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Commissioners back modified EMS/fire consolidation plan after public opposition and extended debate
Summary
The board discussed a staff merger plan for county emergency services, debated financial and operational implications and voted to move forward with a narrower option that excludes Rocky Point Fire Department; public commenters raised concerns about cost, local control and volunteer roles.
PENDER COUNTY, N.C. June 16, 2025 The Pender County Board of Commissioners continued its multi-meeting review of a county takeover and consolidation of emergency medical services and fire operations on June 16, voting to proceed with a narrowed implementation option while leaving some districts and questions for later consideration.
Background and vote: County staff presented two primary cost scenarios for consolidating emergency services under county control. The board voted to proceed with an option (referred to in staff materials as option B) that did not include Rocky Point Fire Department in the immediate consolidation package. Staff and consultants said Rocky Point operates differently than other local volunteer/part-time departments and would require additional full-time staffing and other financial adjustments to bring it into the same structure.
The motion to approve option B passed after discussion; commissioners said the narrower approach limits potential short-term costs while allowing time to negotiate terms for departments that have different tax structures or different staffing models. The board recorded two opposed votes and the rest in favor.
Public comment and concerns: More than a dozen members of the public spoke at the meetingf201s public-comment segment, the largest single topic being Pender EMS and Fire. Speakers included firefighters, volunteers, and longtime residents. Several raised these themes:
- Local control and volunteerism: Speakers argued that a county takeover reduces the role of volunteer firefighters and local control. Rochelle Whiteside said Pender EMS and Fire met training standards and had "decades of experience, dedication, and hard work" and warned that a hurried takeover could risk lives and property.
- Cost and taxation: Citizens worried consolidation would raise taxes countywide and remove the current system whereby some fire districts levy smaller, targeted fire taxes. Commissioner briefings during the day indicated the likely mechanism to fund consolidation would be a general ad valorem tax shift; staff described modeling that would redistribute fire tax rates across the county.
- Staffing and service continuity: Rocky Point Fire Chief and other officials explained how their station depends on a mix of part-time paid staff and paid-on-call responders who also work for other agencies. Several commissioners and staff cited technical limits in the retirement system and local government employment rules that would change how those workers are classified if departments became county employers. Rocky Point Chief described the stationf201s staffing model and warned of operational impacts if the department were folded into the county without careful planning.
Consultant assessments: Staff said an outside consultant (NC Fire Chief Consulting) told the county that mergers sometimes improve efficiencies and employee benefits but do not generally reduce costs. The consultant also warned that the portion of ISO (insurance services office) scoring tied to fire department operations was relatively small compared with water supply and dispatch and that ISO would not automatically improve under a consolidation.
Board direction: The board approved option B for implementation steps and instructed staff to continue negotiation and planning for a phased or later inclusion of departments with unique tax structures, such as Rocky Point. Commissioners also directed staff to provide more detailed financial modeling showing the tax impacts by district and to clarify which costs would be one-time versus ongoing.
Why it matters: Any change to how EMS and fire services are organized affects response patterns, local volunteer recruitment, employee benefits, debt and taxes in long-established fire districts. The discussion made clear this remains a high-priority, contentious policy item for Pender County residents.
Ending: Staff will return with a more detailed cost and implementation schedule and continued outreach to volunteer departments and affected municipalities.
