KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC — Emergency crews are prepping for what Tropical Storm Debby might bring, but got a boost to their overall operations on Monday at the ribbon cutting of the brand new Fire and EMS Station in Kill Devil Hills.
“We're in the Outer Banks, Kill Devil Hills, it's just part of our DNA. We’re always planning, tracking it, continuously monitoring," said Troy Tilley, chief of the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department
“We get staff prepared, we get our stations prepared so that if it does come this direction, we have extra units at the ready," said Jennie Collins, chief of Dare County EMS and MedFlight.
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Tropical Storm Debby isn't the only thing on everyone's mind right now though, a ribbon cutting was held to celebrate the new headquarters for fire and EMS. More than a hundred people from surrounding emergency departments and the community came out for the special day.
"This new building symbolizes our commitment to the health, safety and well being of every person in our community. With increasing demands to emergency medical services, this building is the cornerstone of that system," said Collins.
"We look at today as an investment into the future of our community. ...This new station will house a dedicated team of firefighters that are prepared to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," said Tilley.
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The fire side will be named after former fire chief William "Bill" Gard. Gard served as fire chief from 1973 to 1994. Gard's daughter Susan Gard Nelson was in attendance.
"Thank you for remembering our father's love and dedication to the Kill Devil Hill's Fire Department," said Gard Nelson.
For Dare County EMS, this station is where the bulk of their calls come into. The department has seen its yearly calls rise to almost 10,000 in 2023.
“This station supporting the bulk of our 911 calls from here to Southern Shores, is about 42% of the call volume of the entire county wide," said Collins.
It was a great day for emergency services in all of Dare County but they made it clear it was also a great day for the community they serve.
