EMS Base Construction Continues in North Carolina
June 16--Chris Elliott, project assistant for Davidson County, predicts the base, which has been under construction since March, will be completed by Aug. 6. Once the structure is completed, it will mean Davidson County EMS has eight bases, said Larry James, director of Davidson County Emergency Services.
The base will be located off of Hampton Road near Old Mill Farm Road on land the county purchased for about $56,000 from Childress Properties LLC. The cost of the building is budgeted at $227,000, and $300,000 is budgeted to pay six paramedics to staff what will be called Base 8.
"I'm pleased with how quick the county is getting this thing up," James said.
Davidson County is overseeing the construction of the base with county employees doing the electrical and heating and air work. It's the same strategy the county followed in an effort to save money on other EMS bases.
"It has went smooth," Elliott said, referring to the construction efforts in Arcadia.
The EMS base will feature bays for two ambulances. One ambulance will actually be housed there as well as two paramedics on a shift. Another bay will allow EMS to house a reserve ambulance if needed or additional equipment.
James said the county's call volume for EMS response has steadily increased over the past 10 years. More ambulances being tied up means response times have increased, he said.
Base 8 will primarily serve the A-RC-H fire district and some of Reeds. Without an EMS base in northwest Davidson County, paramedics have responded from the Midway and Tyro bases. There are bases in Lexington, Thomasville, Midway, Denton, Tyro, Wallburg and Southmont.
"It's going to be a tremendous benefit for the citizens in this part of the county by reducing response times," James said.
James said response times in northwest Davidson County have been 9-10 minutes. Those times are expected to be cut in half with the new base, the director said.
"It's going to get an advanced life support ambulance to a citizen in distress a whole lot quicker, which is going to provide them quicker access to medical care, a quicker transport to the hospital," he said.
Elliott said he and other Davidson County employees building the base recently explained to a citizen about the new base. They were eating at JB's Grill on N.C. Highway 150 when a man was having a massive heart attack. One of the employees removed the man from a vehicle, and the county employees accessed the man's breathing and made sure EMS was called. An ambulance from Tyro couldn't respond because it was on another call, so paramedics responded from Lexington. Elliott said the county employees were able to explain about their new base.
"It was a pretty cool precursor," he said.
A study identified the Arcadia and Silver Valley areas as locations needed for EMS bases. There are no immediate plans for a base in Silver Valley. Zeb Hanner, assistant county manager, said Arcadia was the biggest need for a new base.
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com. Follow Darrick on Twitter: @DispatchDarrick
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