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Cary fire chief raises concerns after Wake County EMS outlines tiered-response plan
Summary
Fire Chief Cooper briefed the council on Wake County EMS’s planned tiered response to prioritize the sickest patients. He said the change could raise lower-acuity call volumes for fire responders and require a six-month evaluation; council members pressed for clearer tier definitions and potential impacts on senior communities.
Chief Cooper told the Cary Town Council on Jan. 8 that Wake County EMS is proposing a tiered response intended to improve ambulance response times for the most critical emergencies but that the change would affect local fire departments.
"The stated goal of Wake County EMS response changes [is to] improve ambulance service or improve response times to the most critical emergencies," Chief Cooper said, and staff described the county plan as a prioritization system that will send ambulances first to the highest-acuity calls.
Chief Cooper warned the tiered response is likely to increase lower-acuity call volume for fire department first responders and may require firefighters to remain on scene longer while ambulances are diverted to higher-acuity calls. He said fire chiefs sought a six-month evaluation period after implementation and Wake County EMS agreed to that timeframe.
Council members pressed for more detail. "I think this is very concerning," one council member said, noting many active-adult communities in their district and asking for tier examples so elected officials can answer constituent questions. Chief Cooper said Wake County EMS will provide more information at community sessions next week and that the manager's office asked EMS to first brief elected officials before public meetings.
Why it matters: The change affects operational responsibilities for fire departments and the public's expectations about response times for non-critical calls. Chief Cooper emphasized that the highest-priority calls will continue to get rapid response and that first responders are trained EMTs.
Next steps: Wake County EMS planned a series of public information sessions; Chief Cooper said staff would attend and that the county will evaluate the change for six months after implementation and report back on impacts to municipalities.
