Marion County’s Emergency Medical Services Alliance, Inc. (EMSA) was a non-profit governmental

Emergency Medical Services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

(EMS) agency created by a partnership between The

Marion County, Florida Marion County is located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. it includes part ...

Board of County Commissioners, The City of

Ocala Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

, Ocala Regional Medical Center/West Marion Community Hospital and Munroe Regional Medical Center. EMSA was responsible for providing leadership, field supervision and medical direction for

911 911 or 9/11 may refer to: Dates * AD 911 * 911 BC * September 11 ** 9/11, the September 11 attacks of 2001 ** 11 de Septiembre, Chilean coup d'état in 1973 that outed the democratically elected Salvador Allende * November 9 Numbers * 91 ...

based

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

responses, patient contacts, and

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

transportation within the service area in

North Central Florida North Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida which comprises the north-central part of the state and encompasses the North Florida counties of Alachua, Marion, Putnam, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayet ...

from 2003 to 2008.

About EMSA

Emergency Medical Services Alliance was formed on October 1, 2003. It was an alliance of Marion County, Governed by a Board of Directors. The Board consists of the County Administrator,

City Manager, The CEO of Ocala Regional Medical Center, CEO of Monroe Regional Medical Center, and the President of

Central Florida Community College The College of Central Florida (CF) is a public college with campuses in Marion, Citrus, and Levy counties. It is part of the Florida College System. Founded in 1957 as Central Florida Junior College, CF has grown to span three counties and inc ...

. Prior to the formation of the alliance, the

for Marion County were provided by Munroe Regional Hospital. As of October 1, 2008, EMSA was dissolved and the responsibilities for providing Emergency Medical Services and ambulance transport for Marion County were turned over to Marion County Fire-Rescue. Ocala Fire-Rescue and Marion County Fire-Rescue responded along with EMSA on certain types of calls, providing first-response

Advanced Life Support Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a set of life saving protocols and skills that extend basic life support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing). Components These include: * Tracheal in ...

on critical patients and extrication on automobile accidents. At the time, Marion County Fire-Rescue also had 4 transport vehicles to handle calls in the rural areas, including three in the Ocala National Forest. EMSA was dispatched by their own communicators operating out of the Marion County Sheriff's Office PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point).

calls were answered by Marion County Sheriff's Office, and then transferred to an EMSA calltaker who then would enter the call into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System. Another dispatcher would notify the closest

via radio while the calltaker gives pre-arrival medical instructions to the caller if needed. This practice is still applied with Marion County Fire-Rescue.

Facts about EMSA

Right before the dissolution of EMSA, the population served was 300,000+ with a response area of .

Statistics

EMSA Statistics (as of 9/21/2006): * 67

Paramedics A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...

* 66

EMTs An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...

* 36 Support Staff * 27 Administrative Staff

Vehicles

EMSA had several vehicles that dynamically post throughout the county: * 24 F350 Super Duty

Ambulances An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

Equipped * 6 Freightliner

Equipped * 2 Road Supervisor Trucks * 9 Support Units * 1

John Deere Gator The John Deere Gator is a family of small all-terrain utility vehicles produced by the John Deere Corporation. Gators typically feature a box bed, similar in function to a pickup truck. The bed can also be installed as an electric dump body. Th ...

ATV (

All-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

) * Medically Equipped * 2 Mini Ambulance

Golf Carts A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced t ...

* Medically Equipped * 6

Mountain Bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

s * Medically Equipped * 1

Motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

* Medically Equipped EMSA

traveled an average of 220 miles per day.Fleet Maintenance
/ref>

External links

IAEP Local 621 Link

Notes

{{reflist County government agencies in Florida Ambulance services in the United States Medical and health organizations based in Florida