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Ross Elliott, Director
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Mr. Elliott has been the director of the department since September 2003. He is a nationally-certified emergency medical technician, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Elliott was an instructor in the Kern County Management and Leadership Training program for 10 years and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kernville Union School District. He currently serves as one of the Government Relations Chairs for the California School Board Association, is vice president of Kern County Management Council, past president of the local chapter of American Society for Public Administration, and is a member of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club. In his employment with Kern County he has served as a Senior Deputy CAO, Administrative Services Officer for General Services, Interim Director of Information Technology Division, and a Senior Planner for the Planning Department. Elliott lives in the Kern River Valley with his wife Kris and their two dogs. They have four grown children and three grandchildren. |
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Dr. Robert Barnes, Medical Director
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Russ Blind, Paramedic, Senior EMS Coordinator
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Mr. Blind is involved in a wide array of EMS projects and actions. He directly supervises several of the department's EMS Coordinators. Over the past few years, much of his time has been dedicated to disaster medical-health preparedness and EMS system re-design, making Kern County one of the most advanced EMS Systems in California. Mr. Blind is a member of the State Disaster Medical Task Force and several other local groups, and he holds a lifetime California Community College Teaching Credential. Russ has served as a duty officer for the Department's on-call program. |
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Vicki Bertholf, Registered Nurse, EMS Coordinator
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Ms. Bertholf's primary areas of responsibility in the department are administration of the EMS Fund, grant program oversight, and budget development and administration.
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Paula Isbell, Paramedic, EMS Coordinator
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Ms. Isbell first obtained her EMT-I certification at age 16, one of the youngest people in the State to achieve this certification, giving her 27 years of experience in the EMS field. She has been an EMT-II and earned paramedic licensure in 1985. She has worked for several ground ambulance companies, is an experienced flight paramedic, and has worked in a hospital emergency department. Ms. Isbell is a certified Fire Instructor 1A and 1B, certified by the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulations to conduct investigations, and is a designated National Registry representative for the State of California. Her duties in the Department include administrative oversight of the trauma system, auditing and certifying training program, oversight of personnel certifications and accreditations, conducting enforcement investigations, and serving as an instructor for MICN courses and continuing education programs. She was one of the primary instructors of the Department's former paramedic training program and taught many of the paramedics serving in the field today. Ms. Isbell also serves as a duty officer for the Department's on-call program.
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Edward Hill, Paramedic, EMS Coordinator
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Mr. Hill is an EMS Coordinator, and he fulfills the role of the Regional Disaster Medical Health Specialist (RDMHS) for OES Mutual Aid Region V. He helps all of the counties within Region V (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare) prepare for disasters through planning, evaluations, and exercises. Additionally, he carries out disaster-preparedness objectives established by the California Emergency Medical Services Authorities and the California Department of Public Health. Edward also serves as duty officer for Region V on-call program. Edward has spent the past 15 years in EMS as a ground and flight paramedic working in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, and California. In addition, he has been a dispatcher, field supervisor, and an EMS instructor at the community college level. His current position has allowed him to pursue his interests in disaster management and planning and incorporate his vast experience in EMS into these activities.
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Tony Pallitto, Paramedic, EMS Coordinator
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Mr. Pallitto started working in Kern County as an EMT-I in 1990
and achieved paramedic licensure in 1992. He has worked as a field paramedic on
ground ambulances, paramedic preceptor, field supervisor, and Quality Assurance Director.
Tony also was a contract instructor for the department's former paramedic training program.
He was the chief flight paramedic for Medevac 1 and has obtained the coveted
Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Paramedic (CCEMT-P) certification.
Mr. Pallitto holds an Associates Degree in Paramedic Education and Management
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree (cum laude) in Public Administration.
He is the former California State Delegate to the International Assocation of Flight Paramedics, and in his capacity as an EMS Coordinator
he serves on two state task forces dealing with multi-jurisdictional aeromedical issues.
Tony is a veteran of the US Navy, dabbles in baseball statistics, and is an avid Dodgers fan.
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Jeff Fariss, Paramedic, EMS Coordinator
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Mr. Jeff Fariss began his career in Kern's EMS system in 1991. He has worked as an EMT, paramedic, paramedic preceptor and field supervisor.
In 2006, Mr. Fariss attended Leadership Bakersfield where he assisted in the creation of Extreme Job Search Makeover, a workshop intended to educate foster care youth in
the importance of education and obtaining a job. In 2007, Mr. Fariss received his second Star of Life award from the California Ambulance Association, being the first
paramedic in California to do so. In 2008, Mr. Fariss received a Master of Business Administration focusing on Health Care Management. He and his wife Liz are
currently raising their two grandchildren, Jeffrey 2 and Anthony 9 months.
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Shirley Gaeta, Office Services Technician
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Ms. Gaeta has been with the department for two years, and her primary areas of responsibility include processing of EMS Fund claims, processing EMS personnel certifications, maintaining the electronic patient care records system, often serving as the front line for inquires at the counter and phones. Shirley is a key support person to the Emergency Medical Care Advisory Board, and she is the resident expert at solving many of the problems with our office machines. Before her employment here, she worked for the City of Shafter finance office and at Shafter High School. She has two children both of whom recently graduated college.
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Susan Heuston, Fiscal Support Specialist
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Ms. Heuston has been employed by the County since 2001. She has worked at Child Support Services, Engineering and Survey Services, General Services and presently at the EMS Department as a Fiscal Support Specialist. Her responsibilities include all of the accounts payables/receivables, ordering, payroll and personnel matters, processing state certifications, processing payments from the EMS fund, telephones and front counter. She has one grown son, and three teenage daughters that keep her young and extremely busy. |
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