PENDER COUNTY — A volunteer EMS provider is now under the county’s purview and can resume its operations.
READ MORE: Union Rescue Squad unable to provide services after Pender EMS terminates contract
The Pender County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday, Aug. 4, to approve a new contract with Union Rescue Squad, officially clearing the way for the volunteer organization to resume emergency medical services. The vote brought an end to Union’s service lapse, which began on July 29 under Pender Fire and EMS.
“This is a great night for Union,” Commissioner Jimmy Tate stated. “More than you all realize.”
The vote formalizes a new operational arrangement allowing Union to provide services as an independent EMS provider for a first-year cost of $777,380, covering both operational and capital expenses. The new contract also elevates Union to an advanced-EMT level provider, matching the minimum service level provided by Pender EMS and Fire in other districts.
Part of the first-year costs include remounting an existing ambulance. This means the organization will take the vehicle’s existing patient compartment and place it onto a new truck frame, a cheaper process than purchasing a brand-new ambulance.
The vote marks a resolution to a year-long series of escalated tensions between Union Rescue Squad and Pender Fire and EMS. The dispute originated last October when PEMSF introduced a new, non-negotiable contract requiring Union to respond to an unsustainable 60% of all calls. This led to a 90-day termination notice in January from PEMSF, which was paused to allow further negotiations.
Pender County commissioners intervened by passing a resolution in March to merge PEMSF into county operations and approving a motion on April 22 to subcontract Union. However, Union’s transition into the county was upended, when PEMSF Chief Everett Baysden sent a letter to the county on July 21 to abruptly end the existing contract. Citing “ongoing uncertainty and liability,” the termination took effect on July 29 and led to a temporary service lapse that continued until commissioners approved Union’s contract.
The volunteer EMS provider has been a fixture in Pender County’s emergency services for decades, operating as a dedicated volunteer organization. The squad was founded in the late 1970s by a group of residents and firemen from the Willard and Watha areas who were concerned about the long wait periods for emergency medical assistance in their part of the county.
After receiving training, the squad became state certified in 1981. For nearly 20 years, it has provided EMS services to its district under a subcontracting arrangement with Pender EMS and Fire, with Union responsible for night-time coverage and PEMSF assisting with some paid staff and financial support.
Union will be granted a 90-day grace period to hire an A-EMT and meet all state and county requirements, operating at a basic-EMT level in the interim. Giddeons said the group is currently looking to hire an A-EMT.
The primary requirement for Union Rescue Squad’s new contract is to meet personnel credentialing standards to operate at the A-EMT level. In North Carolina, an A-EMT credential requires the individual to have:
- A high school diploma or equivalent.
- An active EMT credential.
- Completion of a college-level math and english course or equivalent placement.
- Completion of an A-EMT training program of around 300 hours including classroom, lab, and clinical/field experience.
- Completion of the A-EMT credentialing exam through the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services.
A basic-EMT is trained to provide foundational life support skills, such as basic patient assessment and CPR. In contrast, an A-EMT can perform all of those duties, along with more advanced and invasive procedures. This includes starting IV fluids and administering a wider range of pre-hospital medications to stabilize patients, such as dextrose for low blood sugar or anti-nausea medications.
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