IT'S TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, AND THEY WANT NO PART OF THIS.
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HAVE A ROBUST ORGANIZATION.THEY'RE A FIRE BASED EMS. THEY'RE IN THE RANGE OF 23 TO $24 MILLION IS THEIR ORGANIZATION.
UH, I THINK THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD DOESN'T WANT ANY PART OF THIS.
AND THAT FIRE CHIEF STATED THAT IN OUR FIRST MEETING.
UM, SO I THINK THERE ARE SCENARIOS, NO MATTER WHERE WE PUT THIS FUNDING FENCE UP, THERE ARE SEVERAL SCENARIOS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND GIVE YOU A VERY CLOSE ESTIMATE OF WHAT THE IMPACT IS TO THE TAXPAYER.
AGAIN, I SAY WHO'S PAYING WHAT.
AND WHO ENDS UP PAYING THAT BILL? YOU COULD LOOK AT IT SUBSIDIZING THE BIG HITTER IN THE ROOM BLUFF AND FIRE DISTRICT.
OVER A MILLION DOLLAR MILL VALUE IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
THE NEXT CLOSEST ONE IS LADIES ISLAND SECONDARY FIRE DISTRICT AT $217,000.
SO WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT FENCES AND, AND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, OUR BLUFFS AND CITIZENS PREPARED TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT, NINE MILLS? I DON'T THINK SO, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD RUN THOSE SCENARIOS.
I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
I THINK THAT IT CAN BE DONE BY YOUR FIRE CHIEFS, BY FINANCE AND, AND, AND JOHN, UH, LOOK AT ALL THE POTENTIAL SCENARIOS.
WE KNOW OUR BUDGETS, WE KNOW OUR MILL RATES.
WE KNOW THE NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THOSE INCREASED LEVEL OF SERVICES.
UM, THE SCOPE OF WORK I SOMEWHAT DISAGREE WITH, AND I DID STATE THIS TO JOHN IN MY EMAIL, UM, WAY TOO BROAD, WAY TOO INVOLVED.
YOU ARE NEVER GONNA GET A CONSULTANT FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'LL GET.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, THE ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE COST OF SERVICES AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS PUMP BRAKES A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT SAYING KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
I'M SAYING PUMP THE BRAKES JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, RUN BACK TO THE COST ANALYSIS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW VALUES, I KNOW RATES.
THERE, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A GREAT REDUCTION IN MILL RATES TO SOME AT THE COST TO OTHERS.
AND I KIND OF THREW IT OUT THERE ALREADY BLUFFING AT, AT EIGHT, EIGHT OR NINE MILLS.
UM, AGAIN, MY LAST COMMENT IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE DISTRICTS COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS THAT WE'RE SWORN TO PROTECT.
AND WE CONSTANTLY LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO THAT INCREASED LEVEL OF SERVICE AT, AT A BETTER COST.
AND THERE IS NOT A FIRE CHIEF IN THIS ROOM, OR THOSE THAT AREN'T HERE THAT HAS THE SAME OPINION.
IF IT IS A BETTER LEVEL OF SERVICE OR EQUAL TO AT A BETTER PRICE, WE'RE ALL IN.
WE'RE ALL IN, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU TOOK IT DOWN AGAIN.
BUT THE, UH, THE, THE, UH, MISSIONS, THE MISSION STATES MORE THAN ONCE, MISSION AND PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE STATE MORE THAN ONCE AT A GREATER VALUE.
UM, AT A GREATER VALUE AT WHOSE COST IS, IS THE QUESTION.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT AND WE CAN LAY THAT ALL OUT TO YOU AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I DO HAVE JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT, CHIEF.
I MEAN, WHEN I LOOKED AT, UM, THE PURPOSE, I, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE QUESTIONS THE COUNTYWIDE LEVEL OF FIRE SERVICE OR THE PROVIDING EFFECTIVENESS OR GREATER VALUE.
'CAUSE I KNOW I LIVE IN BLUFFTON.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH MY BLUFFTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU HAVE A GREAT FIRE SERVICE IN BLUFFTON.
THEY LITERALLY LIVE IN SUN CITY, SO WE'RE OKAY.
