Vance County EMS essentially indicates the difficulty of having resources well positioned and that its a moving target. Right now it seems EMS is having to react to evolving data but is trying to be as proactive as possible.
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The Vance County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 against a motion made by Commissioner Dan Brummitt to restore the location of the Vance County EMS ambulance to Bearpond Volunteer Fire Department.
The contract to house the ambulance at Bearpond VFD ended on June 30, 2026 and was not renewed.
Several commissioners expressed concern that this item was not brought before the board for review before being terminated.
Commissioner Yolanda Feimster said she learned about it from a social media post; Commissioner Valencia Perry, who also sits on the county’s Public Safety Committee, sent WIZS a copy of a letter late last week stating her objection to the removal of EMS services from Bearpond.
Commissioners Brummitt, Feimster and Perry cast votes in favor of restoring EMS services to Bearpond; Commissioners Leo Kelly, Tommy Hester, Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain voted against.
At Monday’s meeting, Assistant EMS Director Billy Jenkins presented data that focused on calls and call volume, as well as days when there was limited staffing or no staffing.
When asked by Commissioner Tommy Hester for his recommendation, Jenkins said he would move the ambulance to the Central station.
Jenkins said the decision had nothing to do with any disagreement and said Bearpond leaders were aware that the EMS contract would be ending.
Increased call volume to the northern and central areas of the county have increased, and Jenkins said they are “bleeding red” as it relates to call data.
“EMS is always behind the eight ball,” Jenkins said. “We’re never going to have the trucks where you need them – never going to have enough staff.” He said he’d like to ultimately see two in the north, two in the south and four at a central location to be able to adequately cover the whole county.
He said it will take continued collaboration with county commissioners and county administration to achieve the goal of providing EMS service across the county.
Brummitt, who disputed the call volume data Jenkins presented as well as the projected response times to calls, said the contract should have been brought to commissioners, since it was a 5-year renewal. He said the county manager is authorized to negotiate contracts or leases that are up to one year in length.
Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones is acting EMS director, County Manager Renee Perry said. Perry said she supports her staff’s decision.
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The Bearpond Fire Department has been notified that the Vance County Emergency Medical Services ambulance will no longer be stationed at its location, which has prompted some in the community to wonder why.
A statement issued Wednesday from the office of Vance County Manager Renee Perry said that the EMS made the decision based on a number of factors, from call volume and response patterns to personnel burnout and fatigue. It did not, however, mention where the ambulance would be relocated.
In a post Tuesday on its social media page, Bearpond Fire Department leaders said they didn’t know why the change was being made, but added “we feel the need to address this as we have already been flooded with calls about rumors as to why.”
The press statement included information that Vance County EMS had made the decision “only after a thorough evaluation of staffing levels, emergency call volume, response patterns and the overall operational needs of the countywide EMS system.
“It is important for our residents to understand that VC EMS is a countywide emergency medical service,” Perry was quoted in the statement. “Our responsibility is to provide emergency medical care to every resident of Vance County, regardless of where they live. Although an ambulance is no longer permanently stationed at the Bearpond Fire Department, we remain fully committed to responding to emergencies throughout the entire county, including the southern end of Vance County.”
According to the statement, the emergency medical call volume has increased significantly within the City of Henderson and the northern portion of Vance County over the past several years.
“As demand for emergency services has grown, additional resources and personnel have been needed in these areas to maintain timely and effective emergency medical response.”
It continued, saying, “At the same time, EMS experienced numerous occasions when staffing levels were insufficient to consistently keep an ambulance in service at the Bearpond station. Maintaining a unit that could not be reliably staffed was not a sustainable or efficient use of available personnel and resources.”
Additionally, crews assigned to the EMS Main Station have assumed the majority of emergency responses for both the City of Henderson and the northern portion of the county, the statement said. “This sustained increase in workload has placed significant demands on frontline personnel, contributing to fatigue and burnout. Realigning ambulance deployment allows EMS to better match resources with community needs while supporting the health and well-being of the personnel who provide these critical services.”
In its post, Bearpond FD dispelled any notion of discord between it and Vance County EMS or government leaders.
“At no point has there ever been a disagreement between our Department and Vance County EMS or Vance County Government. Also, at no point was there any discussion from our Department to the Vance County government about asking for more money due Vance County EMS utilizing our building and utilities.”
The post concluded with, “We hate to see them leave our fine community but as with most things, needs change with time and we wish VC EMS the absolute best with their future vision.”
Downtown Henderson is the place to be on Tuesday, Oct. 3 as area law enforcement agencies and other community organizations take part in National Night Out.
The community is invited to come to Breckenridge Street for the annual event, held this year from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
There will be presentations and displays by the Henderson Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Crime Stoppers, Henderson and Vance County Fire and EMS, Vance County Schools and other agencies, all promoting safety and preventing crime in the community.
Admission is free, and there will be free giveaways, including food, drinks, T-shirts (while supplies last) and more.
Bring the family for an evening of fun and information!
In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Oct. 17.
— News Release, UNC School of Medicine
HENDERSON, North Carolina – Vance County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been selected to join the Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators Plus (PECC+) Program, an advanced pediatric training and education program developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in partnership with the NC Office of EMS and funded by the EMS for Children Innovation and Improvement Center.
Twelve EMS agencies throughout the state of North Carolina were selected following an application and interview process for the highly selective program. The PECC+ Program representative for Vance County EMS is Kris Talley, FTO-Paramedic and Assistant Shift Supervisor, who will serve as the Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC).
