Medical oversight for the Sherman Fire Department's paramedics and EMTs would go to Axene Continuing Education, a Texas company whose founder is Dr. Erik Axene, under a $50,680-a-year contract the City Council takes up Monday.
The agreement sits on the consent agenda for the council's 5 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 220 W. Mulberry St., meaning it can pass in a single vote with other routine items unless a council member or resident asks to pull it for discussion.
Why the department needs one
State rules require an EMS agency to work under the direction of a licensed physician, Fire Chief Billy Hartsfield wrote in his staff report. He said Axene and his company were picked from a list of professional sources after a selection process. The money would come out of the fire department's operating budget.
Under the contract, the medical director would have the final say on medical decisions about patient care delivered by the department and would report to the fire chief on staffing and administration. The director would also write and keep current the standing orders, called protocols, that the city's paramedics and EMTs follow in the field.
The agreement says those protocols must meet or exceed the standard of care common in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What the city would get
- Round-the-clock online medical direction, with crews able to reach an emergency physician during calls.
- Continuing education that meets state recertification rules, including quarterly classes and a virtual program priced for 96 users.
- Chart reviews for quality and protocol compliance, including every top-priority transport such as CPR cases and air medical activations.
- A shadowing program where paramedics practice skills like intubation, IV access and reading 12-lead EKGs under a physician's supervision, plus monthly field evaluations.
