As an increasingly popular vacation destination, Dare County continues to experience record numbers of visitation, which has led to a significant increase in the number of calls that are placed to Dare County EMS. In 2021, Dare County EMS responded to 9,461 calls, marking a 15 percent increase from the number of calls the department received in 2020.
Recognizing the importance of providing an array of essential—and often lifesaving—services to residents and visitors as quickly as possible, Dare County has begun the process of making a series of massive and much-needed improvements to its various EMS facilities throughout the community.
This estimated $47 million EMS project — of which Dare County’s contribution is approximately $28 million, with the remainder of the project to be funded by the municipalities and other partners — involves a combination of remodeling the existing and outdated facilities, as well as constructing brand-new facilities in several critical locations, such as central Kill Devil Hills.
In December 2021, Dare County finalized the purchase of property in Kill Devil Hills directly to the south of the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department where a new EMS station will be constructed. This brand-new building will ultimately serve as a replacement for the outdated existing EMS Station 1 facility that is currently located to the west of the fire department and responsible for providing service to one of the busiest areas of the entire community.
Dare County EMS operates out of eight stations, which are located in Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Southern Shores, Frisco, Rodanthe, Manns Harbor and Manteo, as well as the MedFlight helicopter hangar at the Dare County Airport.
The modernization of these facilities will aid in improving Dare County EMS’s response to the influx of emergency calls that are received and better support the department in its ongoing efforts to meet the needs of the community.
With the addition of another station in the system, response times in the immediate area of the new station will be improved, which will assist Dare County EMS in providing residents and visitors with the best service possible at the time when they need it the most.
“Our current facilities have served us well, but the aging process has caught up to the facilities,” said Dare County EMS Director Jennie Collins. “Renovated or new stations will address the needs of our diverse workforce and help us meet the increasing service demands on our organization.”
For more detailed information about these projects as they get underway, visit DareNC.com/Projects.