DARE COUNTY, N.C. — Dare County EMS is in the midst of a massive upgrade of its facilities.
Three new facilities are set to go online this year alone, promising not only upgraded equipment and technology for those who work in EMS, but also more efficient operation for the community.
In the middle of our interview with Dare County EMS Chief Jennie Collins, the call went out to Station 1 in Kill Devil Hills about someone who was unresponsive.
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Three new Dare County EMS facilities to be completed next year
“There’s a lot of movement that goes on and a lot of interruptions throughout the day,” Collins said.
But handling those disruptions inside facilities that were designed decades ago, for a much smaller force, is challenging.
“The need to have the proper facilities to house men and women and work 24-hour shifts, and have all the equipment has changed in that time,” Collins said. “The vehicles have changed in that time; they continue to change.”
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So Station 1 and several others in the system are being replaced as part of a massive renovation and modernization project.
It includes not only new buildings, but also new technology and equipment designed to make responding to emergencies more efficient and provide a better, safer space for employees.
The first phase will replace stations in Kill Devil Hills and Southern Shores. The current stations together account for 40% of calls in the entire county.
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The facilities will also house the fire departments in those respective communities.
It will also add a new hangar for the Dare County MedFlight helicopter at the airport in Manteo.
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The estimated cost for this phase is around $43 million.
“It’s a long-term investment, because the buildings are expected to be here another 40 to 50 years,” Collins said.
The next phase also includes a new EMS station in Kitty Hawk designed to ease some of that strain on the Southern Shores and Kill Devil Hills stations.
