Study recommendations include:
 

* Establish a county department of fire and emergency medical services and hire a fire coordinator to direct the new department. The department would develop a comprehensive fire prevention program, supervise emergency medical services, coordinate county-wide fire and rescue planning, and coordinate the activities of the nine volunteer fire companies in the county.
 

* Create the positions of EMS coordinator and fire marshal.
 

* The Department of Emergency Services should focus its efforts on emergency communications and emergency management. 
 

* Establish a county police department, which would be headed by a police chief appointed by the county administrator.
 

* Develop and implement a four-unit EMS response system. There would be four Advanced Life Support chase cars strategically assigned and one paramedic would be assigned to each ALS chase car 24 hours a day. Ambulance transport would be provided by volunteer fire companies, with alternative strategies possible if ambulance transport is limited during weekday work hours. 
 

* The proposed EMS system would require 16 paramedics supported by part-time personnel.
 

* Implement a county-wide prisoner booking process. All law enforcement agencies in the county should transport people arrested to the detention center for booking. 
 

* Conduct an engineering analysis of each fire station in the county.
 

* Develop a five-year emergency services staffing plan.
 

The study recommends that 37 additional positions be added over the next five years (fiscal years 2003-2007). The additional staffing would include nine more people (one sergeant, one corporal and seven deputies) in the patrol division of the sheriff's department; three more dispatchers, a chief supervisor, a systems coordinator and a training coordinator in the department of emergency services; five more corrections officers and a case manager for the detention center.
 

"You have a good solid dedicated work force," Morse told the commissioners. 
 

Morse said it's important for the county government to support and recognize the volunteer fire companies. He said, "You need to show that volunteer community the significance they have to you."
 

Commissioner George O'Donnell asked the reason behind the recommendation for a county police force. Currently police duties are handled by the sheriff's office, which is headed by an elected sheriff. 
 

Bolesta said the process of running for reelection tends to fragment a department. What if a newly elected sheriff had no police experience or management experience, he asked.
 

O'Donnell said the report is "very voluminous" and it will take time for the commissioners to go through it. Some recommendations will be looked at carefully during the upcoming budget deliberations, said O'Donnell. He said fiscal 2003 will be a "tight budget year" and no decisions have been made on at this point.
 

The emergency services study "can help to be a guide for short term and long term projects," said O'Donnell. 
 

©The Star Democrat 2002