Materials Management

The Sunstar Materials Management Department is a critical support function. Materials is staffed 24/7 by a dedicated group of people who are responsible for restocking all the disposable supplies and equipment on every ambulance. Materials interacts closely with Operations, Fleet, and the Communications Center to ensure units are available to meet the daily schedule and utilized in the best manner possible with minimal downtime.

At the beginning of a field Paramedic shift, the Materials department issues a fully stocked ambulance with all the necessary supporting equipment and then places the crew into the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system.

Upon the field crews returning at end of shift, the Materials personnel restocks all the items/equipment used and washes the vehicle. This design of having a specific group of people restocking the ambulances assures proper inventory levels are consistently obtained to meet the State and County requirements.

As part of the Pinellas County contract, the Materials Department also manages the EMS supply distribution for the entire County First Responder system. Materials purchases/warehouses/distributes the Advanced Life Support supplies. As requests for supplies are made, Materials processes the order, maintains the record keeping and delivers the supplies to the main First Responder stations throughout the County. The Materials department is also responsible for retrieving and cleaning the backboards and related equipment from local hospitals so that they can be placed rapidly back into the system.