By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
At a regularly scheduled meeting of the City of San Benito Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 5, Commissioners were presented with an agreement between the City of San Benito and South Texas Emergency Care (STEC) Foundation Inc.
Per the STEC and San Benito Fire Department First Responder Affiliation Agreement, “The fire department is seeking a license from TDSHS (Texas Department of State Health Services) as a first responder organization to provide first responder service to the citizens of the City.
Assistant City Manager Art Rodriguez said that, if approved by the commission, this agreement would result in the training and certification of San Benito’s “fire department to be first responders under STEC…where STEC will provide (them with) medical training.”
At this time, only some of the City’s firefighters hold Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and paramedic licenses. “Not all of the firefighters have cross-training,” said Rodriguez, “but we are making sure their certifications are correct.”
STEC, in conjunction with SBFD, penned an agreement with regards to providing first responder services to the citizens of San Benito. As per the agreement, STEC and the City agree to the following: (a) levels of certification/licensure of Department personnel providing care; (b) response, dispatch and treatment protocols including an equipment and supply list approved by the medical director of STECF; (c) description of how the Department receives notification of calls; (d) patient care reporting procedures; (e) process for the assessment of care provided by Department personnel; (f) response code policies for Department personnel; (g) on-scene chain-of-command policies; (h) policies regarding Department personnel canceling en route EMS units; (i) policies regarding Department personnel accompanying patients in EMS providers vehicles including when Department personnel hold the highest certification or licensure on the scene; and (j) patient confidentiality.
“Trainings will occur as soon as (this item) is approved by the commission today,” said Rodriguez on Tuesday morning.
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