PENDER COUNTY — Two months into the Pender County Fire and EMS merger, the county confirms there have been no interruptions to services provided. But understaffing remains a challenge.
Staff will present to county commissioners during its Sept. 8 meeting a final update on the implementation of the recent merger that went into effect at the beginning of July. Despite a smooth transition, the department is struggling with 52 total vacancies across fire and EMS.
The merger consolidated all emergency services to be under county control — previously the county was contracting Pender EMS and Fire, a private non-profit fire and emergency services provider.
Staffing was always a concern when it came to the merger. In 2025, Pender EMS and Fire Assistant Chief Mark Haraway told commissioners that between March 2025 — when the merger was announced — and October 2025, 42 employees with Pender Fire and EMS left their jobs.
In September 2025, he told WECT he credited the merger for loss of employees, citing uncertainty and potential leadership issues.
According to county reports, fire staffing is down by 26 firefighters. To work at full strength, the department would require 96 firefighters, meaning they are currently working at approximately 73% capacity.
Similarly, EMS is also short 26 employees, needing 92 to be at full strength staffing. EMS is working at around 72% capacity.
Understaffing has resulted in firehouses and EMS stations needing to close for a day, according to a county report. A representative for Pender County did not respond by press on how often a station has needed to close due to insufficient staffing and consequences of it.
To address the staffing shortfall, Pender County has plans to establish a career ladder for employees to encourage staff retention and will hire part-time EMTs and firefighters as well as full-time employees.
Human resources staff are also in the process of filling several vacant positions, according to a county report. They are actively advertising, reviewing applications, doing background checks and sending offer letters for emergency services positions.
County reports say HR has been delayed in certain responsibilities, such as reviewing applications and sending offer letters, because they also assist other county departments aside from EMS.
According to the county, 18 applicants were interviewed for seven open captain positions, advertised both internally and externally. All interviews and assessments concluded on Aug. 31 and the county expects to send out offer letters soon.
Additional relief may be on the way as the fire academy — a 21-week training process with seven weeks dedicated to EMT and 14 to fire — graduation is expected on Oct. 23.
The academy training began in June, prior to the merger and had 21 recruits. That number has since dropped to 16. Port City Daily asked the county if the decrease of recruits was in relation to the merger; the questions were not answered.
Seven individuals have also graduated from a three-week driver operator course and are expecting promotions shortly. Driver operators consist of firefighters specifically trained to operate emergency vehicles and run onboard systems.
Separately, EMS orientation will begin in mid-September and last for four weeks. Pender County received more than 100 applications, mostly for EMT but some also came in for paramedics. Those positions require more training and can provide a more advanced level of patient care than their EMT counterparts.
Aside from staffing, other challenges with the merger include implementation of new software. A presentation to be given to commissioners indicates staff have not worked with Pender County purchasing policies and Munis software. This unfamiliarity has caused delays in procedures like recruitment and scheduling; however, the county is working with emergency services and finance to ensure continued success.
A new payroll system also has been installed and needs to integrate with the county’s system to pay Pender EMS and Fire employees as county employees. Port City Daily asked the county if this has caused paycheck delays but received no response at the time of press.
While moving forward with the implementation of the merger, the county also will launch various committees focused on branding, communication, equipment and fire‑rating standards.
One is a rebranding committee with 15 members including leadership and first responders. The goal is to develop a patch and logo for future uniforms. A survey will also go out to emergency service employees for their input.
Similarly to rebranding, a social media and website committee will be tasked with developing a new emergency services website and creating a plan for the multiple social media accounts that are currently in use.
An apparatus committee will be in charge of creating cohesion across departments with tools and equipment.
Lastly, the Insurance Services Office committee prepare for a full rating inspection — or a field survey determining Pender’s Public Protection Classification, on a 1-10 scale fire protection grade — in spring of 2027. A better department rating can result in lower businesses and homes fire insurance rates.
Commissioner Jerry Groves told Port City daily Friday while commissioners will receive a full update on the merger during their next meeting, he believes so far it has been a success.
“It is my understanding that everything is running smoothly and the employees are very happy with salaries and benefits,” Groves said.
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