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25 ALS rigs, crews deployed to N.C. to help with COVID-related calls

“These ambulances and crews will provide necessary relief to our extremely busy EMS systems,” said Will Ray, North Carolina’s emergency management director

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“These ambulances and crews will provide necessary relief to our extremely busy EMS systems,” said Will Ray, North Carolina’s emergency management director. “While it’s not the full complement we requested, we know medical resources are extremely limited across the nation right now, and we are grateful for this assistance from our federal partners.”

Photo/Mecklenburg EMS agency - Medic

Jonathan Limehouse
The Charlotte Observer

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Five new ambulances and crews have been assigned to Mecklenburg County to help with an increase in service calls during the pandemic, state officials said.

North Carolina officials submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sept. 10 for 40 advanced life support and 10 basic life support ambulances, according to the state Department of Public Safety. The state received just 25 advanced life support ambulances, each with a two-person crew of EMS providers, but no basic life support vehicles, DPS said in a statement.

“These ambulances and crews will provide necessary relief to our extremely busy EMS systems,” said Will Ray, North Carolina’s emergency management director. “While it’s not the full complement we requested, we know medical resources are extremely limited across the nation right now, and we are grateful for this assistance from our federal partners.”

Medic, Mecklenburg’s EMS agency, did not immediately respond to an Observer request for comment about the new crews Monday evening.

The other North Carolina counties receiving additional ambulance crews are Brunswick (2), Franklin (2), Graham (2), Guilford (2), Macon (2), New Hanover (4), Pender (2) and Robeson (3).

Most ambulance crews will begin working within their assigned counties Tuesday, DPS said.

The ambulance crews will remain assigned to these counties for 10 days. After this period, needs will be reevaluated to see if changes are needed, DPS said.

Medic has 566 employees, as of Aug. 25, according to an agency spokesman.

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