BEACON FILE PHOTO
IN THIS MARCH 1992 photo, BCC instructor John Davis, right,
is shown teaching defibrillation to volunteers Kathleen Jacobs, left,
and Judy Bryan using Holden Beach Police Chief Robert Cook
(foreground, on table) as a mock patient. While their certification
is suspended, local EMS volunteers are prohibited from operating
defibrillators, used to stimulate the hearts of cardiac patients., as
well as other advanced lifesaving equipment.
Advanced Life Support Halted;
Missing Documentation Cited
(Continued From Page 1-A)
with Davis as training coordinator.
Davis is a certified paramedic, the
most advanced level of EMT train
ing.
To qualify as an EMT-I requires
96 hours of class work followed by
a period of field internship. During
this "apprenticeship," rescuers ride
in ambulances and work under a
qualified EMT-I to demonstrate
their proficiency on patients in the
field.
Johnson said "well over 100" lo
cal rcscuc personnel had qualified
under Davis for the EMT-D or
EMT-I certification, including
Ledgctt. Much of the internship had
to be done in other counties, because
Brunswick had few certified EMT
Is to work under.
"I was being told all along that
everything was fine," said Johnson.
He said he later discovered that
Davis had not kept accurate records
of what internship requirements had
been completed. He also said Davis
had not always arranged the proper
field supervision of his students and
had allowed improperly certified
trainees to teach other students.
Johnson said Davis had led him to
believe the state had given him per
mission to do so.
"He said the state had told them
to go ahead and certify. My under
standing was that an exception had
been made," Johnson said.
Last month state EMS officials
came to Brunswick County "to see
how things were going," Johnson
said. After a careful examination of
training records and interviews with
supervisors and students, the state
examiners told Johnson there was a
problem.
"It was obvious to me that there
were so many deficiencies that we'd
better slop the program for now,"
Johnson said.
Tucsuay, sutu: EMS Regional
Coordinator Pam Lookabil! began
meeting with local EMTs at
Brunswick Community College to
review training records and deter
mine what deficiencies actually ex
ist. It is expected that many EMTs
will have to make up course and
field work not properly documented.
Lookabill said Tuesday she had
met with only six EMTs so far and
would not comment on her findings.
She planned to hold more meetings
today (Thursday).
Johnson said several of the coun
ty's rescue personnel had completed
much of their EMT-I training in oth
er counties and might quickly be re
certified.
At their regular meeting Monday,
the Brunswick County Com
missioners were surprised to be in
formed that the ALS program had
been discontinued.
Charles Critzer, a former member
?-of the Town Creek- Voiuntoer*
Rescue Squad who once sat on the
county's EMS Advisory Board, told
the commissioners thai as supervisor
of the program, Ledgcu was to
blame for not making sure that the
training program was properly ad
ministered.
"I'm upset with Mr. Ledgcu. He
should have seen it coming," Critzer
said.
Lcdgctt is out of town this week
on a previously scheduled vacation,
Johnson said.
Commissioner Gene Pinkerton
called Lcdgctt "the most dedicated
man there is in this county" and said
he had "the utmost confidence in
him."
Lookabill said the N.C. Board of
Medical Examiners holds its regular
quarterly meeting this week and is
expected to offer guidance on how
best to get the Brunswick ALS pro
gram back on line.
Johnson said he won't have an ac
curate idea of how long the program
will be suspended until the extent of
training deficiencies has been deter
mined.
"I'm an optimist, but off the top
of my head i d like to think that
within one or two months we can
look seriously at starting back at
least on a limited basis," Johnson
said.
I 1
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N.C. Sales Tax 38 .32
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TOTAL 10.36 SL30
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Money Woes, Old And New, Plague School Board
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
The loss of SI 53,622 for energy costs in
Brunswick County schools hit school board mem
bers Monday night at a particularly touchy time.
The board claims it is faced with the need to go
hat in hand to the county commissioners again,
for energy funds that the county cut, in part, from
the schools budget in June because the state was
expected to pick up the tab.
However, the state General Assembly didn't
pick up the cost, continuing a pattern of cuts be
gun several years ago.
Since its county budget was set, school board
members have already gone to the Brunswick
County Board of Commissioners seeking help in
purchasing school computers countywidc.The
board also took funds set aside toward design and
construction of a new centra! office to apply to
the computet project, making budget cuts uf
S262.541.
"We thought the state would provide this
amount for energy this year," reported Finance
Officer Kudcna Fallon, "but we just got word
there would be no funding at all, and we have al
ready spent that SI 53,622 we thought we'd gel."
The board had earlier approved a S90.000
rlnlnfinn ir* ilo <?norrT?i KuHnot 10 nirl r\f thn nuPral 1
VJV IV WU<1 *?? ??o VMV ? l/UU^Vl ?*?> *? V ? Miw w >???..
budget slashing.
Chairman Jonna Baxter said the matter will be
discussed at a special board meeting callcd for 7
p.m. Monday.
What board members did not know as they lis
tened to Fallon's bad news was that the county
commissioners, meeting simultaneously, were
turning thumbs down on the computer proposal.
Asked to enter into a loan agreement on behalf of
the school board for SI. 25 million to buy comput
ers for all county schools, commissioners dccidcd
their help wasn't n<~rJed.
County Finance Officer Lithia Hahn reported
ihat "once the new school is completed, it appears
to me they will have enough money for their com
putcr needs.
She cited approximately 5300,000 in Average
Daily Membership (ADM) state money, previous
ly frozen and now available. Also, the half-cent
sales tax money coming to the school system
turned out to be a larger sum than anticipated, as
much as $500,000, and an unused surplus of
about 5250,000 from the Supply Elementary
School budget was discovered.
