Emergency Medical Services Alliance
Encyclopedia
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
(EMS) agency created by a partnership between The Marion County, Florida
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
Board of County Commissioners, The City of Ocala, Ocala Regional Medical Center/West Marion Community Hospital and Munroe Regional Medical Center. EMSA was responsible for providing leadership, field supervision and medical direction for 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
based emergency medical services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
responses, patient contacts, and ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
transportation within the 1653 square miles (4,281.3 km²) service area in North Central Florida
North Central Florida
North Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida which comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area , Bradford, Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee and Union counties...
from 2003 to 2008.
About EMSA
Emergency Medical Services Alliance was formed on October 1, 2003. It was an alliance of Marion CountyMarion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
, Governed by a Board of Directors. The Board consists of the County Administrator, Ocala City Manager, The CEO of Ocala Regional Medical Center, CEO of Monroe Regional Medical Center, and the President of Central Florida Community College
Central Florida Community College
College of Central Florida, formerly known as Central Florida Community College, is a public state college in Ocala, Florida. The College of Central Florida is a member institution of the Florida College System....
. Prior to the formation of the alliance, the Emergency Medical Services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
for Marion County
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
were provided by Munroe Regional Hospital. As of October 1, 2008, EMSA was dissolved and the responsibilities for providing Emergency Medical Services and ambulance transport for Marion County
Marion County, Florida
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 316,183. Its county seat is Ocala....
were turned over to Marion County Fire-Rescue.
Ocala Fire-Rescue and Marion County Fire-Rescue responded along with EMSA on certain types of calls, providing first-response Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
on critical patients and extrication on automobile accidents. At the time, Marion County Fire-Rescue also had 4 transport vehicles to handle calls in the rural areas, including three in the Ocala National Forest. EMSA was dispatched by their own communicators operating out of the Marion County Sheriff's Office PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
calls were answered by Marion County Sheriff's Office, and then transferred to an EMSA calltaker who then would enter the call into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System. Another dispatcher would notify the closest ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
via radio while the calltaker gives pre-arrival medical instructions to the caller if needed. This practice is still applied with Marion County Fire-Rescue.
Facts about EMSA
Right before the dissolution of EMSA, the population served was 300,000+ with a response area of 1653 square miles (4,281.3 km²).Statistics
- 67 Paramedics
- 66 EMTs
- 36 Support Staff
- 27 Administrative Staff
Vehicles
EMSA had several vehicles that dynamically post throughout the county:- 24 F350 Super Duty Ambulances * Advanced Life SupportAdvanced Life SupportAdvanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
Equipped - 6 Freightliner Ambulances * Advanced Life SupportAdvanced Life SupportAdvanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
Equipped - 2 Road Supervisor Trucks
- 9 Support Units
- 1 John Deere GatorJohn Deere GatorThe John Deere Gator is a family of small all-terrain utility vehicles produced by the John Deere Corporation. They typically feature a box bed, similar in function to a pickup truck, and have been made in a variety of configurations, ranging from 4 to 6 wheels. The Gator line of vehicles are...
ATV (All-terrain vehicleAll-terrain vehicleAn all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
) * Medically Equipped - 2 Mini Ambulance Golf Carts * Medically Equipped
- 6 Mountain BikeMountain bikeA mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
s * Medically Equipped - 1 MotorcycleMotorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
* Medically Equipped
EMSA Ambulances traveled an average of 220 miles per day.