EMS Coordinator

Summary:

The purpose of the EMS Coordinator is to develop, maintain, and coordinate the county’s emergency medical services (EMS) program and related operations that are designed to mitigate, prepare for, and respond to the effects of any mass care event.

This class works under administrative supervision, developing and implementing programs within organizational policies and reports major activities to executive level administrators through conferences and reports. This position reports directly to the Deputy Director of Public Safety.

Essential Duties

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, directing work, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals. In the event resolution can not be achieved, the concern or complaint shall be reported to the appropriate chain of command.
• Coordinates, assigns and reviews work and establishes work schedules; maintains standards; monitors status of work in progress; inspects completed work assignments; answers questions; gives advice and direction as needed.
• Assists coordinating and conducting EMT-Basic Programs, EMT-Advanced Programs, and Paramedic Programs. SC DHEC EMT / Paramedic instructorship is preferred.
• Works in conjunction with executive leadership as a warning officer in emergency situations, including maintaining an effective warning system to alert local citizens, governmental agencies, businesses, and other community resources related for mass medical outbreaks.
• Responsible for oversight for the County’s Emergency Medical Service In-Service Program.
• Responsible for the approval and administration of the Emergency Medical Dispatch Program.
• Oversees the Quality Improvement / Quality Assurance Program.
• Maintains the Treatment Protocols in accordance with latest state/national guidelines.
• Responsible for the County’s Emergency Medical Responder Program as well as any related training / certification issuance.
• Responsible for the County’s Emergency Medical Services Supply Program including disposable, capital and regulated equipment.
• Prepares and submits official reports to executive leadership involving fiscal operations and related grant programs.
• Develops training schedules and coordinates local training courses for response and support personnel that consist of volunteers and the general public.
• Activates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when emergency incidents such as severe weather, hazardous materials spills and related disasters that affect a significant population within the County occur.
• Represents the County to the citizens and businesses in meetings, information/bulletins, etc. as it pertains to emergency preparedness and awareness.
• Researches and writes promotional awareness/preparedness material for staff, citizens and businesses of the community.
• Assists in maintaining the county’s EOC in a constant state of readiness, including maintaining a warning and communications program to include planning, maintenance of agreements and testing of all equipment. Acts as a representative of ESF-8 (Public Health and Medical)
• Assists in coordinating emergency preparedness activities, training programs, operational drills, and disaster simulation exercises to prepare residents and staff to be prepared to respond quickly and effectively in emergencies.
• Performs other related work as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Qualifications

• Associates degree or higher preferred in Emergency Services Management, business or public administration, public policy, or related field and/or training equivalent.
• Requires four (4) years of progressive responsibly in EMS leadership.
• Minimum of at least 5 years experience as an active Paramedic.

Special Certifications and Licenses:

• Requires South Carolina and National Paramedic Certifications.
• Preferred Certification to instruct the Paramedic, EMT-Advanced, and EMT Basic Programs.

• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license with an acceptable driving history.

• Must be a current certified instructor in the following: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), or Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), or equivalent.

Physical Demands

The physical demands of the Deputy Director are numerous and ever changing. This job requires the employee to stand, sit, walk and run for various times and durations throughout every workday. The use of the hands to handle and feel are imperative, also reaching with the hands and arms is very frequent. Stooping and kneeling must be used frequently as well as crouching and crawling to reach, treat, and remove patients from confined spaces. These items vary with the types of calls during a given period of time. The ability to talk and hear is also imperative to communicate with co-workers, patients, doctors, and other people this job involves. Taste is not a required sense in this line of work although smell is an important assessment tool that must be used with some patients and in areas of hazardous materials. This job requires that weight be lifted on a constant basis. Equipment can weigh I 0 to 50 pounds. The weight of patients, stretchers, and equipment almost always exceeds 200 pounds. Force is also required to push and pull the stretchers. Vehicle extrication equipment is very heavy and, when used, must be lifted and held in place for extended periods of time. The frequency of heavy lifting is based on call volume on a given day, while most is done during daily duties.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

• The work environment of the Deputy Director is very widely distributed over the entire scale with varying time tables in all areas determined by the different types and locations of the emergency calls that are responded to. The Deputy Director responds to calls at all types of construction, industrial, residential, roadway, educational, fire and manufacturing sites which all have their own specific and unique environments and conditions (or hazards). Working in outdoor weather conditions is very frequent and is year-round. Noises are also frequent in the various locations that are responded to. These noise levels vary from quiet to very loud. The time spent in these areas varies according to the patient’s needs.

• Involves routine and frequent exposure to:
  • Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
  • Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
  • Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
  • Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
  • Traffic; Moving machinery.
  • Electrical shock; Heights.
  • Radiation; Disease/pathogens.
  • Toxic/caustic chemicals; Explosives; Violence.
  • Other extreme hazards not listed above.

Additional Information:

The Deputy Director is a unique job due to many factors. These factors can include many of the various conditions noted in previous sections of this analysis for different amounts of time. This job has many varieties of locations where it is performed and has no specific location or office.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee.  The employee will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other related duties as assigned by the appropriate administrator or supervisor.  Abbeville County reserves the right to update, revise or change this job description and related duties at any time without prior notice.

Please submit application to Heather Martin, Clerk to Council/HR, 903 W. Greenwood St., Suite 2200, Abbeville, S.C. 29620 or email to hmartin@abbevillecountysc.com.   Applications are available online at www.abbevillecountysc.com. Applications will be accepted until filled.