Hahn warned that all amounts were rough esti
mates, as her office would not get final figures for
.t ? . f ? ? TUn
uk idM qudiivi 1UI dituuiu ui wvv/viv:*. i nv
picture emerged, however, of a healthier school
budget than previously believed.
"It's up to the board of education,"said Com
mission Chairman Kelly Holden. "They wanted
million* lh<*v fllmndv hnvp il "
? j -
When the news of this development reached
school board members Tuesday, they said they
were disappointed, confused and frustrated.
"! ihink we have a serious communication
problem," said board member Polly Russ. "We
were just asking for what is ours. 1 don't think
they (commissioners) take this seriously enough."
Baxter insisted there was no "found money,"
and said, "1 just wish they had told us earlier if
there was available money. They don't under
stand that we don't ever know exactly how much
funding we'll get from various sources, and much
of that money doesn't come in till the end of the
year."
Fallon noted that the unexpected abundance of
sales tax money was due to careful planning.
"We always make a conservative estimate
about our income," she said, "just like people do
with their family budgets."
The two finance directors cmifcncu Tuesday
morning and Fallon sent a memo to board mem
bers, central staff administrators and board attor
ney Glen Peterson, outlining the 5750,000 appar
ently available in the fiscal year '93 school bud
get. It was a slightly different scenario than the
one Hahn described to commissioners Monday
night.
Instead ot surplus Supply School construction
money, Fallon said there is 5250,000 gleaned
from reducing the budget for central office con
struction udded to the S250 000 in h^lf-ccni
tax revenues already budgeted for computers.
To this the school board proposed to shift an
other 5250,000 in half-cent sales tax money that
had previously been budgeted for construction,
since the ADM money bccamc available only rc
cenUy. It can only be used for construction,
whereas sales tax funds can aiso be used for
equipment, such as computers.
Fallon concludcs, "Ms. Hahn and I have agreed
to meet to review budget balances as of June 30,
1992, monies needed to completed the budgeted
projects in FY '93, previously projected revenues
versus actual revenues received in FY '92, and in
terest earned to date. We feel that additional hall
cent sales tax monies will be available in FY '93
for the additional S500.000 needed to complete
the project."
Sunset Moves To Annex Remaining Seaside Corners
BY SUSAN USHER
Sunset Bead i look the first step Monday to
ward annexing yet another uaci at the Seaside in
tersection that would bring all four corners into
the town limits.
Council members unanimously adopted a reso
lution announcing that they are considering an
nexation of an area east and north of the intersec
tion of N.C. 904 and N.C. 179, as reconr.mended
by the planning and zoning board.
"It starts the year running," said board attorney
Mike lsenberg, before the town can adopt a reso
lution to annex the area. If the resolution is adopt
ed any sooner, the date of the effective anncxa
tion would have to be delayed.
The area under consideration lies within the
town's extraterritorial jurisdiction as a result of
earlier annexations in the Seaside area.
"This would allow us to have control ol Uie
four corners at the N.C. 904-N.C. intersection,"
said Mayor Mason Barber, "so we can forcefully
ask for the red light we need there."
The town has been lobbying the N.C.
Department of Transportation (DOT) to install a
traffic signal at the intersection in addition to oth
er improvements such as turning lanes already
scheduled for installation this fall.
The area under consideration is known as
Seaside Heights. The jagged line would run from
a point at the existing town limits on the cast side
of S.R. 1 162, in an L-shape to the rear line of iots
along Angicr Street to the north side of N.C. 179
and the corner of the Seaside Plaza property then
cast a short distance before continuing north,
crossing Brooks Drive at an angle, then continu
ing to the existing limits on Dale Drive.
An effort is underway to incorporate the
Seaside community, including a portion of the
Sunset Beach extraterritorial area. Organizers
could not be reached Tuesday for comment on
Monday's town council action.
Brust Republican Choice For Commissioner
A rcccnl school board candidate was named
Tuesday night to replace Raymond Erickscn as
Republican candidate for the District 1 seat on the
Brunswick County Board of Commissioners.
Joseph V. Brust of Ocean Isle Beach was cho
sen by unanimous vote of the Brunswick County
? Republican Party- Executive Committee, said
James Pay he, party chairman. Nobody else was
considered for the nomination.
The vacancy occurred with Erickscn 's decision
Tvnirnl
"/ I
Weather
Ahead
Typical mid-August weather is in
the forecast for the next few days.
Shallotte Point meteorologist
Jackson Canady said the outlook
calls for tempera!' ires to average
from the low 70s at night to around
90 during the daytime, with at least
ihiee-fuuiihs inch of rainfall.
For the period July 28 through
Aug. 3, he recorded a maximum
high of 92 degrees on both July 28
and 31 and a minimum low of 70
degrees, which occurred Aug. 2.
An average daily high of 90 de
gim cumbiucu wiiii a nigniiy aver
age low of 74 degrees for a daily av
erage temperature of 82 degrees,
said Canady, which is about one de
gree above average for this time of
year.
He recorded .26 inch of rainfall.
THE BRUNSWICK&Sf ACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
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last month to withdraw from
the race.
His succcssor, Brust,
sought the party's nomination
in May as the District 1 candi
date for the school board, los
ing.to Jane^Popc oCShallotte.
Brust, 64; is a retired edu
cator with 38 years Of experi
ence as a classroom teacher.
HRUST
school administrator, superintendent and college
instructor. He moved to Ocean Isle Beach after
having served eight years as superintendent of the
Fort Bragg schools in Fayetteville.
He holds a bachelor of science degree, a mas
ter's degree in school administration from Hofstra
.University in New York and a doctorate from
Columbia University in New York.
Brust will face Democrat Don Warren in the
Nov. 5 election. ?
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