The PECC+ Program will provide specialized pediatric training, educational opportunities, and other resources to Vance County, including online educational courses for individual providers working in Vance County EMS. Regular program participation earns Vance County EMS a monthly stipend that will be used towards local pediatric care needs.
The PECC+ Program has partnered with ESO Solutions, North Carolina’s EMS data management system, to develop performance feedback tools that utilize real-time field data to promote quick turnaround on performance review and improvement. These state-of-the-art tools are currently only available to the twelve participating PECC+ Program agencies.
In late July, PECCs gathered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a full-day educational Summit where they prepared for their PECC+ role by attending seminars on specialty topics in pediatric care and engaging in hands-on training with both live actors and simulation tools.
Talley is eager to begin his role, stating, “The reason that I was interested in becoming a PECC is the ability to bring training and knowledge back to my department. I love learning and I love teaching, so it seemed like a great fit to be able to expand not only my knowledge of pediatrics but those in my department as well.”
The PECC+ Program officially begins on September 1st and will run for two years.
Vance County Management, on behalf of the Vance County EMS Department, has reached out to the state to ask for a strike team. The problem is positive COVID cases.
Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News, “We are working through a number of positive COVID cases in our EMS department as is the case in the general public and as a result additional EMS employees have been put on quarantine and sick leave reducing the number of available EMTs and Paramedics. We are working with our in-county first responders and neighboring counties to fill in any gaps…” He said the purpose of reaching out was “to make arrangements from across the state should we need additional assistance down the line.”
Vance County has already heard back from agencies from neighboring counties and beyond, and McMillen said, “…We are doing our best to work through the situation. We have also had a number of off duty firefighters who are willing to step up and assist as well. I wouldn’t say we are at crisis level, but we are doing what we need to stay ahead of it as best we can and to get our folks who are working long hours some relief.”
Vance County EMS was recently selected as a 2020 Mission Lifeline Award recipient by the American Heart Association. On Wednesday, Sept 23, 2020, County Manager Jordan McMillen and Chairman of the Board Gordon Wilder presented Paramedic Christopher Rigg with a certificate of appreciation for his role in coordinating the application process. The County also presented Director Javier Plummer and the entire department with a certificate in recognition of their accomplishments leading to this award. McMillen said the County appreciates all public safety workers and first responders and congratulates Vance EMS on this accomplishment.
Firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, deputies, police and other forms of law enforcement and emergency personal rush into burning buildings, run into homes, reach into private vehicles and more. Sometimes it’s even known these homes, buildings and vehicles have COVID positive people and patients inside. McMillen said, “While we are taking all of the precautions with PPE and other means as we can, it is inevitable that it reaches our public safety staff as well.”
These working and giving heroes are local as well as far and wide and are just the type of people who come together to serve here, there and where ever there is need.
Vance County is working with Granville Vance Public Health and “following all of their guidance,” McMillen said.
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Vance County EMS Selected as a 2020 Mission Lifeline Award Recipient
Green Rural Redevelopment, Inc. (GRRO) has hired 25 Health Workers to Fight COVID-19 in Rural NC
Duke Energy Offering Extended Payment Plan Options
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-Information and photos courtesy the County of Vance
Vance County EMS was recently selected as a 2020 Mission Lifeline Award recipient by the American Heart Association.
On Wednesday, County Manager Jordan McMillen and Chairman of the Board Gordon Wilder presented Paramedic Christopher Rigg with a certificate of appreciation for his role in coordinating the application process. The County also presented Director Javier Plummer and the entire department with a certificate in recognition of their accomplishments leading to this award.
McMillen said the County appreciates all public safety workers and first responders and congratulates Vance EMS on this accomplishment.
Earlier today, I witnessed an incredible series of events in Downtown Henderson. I was walking out of a meeting at the Henderson Police Department, when a call came out for local police, fire and EMS to respond to the intersection of Breckenridge and Chestnut Street for a medical emergency. When I heard that, I turned around and was able to witness Corey Adams of the Henderson Fire Department, and Chief Williams of the Vance County Fire Department begin the process of resuscitating a man that had apparently overdosed. The man was unconscious at the wheel of his vehicle (with the car still in drive and his foot on the brake) when Adams noticed that something was wrong. Adams turned around and placed the call in to other area agencies. Adams, Williams and representatives from the Henderson Police Department and EMS were able to resuscitate the man before placing him inside of an ambulance.
It was hard for me to believe what I saw.
I asked for a description of what had happened from Adams, and his response is below.
“Kevin I really appreciate the gratitude, but I really didn’t do nothing special. Just like you have gone to school for broadcasting and marketing, I went to school for situations like that. I did nothing else that any police, fire or ems person would have done, I was just the one in the right place at the right time. I just happen to notice a person that seemed in distress, when I checked on him I knew he was having a medical emergency. At that moment all of my EMS training kick in to help the patient the best of my abilities. I was lucky enough to have Chief Williams from Vance County Fire Department around the corner to assist me in helping the patient. I removed the patient from the vehicle so me and Chief Williams could better assist the patient until the arrival Of EMS. The Public Safety services here in Vance County And the City as you saw firsthand work very well together. The citizens of this city are very lucky to have the service they have here, because you won’t find no better.”
Henderson and Vance County may have its fair share of problems. Everywhere does. However, Adams’ last sentence is quite correct. We are lucky to have that type of service and expertise right here in our hometown.
