NORTH CAROLINA — Help is on the way for nine North Carolina counties experiencing greatly increased calls for service during the pandemic.
On Sunday, the state received 25 Advanced Life Support ambulances following a resource request submitted to FEMA on Sept. 10. Each ALS ambulance will have a two-person crew of EMS providers, according to a release, and will be assigned to a specific county for 10 days.
After that period, officials say needs will be reassessed to determine if changes need to be made.
“These ambulances and crews will provide necessary relief to our extremely busy EMS systems,” said North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray. “While it’s not the full complement we requested, we know medical resources are extremely limited across the nation right now, and we are grateful for this assistance from our federal partners.”
Most of the crews are scheduled to begin work Tuesday, Sept. 28. The following list shows which counties will receive units and how many.
- Brunswick County 2
- Franklin County 2
- Graham County 2
- Guilford County 3
- Macon County 2
- Mecklenburg County 5
- New Hanover County 4
- Pender County 2
- Robeson County 3
According to a release, the state's original request was for 40 Advanced Life Support and 10 Basic Life Support ambulances and crews.