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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