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Dare County, hospital negotiating dedicated transport resources as EMS capacity strains with rising transports
Summary
County officials said they are negotiating with the local hospital to have the hospital fund at least one dedicated transport ambulance to remove pressure on 9‑1‑1 units; options include a hospital‑owned fleet or a shared surge truck model.
Dare County officials said negotiations with the hospital are ongoing over how to handle steadily rising interfacility transports without reducing county 9‑1‑1 response capacity.
County management told the board that historically the county supplied transport vehicles and crews when no alternative existed; the growth in transports and 9‑1‑1 call volume has created times when taking a truck out of rotation to do transfers weakens emergency response coverage. The county is negotiating with the hospital (ECU Health Greenville was cited) on options that would add transport capacity without degrading county response times.
County staff described three possible outcomes under discussion: the hospital could fund and operate dedicated transport resources; the hospital could fund a dedicated transport truck staffed and maintained by the county (so the vehicle does not remove a 9‑1‑1 response unit from rotation); or the two parties could share a “surge” truck to reduce the number of county trucks removed from 9‑1‑1 service during peak transport periods. County staff said the hospital has put funding for transport in its forthcoming budget and that further meetings between the hospital’s EMS director and county EMS leadership will refine costs and operational details.
County manager Bobby said the hospital’s willingness to help is essential to resolving the problem and that staff are working to arrive at an arrangement that protects 9‑1‑1 service while meeting hospital transport needs.
Why it matters: County officials said the proposed arrangements would preserve emergency response capacity while ensuring patients who need interfacility or long‑distance transports are moved in a timely manner.
What’s next: Hospital and county EMS directors will finalize cost estimates and operational details; commissioners asked for a quick timeline and stressed the need to implement a solution without further delay.
Quotes are attributed only to speakers recorded in the meeting transcript.
