By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

The county medical director’s fate may be decided tonight.

Columbus County Commissioner Chairman Sammie Jacobs is requesting discussion of Dr. Fred Obrecht’s contract with the county, and a closed personnel session, is included on the agenda although as a contract employee Obrecht is not covered under personnel exceptions to the N.C. Open Meetings Law.

Obrecht, a physician employed with Columbus Regional Healthcare, serves as director of the emergency medical system and oversees operations of all county paid and volunteer rescue and emergency services.

Last month the Columbus County Fire and Rescue Association president Tony Miller asked that Obrecht be removed.

Rescue squad personnel from throughout Columbus County packed the commissioners’ chambers in August.

Eight of nine rescue chiefs voted at a Columbus County Fire and Rescue Association meeting to ask that the Board of Commissioners fire Obrecht from his contract position as EMS medical director and eliminate nurse liaison Becky Smith’s position.

“We feel like there is a lot of partiality shown,” Fire and Rescue Association Vice President Sara Spivey said at that meeting. “Communication has become a big problem, continuing education – the list goes on. We feel right now – the majority feels – at this time we would be best served by a new director and nurse liaison.”

“We’re not saying Dr. Obrecht is not a good doctor but it’s time for a change,” Acme-Delco-Riegelwood Rescue Chief Donna Hammond said.

Obrecht took a different view. He said he had been before the commissioners before about continuing education and there was a lot of opposition then. He added that he “narrowly” kept his job.

“Not all members in all of those squads want me to resign,” he insisted at the August meeting.

“I resent the implication that all squads want this,” Obrecht said. “Not everyone appreciates what I do – I’m not always the most popular guy, especially when I insist on certain standards. I get people bucking me all the time.

“All employees, 365, function under my license,” he said, and added that the medical board sees their acts as an “extension” of him.

Obrecht said part of his job is making sure others do theirs.

“I have to get people to do their job –I don’t think I should be fired for asking questions,” he said.

Obrecht said Lake Waccamaw had missed 11 calls in four months.

“Five were in June,” Obrecht said. “The first-out truck didn’t get there.”

He said there was a 911 tape in which the Lake Waccamaw rescue chief “said he would like to divert all calls to Lake Waccamaw somewhere else because they were having a party and intended to get drunk.”

“I’m asking you not to terminate me or fire me for asking people to do their job and holding them to their job,” Obrecht said.

Under state law the county is responsible for emergency medical services and appointing a qualified director. Obrecht’s contract dates back to September 2005 and renews automatically for one year on July 1 of each year.

It provides for a written notice of termination to be furnished at least 60 days prior to termination.

Under the terms of the contract he is paid $12,000 a year in four quarterly installments but that amount increased to $15,000 with the latest county budget.

“Net payment shall be appropriated at the date of termination,” the contract reads.

Smiths contract automatically terminates with Obrecht’s. The county pays half of her salary –a total of $25,000 a year. The hospital by agreement pays the other half.

Under that contract two quarterly payments become due immediately to Columbus Regional and county emergency services take over the duties and the hospitals agreement to the county pay half of the salary ends.