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Brooksville council workshop presses need for medical director as step toward city-run ALS service
Summary
At a June 3 special workshop, Brooksville officials reviewed plans to create a city Advanced Life Support program and identified securing an engaged medical director, training and precepting timelines, and potential budget impacts — including MSTU funds and renegotiating county contracts — as immediate priorities.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — The Brooks Road City Council met June 3 in a special workshop to review plans for a city-run Advanced Life Support (ALS) program and to decide next steps on medical oversight, training and budget implications.
Fire Chief Brad Sefickel told the council the effort has been months in the making and that "the first step that we really need to secure is a medical director." He said Brooksville has been covered through Hernando County under an agreement naming Dr. Roderick Bennett, but staff have had "no response" from the medical director despite repeated outreach, which has stalled credentialing and the precepting process for paramedics.
Council members and fire staff discussed two paths: pursue a city-contracted medical director and build an in‑house ALS program, or continue relying on the county arrangement. Phil Hansen of the Brooksville Fire Department said the department's vision includes raising basic life‑support capabilities and training EMT-basics to perform ALS‑assist skills under a medical director's oversight. Hansen said the city could "put an ALS program in place with 3 paramedics" as a grassroots, non‑transport model, although council members noted the department's longer-term staffing goal has been six paramedics.
Why it matters: An engaged medical director is required to clear paramedics through precepting and to sign off on medical protocols. Without that oversight, Sefickel said, "everything else is just a moot point." Council members emphasized the potential for faster on‑scene advanced care if local paramedics are available when county medic units are out of zone.
Key details from the workshop: Sefickel and staff said preliminary outreach to prospective medical directors returned informal cost estimates of about $20,000 to $30,000 annually, pending a formal procurement process. Staff also noted implementation depends on regulatory items such as DEA licensing and insurance for a medical director.
On funding, Sefickel reported MSTU (municipal service taxing unit) revenue tied to EMS at "a little over 600,000," information he said came from the tax collector. A staff member summarized city code section 34‑31 governing MSTU revenues and said the city may withdraw consent to send those funds to Hernando County only by adopting an ordinance "prior to May 1 preceding the fiscal year" for which consent is withdrawn, meaning any change to the funding arrangement would require a formal ordinance and calendar lead time.
Council discussion focused on exhausting collaboration with Hernando County before the city pursues its own medical director. One council member urged a joint meeting with county officials and suggested the mayor or council send a formal letter to the medical director. The council directed the city manager to meet with county staff (Jeff Rogers referenced) and report back with concrete numbers ahead of FY 2025 budget decisions.
What was not decided: The council did not adopt any ordinance or contract at the workshop and did not take a formal vote on creating an in‑house ALS transport service. Presenters described the interlocal agreement the city negotiated with the county in 2019 that anticipates city ALS certification and subsequent county support for equipment and up to six paramedics, but staff said that agreement becomes effective only when the department obtains ALS certification and following county budget approval.
Next steps: City staff will continue compiling cost estimates, procurement options and regulatory requirements and will report back after meetings with county officials; council members asked for concrete budget figures to consider during the upcoming budget season.
— Direct quotes and attributions in this article are drawn only from speakers identified in the meeting transcript and are limited to the following: Brad Sefickel (Fire Chief), Phil Hansen (Brooksville Fire Department), the Chair (presiding officer), a Council member (unnamed in the transcript), a Firefighter presenter (unnamed), and a City staff member who explained code section 34‑31.
