EMS seeking additional county funding

The local emergency services department says services will be hurt if they don't receive more money from the county this year.

Two local paramedics said their department is understaffed and underfunded.

""There is a shortage of paramedics"" one paramedic said. We're tired. We're all tired.""

The paramedics were granted anonymity because they are forbidden by the county to speak to the press.

County officials did not return calls for this article and have not commented on the state of emergency services.

Orange County Emergency Medical Services officials are asking for more money to improve services" but with upcoming budget cuts this might not be possible.

The average response time for emergency services is 17 minutes.

In a March presentation to county commissioners Col. Frank Montes de Oca director of Orange County Emergency Services said he would like to see paramedic response time decrease to 12 minutes.

He also said the time could increase to more than 19 minutes if funding is not increased.

The county has an increasing and aging population that has stretched current funding thin.

2008 to 2009 saw a 26 percent projected increase in emergency responses.

Montes de Oca said in March that improvements though costly" are necessary to make sure community services don't suffer. The changes he suggested to commissioners would cost a combined $2.3 million.

""If they don't get funding" it's going to be awful difficult to operate" said Gordon Joyner, the executive director of the North Carolina Association for Rescue and EMS Inc.

Joyner said county EMS stations might not be able to buy fuel and replace or buy new equipment. They also might have to respond to fewer calls.

They've got to come up with some solutions"" he said.

Orange County EMS received attention after the death of Atlas Fraley, a Chapel Hill High School student. Fraley, 17, died Aug. 12 in his home after a former Orange County paramedic allowed him to sign his own release.

Bart Lineback, the emergency medical sciences department head at Wake Technical Community College, said since the baby boomer generation has retired, there has been a dramatic increase in the need for health services.

There's more people that need the health care" and there aren't as many paramedics to handle the demand" he said.

Despite the shortage, Lineback said his department has seen incredible growth in the number of people coming through his EMS program. He also said the demand for paramedics remains high.

We have very few people that can't find a job" he said.



Assistant City Editor Evan Rose contributed reporting.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.