Interagency RelationsStudent’s Name
Discussion
Different agencies exist at the county level to provide important services that would be too expensive when catered for by private enterprises. These agencies have different levels of financial and logistical capacity and as such, may enter into mutual aid agreements to continue operating more efficiently. Escambia County Emergency Medical Services (ECEMS) is a provider of a Critical Care, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support and Bariatric Transport. It is also a division of the Escambia County Department of Public Safety. By this virtue, ECEMS is a fitting example of these county agencies. There are agencies such as the Orange Beach Fire Rescue which have entered into mutual aid agreements with ECEMS. ECEMS has also entered into a mutual agreement with other agencies. While entering into these agreements, the success, efficiency and stability of these agencies in services provision will significantly rely on logistical and organizational mechanisms to aid communication, training, conflict resolution and general matters of organizational management processes. This calls for a careful balancing of logistical, strategic and financial aspects of the agencies.
My department, the Orange Beach Fire Rescue has a mutual aid with three departments. One of the departments that have this arrangement with my department is the Escambia County Emergency Medical Services (ECEMS). The Orange Beach Fire Rescue and ECEMS meet for training and communication enhancement purposes.
Again, the Orange Beach Fire Rescue and ECEMS do not have regular communication and training. The two parties meet from time to time according to need. When the meetings are held, the focus is always on communication and training. Employees of these two agencies may also meet over lunch hour for acquaintances and for the determination on how the interagency differences can be harmonized.
Conflicts over response area or patient care are resolved by according the offices independence. Once the officers reach a decision, the decision is treated as final and should therefore not spill over to anyone on the scene. I follow this guideline when resolving any conflict.
Second Response
The information provided clearly shows that Escambia County EMS has mutual aid agreements with the local neighboring jurisdictions.
Escambia County EMS has not done any large scale or mutual aid training with any other agencies over the last 4 years.
Escambia County EMS has set the guidelines for conflict resolution, though the agency has not had any conflicts with other agencies. According to the guidelines, whenever a conflict arises, the call ultimately falls on the officer that was on the scene and had established command first. This is the procedure that I and other Escambia County EMS officers follow.
