- April 20, 2024
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Volusia County is exploring the construction of three buildings for paramedics to provide a location for respite, to be funded by American Rescue Plan Act Transition Fund dollars.
This was discussed during a County Council workshop to discuss the county staff's recommendations for allocations of these funds. The county proposed one building to be located in downtown DeLand, and two others to be built on the east side of the county. Though initially the county budgeted $1.2 million for each location, County Manager George Recktenwald said he believed they could do all three for $1.8 million instead.
“Our EMS employees spend a tremendous amount of time out on the road," Recktenwald said. "They are moved all over the county. I think it’s important they have places. We’re calling them respite locations.”
However, with EMS call volumes peaking once again due to COVID-19 — Public Protection Director Joe Pozzo said EMS experienced about 160 interfacility patient transfers last week alone, a number he's never seen before — and the ongoing issue shortage of personnel and ambulances available to respond to calls, Councilwoman Heather Post said the county is "putting the cart way ahead of the horse."
Before adding new buildings, Post suggested that the county utilize the ARPA funds to add paramedics and fix the issues of the current operating system.
“I can see in five years building additional buildings, but how about we fix the actual system first so that we actually have the people to respond to these calls?” Post said.
The councilwoman mentioned she had been in contact with the city manager and mayor of Daytona about the issue, to which Councilman Ben Johnson reprimanded her and said she was overstepping her boundaries as a councilwoman.
“It’s in your district but we are a charter form of government," Johnson said. "You’re supposed to be taking your concerns to those people there. They’re supposed to be handling it, not you getting in the middle of that.”
Post defended herself, saying that the mayor had sent the entire a council an email on the issue and that it was within her scope to respond and pass information on to county staff. The buildings, she said, would be great, but she asked that the county examine and address the deployment system.
Pozzo said that the demand on the system is "horrific," and that in order to fix that, units need to be added.
“It does take people to have more of a static-based system that you’re speaking to where you’re in stations or locations around the county," Pozzo said.
Even if the county is short of people, Council Chair Jeff Brower suggested they push for six buildings because paramedics need a place to go, and having county-owned respite locations could save them money in the long run.
Recktenwald said there will be a future workshop to discuss EMS.
