Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner urges action after 35-minute ambulance delay; town says Red Springs Rescue remains in town building but lacks EMS transport capacity
Summary
Commissioner Patterson recounted a family stroke and a 35-minute ambulance response, urging the board to revisit ambulance service; staff said Red Springs Rescue still occupies the town building but currently does not provide primary EMS transport and the town will revisit the arrangement during next year's budget talks.
Commissioner Patterson told the board his father recently suffered a major stroke and that an ambulance arrival of about 35 minutes highlighted the need to reconsider local ambulance and EMS coverage.
"Time is of the essence," Patterson said, urging the board to "revisit this thing" and to explore options to improve rescue and ambulance response for town residents. He said he has advocated for better local ambulance service during his tenure on the board and pressed the issue after his personal experience.
Staff updated the board on Red Springs Rescue's occupancy of a town-owned building. The staff member said the rescue group remains in the building but is not operating as a full EMS transport provider; they can assist when other EMS services are present but do not perform primary patient transport or bill for transport under current operations. The staff member identified the rescue group as being under new leadership and named Marty Willis as a recent contact.
Staff said the town continues to pay the building note and utilities and that maintenance and some security improvements are needed. "This is not a permanent solution," the staff member said, adding that the matter will be revisited during the next budget cycle.
The town also announced Justin Hewitt as the interim police chief during the meeting.
Next steps: staff will continue discussions with Red Springs Rescue, monitor local EMS coverage and return to the board as part of the next budget process with options and recommendations.
