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Buncombe County outlines EMS station buildout and 911 system upgrades
Summary
County Manager Avril Pinder said a 2021 EMS study identified response-time gaps and the county is building EMS stations in Swannanoa, East and West Asheville, adding "peak units" and upgrading 911 systems to improve response times.
Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder told WRES 100.7 that the county completed a facilities and EMS study (work started before COVID and finished afterward) that revealed areas with slower 911 response times and has guided plans to add stations and resources.
"That EMS study showed us where those gaps were," Pinder said, adding that the county has already built or acquired sites in East and West Asheville and broke ground on a new EMS station in Swannanoa. She said the county is deploying "peak units" that move through the community based on data-driven needs.
Pinder also said the county is upgrading public-safety technology, including 911 systems, and other backend software to improve reliability. The upgrades, she said, are largely behind-the-scenes but intended to bring systems up to industry best practice levels.
Next steps: Pinder said the county will continue to site facilities where data indicate need and to coordinate with the Board of Commissioners to fund and staff these units.
