BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. — After an emergency meeting held Monday, Beaufort County EMS services will be taking over a private ambulance company.
The purchase was made in an effort to keep emergency medical services available for the town of Belhaven, WITN reported.
As the county moves toward a county-wide paramedic plan, White Oak EMS owner Ricky White saw an opportunity to sell his units and help his employees work for the county.
“I saw which direction the county was going. The county wanted to do all the EMS services and I felt like this would be an opportunity to open the door up for my employees down there too, because the county can offer benefits that I can’t offer,” White said.
White sold two ambulance trucks and supplies to the county for $100,000. He employs 20 full-time and part-time workers in Belhaven.
EMS Director John Flemming said of the 888 calls White Oak received over the last year, 114 of those were for a second truck. “With the ambulance down in Bath that the county has already put in place, we feel we can cover those second out calls with that second ambulance down in Bath.”
The county will officially take over in June.