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Students urge Onslow County to station EMS at school events and add crossings near Southwest High
Summary
Two Southwest High students told the Onslow County Board of Commissioners that limited EMS coverage and unsafe crossings threaten students; they presented response-time examples and a range of fixes, from low-cost crosswalks to a HAWK signal, and asked the board to coordinate with NCDOT and consider budget options.
Two students from Southwest High School urged the Onslow County Board of Commissioners on May 18 to take steps to improve emergency response and pedestrian safety around local schools.
Leighton Houser told the board that a classmate who was hit during a baseball game was rushed to a hospital and that faster on-site emergency care could be the difference between life and death. “If the ball had hit him in the face and one eighth of an inch to the right, he would have died,” Houser said, describing an incident that motivated the request for EMS at athletic events.
Bailey Hogsworth described traffic hazards on Burghall Highway and nearby roads used by students walking to and from Southwest High and the middle school. Hogsworth cited a 2005 hit-and-run fatality and a January 12, 2026 bus rear-end collision as evidence of persistent danger and proposed several remedies, from installing a basic crosswalk (estimated $2,500–$3,500) or hiring a crossing guard (about $9,900 annually at minimum wage) to installing a HAWK pedestrian signal (estimated $150,000). She asked the commissioners to collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to find a solution.
County officials acknowledged the concerns and said the issues are on the board’s radar as the county conducts budget deliberations. Chairman Foster noted the school system is contractually required to have athletic trainers at football games and that Southwest currently has an athletic trainer who can provide initial care; Foster said EMS response times vary and that the board will discuss options as part of the budget process. Commissioner Carpenter said EMS coverage is a county priority during the budget season.
Next steps: Commissioners said the budget process and coordination with school officials and NCDOT will inform whether the county can fund additional EMS placement or traffic-control installations.
