Jump in 911 calls lead to strain on Durham EMS staff
AND THEY'VE LIMITED OR
SUSPENDED SPENDING ON NEW
PROJECTS AND NON-ESSENTIAL
SPENDING.
>> NO UNITS AVAILABLE. THAT'S
WHAT FIRST RESPONDERS IN DURHAM
HERE SOMETIMES ON THE RADIO
WHEN THEY RESPONDED 9-1-1,
CALLS ITS AN ONGOING ISSUE IN A
GROWING COUNTY, WASN'T EMS
DEPARTMENT THAT HAS ADDED NEW
UNITS IN YEARS. THE ARES
MONITOR CASEY SHOWS US HOW THE
POPULATION BOOM IS AFFECTING
AMBULANCE RESPONSE DURING AN
EMERGENCY.
>> AS DURHAM COUNTY CONTINUES
TO GROW AND MORE PEOPLE NEED
EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE,
STAFFING OF FIRST RESPONDERS
ISN'T KEEPING UP. I KNOW WE'RE
BACK UP TO IOWA FOR A FEW
MINUTES ON BROADCASTIFY RADIO
TRAFFIC SHOWS DURHAM, FIRST
RESPONDERS SPREAD AND AT TIMES
SENDING A MESSAGE YOU WANT TO
MAKE SHOTS AVAILABLE.
>> HOW HOW ALL.
>> A PERSON WITH HOW MUCH
DURHAM HAS GROUND. DO YOU FEEL
AS THOUGH YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE
IT 2, ALL OF THE EMERGENCY
CALLS THAT YOU NEED TO IN A
GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME. I THINK
WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN
WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
>> WE JUST DON'T HAVE
EVERYTHING WE NEED DIRECTOR
OF GERMS. OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
SERVICES MARKET LOCKHART TELLS
ME RIGHT NOW EMS HAS 13
VACANCIES.
>> AND THE ESTIMATES THEY NEED
TO ADD 5 NEW UNITS, WHICH IS
ANOTHER 20 PEOPLE.
>> WE'RE HOLDING 5 TO 7% OF OUR
CALLS EACH DAY AND SO IT IT
IS NOT IDEAL. BUT AT THE SAME
TIME. WE NEED TO KEEP OUR
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE
MOST CRITICALLY IN THE PAUSING
ON THEIR RESPONSE TO A LOW
PRIORITY CALLS. LET'S DURHAM
EMS, KEEP UNITS IN RESERVE FOR
LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS.
THIS FISCAL YEAR, JEROME IS ON
TRACK TO HAVE 60,000 CALLS FOR
SERVICE. A RECORD-BREAKING
NUMBER LOCKHART TELLS ME MUTUAL
AID IS GIVEN AND RECEIVED BY
DER ON A DAILY. OUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS JUST
TRYING TO BALANCE.
>> THAT INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME
WITH OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
AND THAT'S A PROMISE FACED BY
EVERY OTHER U.S. AGENCIES IN
THE AIR IN JOHN MONICA. CASEY,
WRAL, NEWS.
>> LOCKHART SAYS HIS OFFICE
HAS GOTTEN CREATIVE WITH
ALTERNATIVE STAFFING AND
THEY'RE SLOWLY REPLACING THEIR