N.C. County Adds Paramedic Quick Response Vehicle
Sept. 18--Residents in southern Davidson County will have additional EMS support come Sunday.
As part of a pilot program, "QR4" -- Davidson County Emergency's new quick-response vehicle -- will roll into service at 8 a.m. The vehicle, a 2016 Ford Explorer, means the EMS base on West Peacock Avenue in Denton gains an additional paramedic from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. seven days a week. Currently, an ambulance with two paramedics is dispatched out of the Denton base.
The Davidson County Board of Commissioners last month gave unanimous approval to add the paramedic to serve the southern end of the county. Commissioners allocated $50,000 to fund the salary for the additional paramedic, and Davidson County EMS utilized $30,000 in performance-based budget funds to purchase the new vehicle.
James said QR4 will respond primarily to calls in the South Davidson, Denton, Healing Springs and Silver Valley fire districts. The emergency services director explained the Explorer also can respond to Southmont if the Denton and Southmont ambulances are tied up on other calls.
"It's something new for us," James said, referring to the quick-response vehicle. "It's something that the county has never done, so we are going to be watching it real close to see how it performs and see if it's something that can be duplicated in other areas of the county."
The vehicle has the potential to be the first responder at road accidents and other emergency scenes. While it won't be able to transport patients, it has the same treatment capabilities of an ambulance, said Maj. Mark Robbins, Davidson County EMS operations manager. He said the vehicle is equipped with items such as a heart monitor and medications.
James said Davidson County EMS will use existing employees for the QR4. "We will be sliding somebody off of the ambulance down there, one paramedic off the ambulance, and their spot will be filled by a part-time (paramedic)," he said.
Denton officials are excited about the new vehicle. Denton Mayor Larry Ward has said "this is exactly what we want."
"We have a need, and this is perfect for what we need," he said last month.
The pilot program runs until June 30, 2016. "We will be watching the performance and a lot of data to determine whether it's a success or not," James said.
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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