NORTH COUNTRY FIRST RESPONDERS BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: NAME

Sec.1. The name of this organization shall be North Country First Responders.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

Sec.1. The purpose of this organization shall be to render Emergency Assistance to the people of Beltrami County and its surrounding environs on a FIRST RESPONDER basis.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Sec.1. Membership in this organization shall be open to any person holding a current State or National Emergency Medical Technician or a DOT First Responder Certificate.

Sec.2. The Membership shall be an “all volunteer” and uncompensated group.

Sec.3. All members shall have and possess any and all rights to participate fully in any and all activities, including the right to hold office; to vote in elections and on questions submitted to the members, and to have reasonable opportunity to express his views on any debatable question properly under consideration by the membership.

Sec.4. No member shall appear at the meetings or at the scene of a call, under the influence, or having ingested alcohol or drugs.

Sec.5. No member shall fail to properly perform his/her duties, or otherwise fail to abide by the By-Laws and/or Protocols.

Sec.6. Failure to comply with these rules shall constitute discipline by the Executive Board, which may refer disciplinary action to the appropriate squad.

ARTICLE IV: ORGANIZATION

Sec.1. The North Country First Responders shall he subject and responsible to the Beltrami County Board through the Emergency Management Director for operational purposes. It shall elect its own officers and provide its own internal rules and regulations.

Sec.2. Membership shall be divided into squads according to geographic locations. Squads shall determine their own internal controls and membership in accordance with the By-Laws of the North Country First Responder Organization.

Sec.3. The officers of the North Country First Responders and an elected representative of each squad shall constitute the Board of Directors. The Emergency Management Director shall be an ex-officio member of the Board, and shall serve without vote. The Board shall conduct the day to day operations of the North Country First Responders.

Sec.4.

a)  North Country First Responders will operate under the direction of an Advisory Board, which will have a representative from the Blackduck Ambulance Association, Inc., and the Bemidji Ambulance Service, along with the Physician Medical Director from each service. The Beltrami County Sheriffs Department will have a representative for purposes of communications and logistics. The Beltrami County Emergency Management Director will also serve on this Board. One (1) representative from each First Responder Squad will serve as an ex-officio member.

b)  The Advisory Board, as provided by Beltrami County Resolution #90-5-19, shall:

1.  Develop, implement, and recommend patient care, protocol, procedures, and policies.

2.  Review and make recommendations for continued training.

3.  Provide ongoing training and refresher courses to help maintain First Responder skills.

4.  Organize new First Responder units.

5.  Set general guidelines and protocols.

6.  Obtain and allocate money raised for training and equipment.

7.  Regulate and control quality assurance through regular reviews of the reports completed by First Responders.

8.  Conduct at a minimum one (1) Annual Meeting to evaluate the effectiveness and purpose of the North Country First Responders and its separate units, and organize other meetings whenever the need arises.

c)  The Blackduck and Bemidji Ambulance Services are each assigned a Primary Service Area (PSA) by the State of Minnesota (through the EMSRB). First Responder Units will operate in one of these PSA’s and will be stabilizing and treating patients that ultimately will be transported by one of these ambulance services. In this context, each First Responder unit will be working under the direction of the ambulance service which provides care in their area. This does not limit any individual First Responder from providing care outside of their intended area.

Sec.5. Committees may be appointed from time to time by the President, when it is deemed necessary by the President or the members that such a committee is necessary for carrying out a special project. Such committee shall at all times be subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and shall exercise only such powers and authority as may be conferred by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS

Sec.1. Officers of this organization shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and the Emergency Management Director.

These officers, in addition to the Past President, constitute the Executive Board. The Emergency Management Director and the Past President will serve as ex-officio members.

Sec.2. All officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting for a one (1) year term, and shall assume their functions at the first regular meeting thereafter. Each officer shall hold office until his/her successor has been duly elected and qualified. The office of the President may not be held by the same individual for more than two (2) consecutive terms and no person may hold more than one office at a time.

Sec.3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members of the Board of Directors. He/she shall have general supervision over the business and affairs of the organization; and must fulfill other obligations in the name of the organization and shall have such other powers perform such other duties as are usually attached to this office.

Sec.4. The Vice-President shall assume and discharge all the powers and duties of the office of the President, in the absence or disability of or when called upon by the President, or when there is a vacancy in the office of President, until such time as the membership has filled this vacancy.

Sec.5. The Emergency Management Director shall be an advisor to the Board of Directors and may have the power to co-sign checks.

Sec.6. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors, recording all minutes in a book kept for that purpose. The Secretary shall furnish notice of all meetings of the Board of Directors and membership, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as are usually attached to this office.

Sec.7. The Treasurer shall have joint custody of the funds of the organization; shall keep full and accurate records of the receipts and disbursements in the record book and render at regular meetings of the Board of Directors and membership, an account of all transactions as Treasurer, and prepare reports, when directed, describing the financial, describing the financial condition and may co-sign checks. He/she shall have such powers to perform such other duties as are usually attached to this office.

Sec.8. Any vacancy in any of the above elective positions shall be filled, for the unexpired portion of such term, by vote of the Board of Directors.

Sec.9. Officers may be removed from office only by a majority vote of the general membership at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors when such agenda has been set and notice given at least one (1) month prior to such removal action.

Sec.10. The Board of Directors shall maintain an inventory of all equipment purchased by the First Responders.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

Sec.1. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the fourth Wednesday in January of each year, following the Board of Directors meeting. The purpose of this meeting shall be to conduct an election of officers and to conduct any business brought before the organization. A simple majority of those in attendance shall be required to elect any officer or to approve any motion.

Sec.2. Board of Directors meetings shall be held the fourth Wednesday in the months of January, April, July, and November, at a time and place to be determined by the Board of Directors, for the purpose of transacting usual and proper business associated with the organization.

Sec.3. For the purpose of transacting business, a quorum shall consist of fifty-one (51) percent of the Board of Directors, and a majority of any quorum shall be sufficient to pass on any matter before the meeting.

Sec.4. Each squad shall have regular meetings to conduct business and provide training for members.

Sec.5. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Order” insofar as they shall not conflict with any other provisions of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE VII: OWNERSHIP OF EQUIPMENT

Sec.1. Squads may purchase and maintain an inventory of equipment. Each squad will allocate that equipment among its membership. In the event that a squad shall disband, ownership of the equipment and any funds shall revert to North Country First Responders, another squad, or governmental agency of the squad’s choice, upon approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

Sec.1. These By-Laws may be repealed, altered or amended when authorized by a seventy-five percent (75%) vote of the members present at any Annual Meeting or Special Meeting called for that purpose, providing that the resolution proposing the repeal, amendment or alteration has been given to the Board of Directors forty-five *45) days before the Annual or Special Meeting. The notice shall state the time and place of said meeting; that a resolution has been filed with the Board of Directors proposing a repeal, amendment, or alteration of the By-Laws, that said resolution will be presented at such meeting for consideration and action.

ARTICLE IX: TRAINING

Sec.1. Training is the responsibility of each individual member. Each member must submit for re-certification to their individual level of training or retrain to a higher level of training. After initial certification as a First Responder (FR) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), each member shall successfully complete re-certification every two (2) years or before their current certification expires, which ever comes first.

Sec.2. Members who do not recertify on a two (2) year basis may be allowed to become inactive members upon request to their squad, if they intend to recertify at a later date. Members who do not choose to recertify may be dripped from membership of North Country First Responders. Disposition of squad equipment is the responsibility of each individual squad.

Sec.3. Members are expected to utilize a portion of their monthly squad meetings for the purpose of updating and skill training.