Big changes are coming to the Destin Fire Control District after Tuesday night's meeting.
"There's only so much the commission and the department can do without the money coming in," Commissioner Hillary Anderson told her colleagues. "As the board, we have to think about the financial responsibilities of the district."
With a unanimous vote by the board of fire commissioners, the district will no longer respond to medical calls, offering basic life support or advanced life support, as of Oct. 1. The district will still respond to fire calls, accidents and other injuries.
Facing the budget shortfall of about $600,000, the district will save quite a bit of money by not responding to medical calls.
So what does this mean for the citizens and visitors to Destin? Essentially, Okaloosa County EMS will be the sole agency responding to medical calls, which could mean longer response times, based on the fact that ambulances are responding to calls throughout the county, as well as transporting patients from facility to facility.
“As for the district, it will result in a cost saving of approximately $306,000 ultimately allowing the district to balance our budget, it will also result in fewer emergency responses, less apparatus and personnel on medical emergencies and vehicle accidents, only requiring our employees to maintain first responder level medical training, and a reduction in the wages of our paramedics and EMT’s. These are just a few of the changes which will occur,” Fire Chief Kevin Sasser told The Log in an email.
Countywide, EMS currently has 11 ALS ambulances that are staffed 24 hours a day and seven days a week. There are also two BLS ambulances that are on staggered 9-hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week. Two of the 11 ALS units are stationed in Destin; Medic 10 on Airport Road and Medic 11 on Stahlman Avenue. Medic 11 currently is a seasonal unit and is staffed from April 1 through September 30.
"This is a serious decision and we've talked about it and talked about it... 'where are we going to save money,' " Anderson said. "This is just one of the things that we've finally come to."
For his part, Okaloosa County Public Safety Director Dino Villani told The Log in an email that the county would continue to provide the same level of emergency medical services as they always have.
"Our primary mission has always been and will continue to be the response to all medical emergencies and the transportation of patients to our local hospitals and area trauma centers in accordance with our state approved trauma transport protocols," he wrote.