BUT, AND, AND I KNOW I'VE, WE KNEW THAT BEFORE THEY BUILT SUN CITY, WHEN THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, THEY WERE GONNA LIVE THERE.
BUT IT ALSO DON'T HEAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER FIRE DISTRICTS, BURTON, SHELDON, LADIES ISLAND.
I MEAN, WE JUST DON'T, SO PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE.
I I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THE EFFICIENCIES, UM, ARE, ARE VERY WELL VERY GOOD.
AND WITHIN THEIR FINANCIAL MEANS MM-HMM
DUPLICATION OF EFFORT, DUPLICATION OF SERVICES, UH, VERY, VERY SMALL AREA WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UH, JOHN REFERENCED, UH, HARRY ROUNDTREE AND CHIEF WANDA WILBURN THAT WAS LOOKING AT COMBINING BURTON AND, AND, AND BEAUFORT TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
UM, AND, AND SO AGAIN, DUPLICATION OF SERVICES, A FIRE STATION ACROSS THE STREET IS A SMALL AREA THAT'S NOT RESPONDING TO ACROSS THE STREET THAT CAN BE HANDLED BY AUTOMATIC AID, CONTRACTS, MUTUAL AID.
[01:20:01]
RESILIENCY IN, IN THE, THE OBJECTIVES OR THE PURPOSE.UM, I'LL SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THE MAJOR FIREARM FRI SHOWED ADEQUATE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES AND RESILIENCY.
THOUGH FRIPP ONLY HAD ONE ENGINE, BUT AUTOMATIC EIGHT IMMEDIATE AND MUTUAL AID PUT ENOUGH PEOPLE ON THAT SCENE TO KEEP IT FROM YES.
IT BURNT THREE COULD HAVE BURNED SEVEN OR MORE.
SO THAT'S DISTRIBUTION, THAT'S RESILIENCY.
THAT'S, THAT'S ADEQUATE RESOURCES.
COULD THEY USE MORE? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT AT WHAT COST? IS AUTOMATIC AID THE SAME AS MUTUAL AID? NO, AUTOMATIC IS AUTOMATIC.
THE DOOR SUES, THE CALL GOES IN.
WE HAVE AN AUTOMATIC AID WITH THE CITY FOR DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT.
THEY ARGUABLY THE, THE HEART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, AND SO IF THERE IS A FIRE CALL AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, TONGUES DROP FOR CITY OF BEAUFORT AND LADIES ISLAND, WE RESPOND.
WHILE I KNOW WE'RE NOT TAKING A VOTE.
SO IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, YES, SIR.
IT IS YOUR PREFERENCE TO DO AN IN-HOUSE STUDY.
GIVE, GIVE YOU BEFORE WE WOULD CONSIDER SAYING, OKAY, BASED UPON THIS, WE NEED THE NEXT STEP.
AND, AND, AND I SAY, UH, I THINK THE, UH, MADAM VICE CHAIR BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, ONE THROUGH WHATEVER, SHE SCROLLED IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK WE CAN HANDLE THE, THE COST ANALYSIS AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
WE KNOW OUR DEBT, WE KNOW OUR RESTRICTIONS.
WE KNOW IN THE TERMS, WE KNOW ALL THOSE THINGS.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BRING ANYBODY IN TO TELL YOU COST ANALYSIS, FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES.
AND IS ALREADY BETTER THAN US.
YOU GUYS COULD DO BETTER THAN IN A CONSULTANT AND YOU WOULDN'T CHARGE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND BUCKS.
WELL, JOE, YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT TAKING A VOTE RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THE CONSENSUS IS TO WORK ON IT INTERNALLY.
AND THEN TO COME BACK AND WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
AND I, AND I, I THINK EVERYONE OF, I THINK WE WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WANNA PAY A CONSULTANT RIGHT NOW.
WELL, THAT, THAT IS THE PURPOSE, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET A FEELING OF, UH, OF YOUR DESIRE.
AND I'D LIKE THE OTHER CHIEFS, IF THEY WANNA SPEAK CHIEF CHURCH.
UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER IS OFFENSE IS ESSENTIALLY, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A CITIZEN AND AS A, AS A OPERATING MEMBER OF THE FIRE DISTRICT OF BLUFFTON, IS MORE OF A CONCENTRATIONAL INTEROPERABILITY RATHER THAN CONSOLIDATION.
CURRENTLY SPEAKING, WE DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF THAT AT THE, ON THE SURFACE, THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE'VE SEEN JUST A FEW DOLLARS OR A LITTLE BIT OF COST CAUSES A, CAUSES A HICCUP IN THE SERVICE THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
HARDY HAS ANNEXED CRACKER BARREL IN, CORRECT? MM-HMM
BUT IF A CARDIAC ARREST CALL GOES OUT THERE, BEFOR COUNTY MASS IS THE RESPONDING AGENCY.
BUT IF OUR PERSONNEL HEAR THAT CALL, THEY'RE GOING BECAUSE IT'S A CRITICAL CALL.
AND YOU KNOW, SOME CAN SAY, WELL, YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO THAT.
IT DOESN'T, IF YOU RUN THE NUMBERS, IT'S NOT THAT MANY TIMES PROBABLY.
BUT, UH, ONE EXAMPLE TO LOOK AT, AND THE FIRE CHIEF HILTON HAD ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS UP IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS IS, UH, CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR, UH, COLLABORATION AND COOPERATIVE, UH, RESPONSE IN THE THINGS THEY'RE DOING, UH, EVERYONE ALWAYS SAYS, YOU KNOW, YEAH, BLUFFTON IS BEING CONSIDERED THE CASH COW IN THIS THING.
WE DO HAVE 1,000,070 9,000 MAIL VALUE.
HOWEVER, WE'RE SUPPORTING ABOUT THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS, AS SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTY.
OUR CALL VOLUMES APPROACHING 11,000 CALLS A YEAR WITH FIRING MS CALLS.
THAT'S ALMOST THE TOTAL OF ALL THE CALLS IN NORTH BE COUNTY.
SO SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THINGS TO CONSIDER IS, IS COST OF LIVING THAT EMS BROUGHT UP EARLIER AS AN ISSUE.
IF BLUFFING GETS, IF BLUFFING WERE TO GET FROZEN OR, OR SLOWED DOWN IN THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE THROUGHOUT OUR TIME AND, AND WE'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS MANY TIMES TO, TO BEG AND PLEAD FOR IT, UM, I THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE A RETENTION ISSUE IF THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
IN ANY CASE, COUNTYWIDE EVEN DO THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS NEED TO CATCH UP A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WE HEARD THAT IN THE, IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION MEETINGS.
THAT WAS VERY CLEARLY IDENTIFIED.
WELL, WE HAVE TO TODAY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE OF 10 YEARS AGO, OR EVEN MAYBE THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, IS SUPPORTIVE, UM, SUPPORTIVE STAFF ON COUNCIL, SUPPORTIVE STAFF ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND THAT'S PROVEN IN THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AND THE COUNTY HAS DONE WITH THE EMS ALONE AND, UH, SOME IN THIS SHERIFF'S OFFICE ALONE, AND THE PAY INCREASES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, THE PACE STUDIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, I THINK A LOT OF THAT CAN BE FIXED
[01:25:02]
DISTRICT OR COUNTYWIDE WITH THE FIRE DISTRICTS, BOTH IN, IN ALL LEVELS IS THE CONTINUED SUPPORT.UM, SOMETIMES, UH, THERE'S BEEN THE QUESTIONS ASKED, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO? AND I THINK THE DAYS OF, UH, I THINK THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES MATTER, AND WE, WE NEED THEM, IS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AI CAN'T DO IS, UH, SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.
IS, UH, JUST TO CONTINUE SUPPORT OF ALL THE AGENCIES IN THE ROOM REPRESENTED.
AND JUST KNOWING THAT WHEN THERE'S A TAX INCREASE THAT IS NEEDED, BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO, SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO DO THAT.
GROWTH IS COMING TO THEM AT SOME POINT, JUST LIKE IT CAME TO US.
