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Recommendation 2

EMS Task Force Recommendations

Title: Recommendation 2a

Action Item:
The Mayor shall appoint a Medical Director who shall hold the rank of Assistant Fire Chief. The Medical Director shall report to the Fire/EMS Chief but may be removed only by the Mayor. The Medical Director shall be a physician licensed to practice to medicine in the District of Columbia, board certified in a medical specialty that represents the broad patient base that EMS serves (emergency medicine, general surgery, family medicine, or internal medicine). Candidates must also have four years of substantial experience in EMS or other similar out-of-hospital care, including experience as EMS Medical Director, Assistant Medical Director or successful completion of a recognized fellowship.

Progress:
Dr. Michael D. Williams was the first Medical Director to be sworn in as an Assistant Fire Chief. He was succeeded by Dr. James J. Augustine, who began serving as Acting Assistant Fire Chief/Medical Director on August 19, 2008. Dr. Augustine appointment as Assistant Fire Chief/Medical Director was confirmed by the Council of the District of Columbia on December 16, 2008. Dr. Geoffrey G. Mountvarner became Interim Medical Director of the DC Fire & EMS Department on February 1, 2010.

On March 18, 2011, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced the nomination of Dr. David A. Miramontes to be the Medical Director of the District of Columbia Fire& EMS Department. Dr. Miramontes began work August 1, 2011. He was confirmed by Council on November 1, 2011. The Medical Director is responsible for medical direction and oversight of medical care, emergency medical training, and medical quality assurance programs for the Department. Under the leadership of new Fire & EMS Chief Kenneth B. Ellerbe, the Department is conducting a structural review of the EMS Bureau. The goal of this review is to ensure that the EMS Bureau is supported with sufficient resources to accomplish this mission.

Status: Complete


Title: Recommendation 2b

Action Item:
There shall be an Assistant Chief for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), reporting directly to the Chief of the Department. The Assistant Chief for EMS shall have at least 15 years of experience in the practice of emergency medicine as a paramedic or higher level of practice and leadership experience in EMS. The Assistant Chief for EMS shall have the staff needed to implement and sustain the recommendations and meet the objectives of the Task Force, and will have responsibility for analysis and planning for all medical units, including strategic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, special operations and prevention.

Progress:The Fire Chief reorganized the command structure in 2011 and the position of Assistant Fire Chief for EMS is held by the Medical Director.

Status: Complete


Title: Recommendation 2c

Action Item:
The Chief shall also create additional positions of EMS Battalion Chiefs and EMS Captains for the purpose of (1) ensuring strengthened, 24 hour a day, seven days a week, supervision of EMS delivery in the field and (2) creating an EMS career track for those personnel who are specialized EMS providers at various levels of training who serve primarily in patient care.

Progress:
Currently in 2013 there is one Battalion Fire Chief for EMS assigned on day work.

The Department created a new position of EMS Battalion Supervisor (Captain) who operate in a similar role as Battalion Fire Chiefs and function in a similar oversight role. There are now around-the-clock EMS supervisors assigned to each of the six geographic battalions, one in special operations and two performing system management at the Office of Unified Communications.

Status: Complete


Title: Recommendation 2d

Action Item:
Department leadership, at all levels, shall work to facilitate the integration of the full EMS mission and of single-role providers into multi-role operations. No later than November 20, 2007, the Chief will convene a group of departmental personnel, at least half of whom are current or former single-role personnel, to identify, review, address, and report to the City Administrator conditions that may convey a lower priority for the EMS mission or complicate integration of functions and employees. These issues include, but are not limited to: Station alarm bells for fire apparatus calls but not ambulance calls; Ambulances positioned at rear doors rather than front doors, when available; Station names and insignia that omit or de-emphasize EMS apparatus; Use of "DCFD" insignia on some vehicles, uniforms, and other locations; Omission or lower emphasis on the contributions of single-role EMS providers; Obstacles, perceived and real, to incorporating single-role employees and their workload into multi-role operations.

Progress:
This group began meeting on 10/9/07. The working group's efforts at addressing these issues were ongoing.

The process of removing the “DCFD” insignia began in 2011 and is ongoing with changes in uniforms, vehicle decals and signage. Firefighter Turnout gear is being replaced with DCFEMS insignia with current wear cycles and all new gear is compliant.
 

Status: Complete