Escambia County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) passed a surprise inspection by the Florida Department of Health. The Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight’s Compliance Monitoring site survey found no deficiencies, and the Bureau praised Escambia County EMS for its exemplary service and organization.
- This is the second random inspection of EMS with no issues since Wes Moreno became county administrator. The first one was in 2021, while Moreno was the interim administrator.
Why this matters? EMS was a disaster under Moreno’s predecessors, Jack Brown and Janice Gilley. Gilley even brought in her old boss, Jerry Maygarden, to solve the problem without improving EMS operations.
- The postal newspaper yesterday blasted the commissioners for paying millions to settle lawsuits and paying the attorney fees of former EMS employees who worked under Brown and Gilley.
Dig Deeper: NorthEscambia.com reports:
The inspection marked Escambia County EMS’s second state inspection since 2021, which also passed with zero deficiencies.
Escambia County EMS was reviewed on the following:
- Employee training records and certifications
- Compliance with controlled substance medication storage, how medications are distributed for use by EMS, and tracking of medication administration by EMS
- How EMS orders, stocks, distributes and replaces medical equipment and supplies
- Random ambulances were selected for complete inventory inspection in compliance with state requirements.
- Patient care records and storage of records
- Quality assurance and quality improvement measures with patient care and patient care reports
- Training and in-service records for all EMS employees
- Compliance with state requirements for medical direction
The inspector noted Escambia County EMS vehicles and records were “outstanding” and considered EMS a “role model of excellence as an EMS provider.”
DOJ Investigates State Attorney
The U.S. Department of Justice may have opened an investigation against the State Attorney’s Office for the 2nd Judicial Circuit in the Tallahassee area. The investigation may involve civil rights issues.
- An anonymous source shared records with WFSU News confirming the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is conducting an inquiry at the State Attorney’s office.
WFSU followed standard journalism practices:
- That station filed a public records request with the office for emails to and from investigators.
- The SAO said those records were exempt because they were “linked to an active investigation.”
- When asked for the statute number for the exemption, the office cited the exemption for civil rights discrimination investigations.
This is interesting! Folks are waiting for ambulances that’s taking longer than normal and EMS gets a bright shining star for inspection. Anyone remember Denmark?