CHIEF ROUNDTREE MADE A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
1990, WE WERE RUNNING ONE, ONE PERSONAL ENGINE, ONE PERSONAL SQUAD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THREE EMPLOYEES.
AND WE'VE GROWN TO WHERE WE'RE AT THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT WE'VE HAD A SUPPORTIVE COMMISSION, A BOARD, AND WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTED THROUGH GROWTH THAT I THINK THAT JUST HAS TO BE LOOKED AT IN GENERAL.
BUT, UM, JUST A QUICK NUMBERS AND SOMETHING I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL, IS TO LOOK AT THE SHEER, WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON IN EVERY DISTRICT CALL VOLUME WISE.
LIKE I MENTIONED OUR NUMBERS EARLIER, BUT JUST A LOOK AT THE, JUST TO LOOK AT THE CALL VOLUME I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
I'M SORRY, THE, THE RENT COSTS, IT'S ABOUT FOUR OR $500 MORE A MONTH TO LIVE IN.
BLUFFTON, RENT WISE, ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS DATA, THAT'S PER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST WHAT THE CENSUS DATA SAYS VERSUS THE NORTH OF ABROAD, UM, HOUSING UNITS.
WE PROTECT 33,873 HOUSING UNITS ACCORDING TO CENSUS DATA.
LAY OUT AND SAY HELEN IS AT 9,689 AND GROWING RAPIDLY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE COMING UP RIGHT BEHIND.
THERE'S, THEY'RE GROWING AS WELL.
BUT, UH, JUST ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA REFERENCE, AND I'LL SIT DOWN AND LET YOU GUYS MOVE ON WITH YOUR DAY, IS, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COST OF LIVING, EVEN IN, EVEN WITH OUR INCREASE IN SALARIES THAT WE HAVE VERSUS SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES OUT OF 170 EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE 55 OF THEM THAT LIVE OUT OF THE AREA AND NINE OF THOSE COMMUTE FROM GEORGIA.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A, IT'S WHAT'S, WHAT'S, UH, LIVE WORK, PLAY.
IT'S WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHERE YOU'RE WORKING, WHERE YOUR PLAY IS GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, SUPPORTING THE AGENCIES IN THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT OUTSIDE AGENCY PAY STUDIES WILL HELP THAT FACTOR AND PROBABLY ALLEVIATE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU.
NO, I THINK, I THINK THE CHIEF, SORRY.
I KNOW Y'ALL GOT ANOTHER MEETING PLANNED.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, JOHN REFERENCED THAT SOME OF THE, UH, JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, UM, I THINK WE ARE PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF BUFORT AND, UM, TOWN PORT ROW AND THE BURTON FIRE DISTRICT.
WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF AUTOMATIC AID.
UM, THERE'S A LONG LEGAL HISTORY BETWEEN US THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON WELL BEFORE ME, AND I THINK A CLOSEST UNIT RESPONSE, AN AUTOMATIC AID PROGRAM, AND ELIMINATE ALL THOSE LEGAL ISSUES AS A DIRECTION WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TOO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT COMMENT TO THE DISCUSSION.
IF IT COULD BE THAT EASY, CHIEF.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I'LL SAY ONE COMMENT AND I AM SPEAKING AND CUT.
ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY HERE, CHIEFS STAFF, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT WE WANT THIS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO DO WHAT IS BEST.
IF WE JUST NEED TO ANALYZE THE NUMBERS, LOOK AT EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT WE CAN GET TO MAKE IT RIGHT.
THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE WANT TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS AND WE DON'T WANNA FORCE ANYBODY TO DO ANYTHING.
BUT WE WANT TO HAVE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICE ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY IF WE CAN.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.
[8. AGENDA ITEMS]
NOW MOVING INTO ITEM EIGHT A, THE DISCUSSION.UH, THE APPOINTMENT OF JUSTIN PALMER TO THE DISABILITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF NOVEMBER, 2029 PENDING APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UH, BY SHOW OF HANDS, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION OR, WELL, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS? NO.
BY A SHOW OF HANDS, I BELIEVE THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THIS BOARD? SEEING NONE.