Transfer will not affect service to citizens
Brunswick County is expected to begin providing emergency medical services for the Town of Leland per County staff’s recommendation to not renew the Town’s ambulance franchise in the coming fiscal year. Town and County staff are discussing a July 1, 2019 transition date.
County and Town officials are developing an agreement for the transfer of EMS services, and it is anticipated that the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners and Leland Town Council will each consider the agreement later this month.
As part of that proposed agreement, the Town anticipates the County will offer employment to Leland’s full-time EMS employees and purchase the Town’s operational ambulances. Leland will provide County EMS with space within one of the Town’s fire stations.
“The County and Town are working in partnership to ensure that our residents will not notice any change to EMS services come July 1,” said Leland Mayor Brenda Bozeman. “We have a singular goal with the forthcoming agreement, which is to ensure the continued safety of our citizens.”
Leland Fire/Rescue has provided EMS services to the northern area of the county in some manner since 1968, when it was formed as an all-volunteer organization. The Town of Leland and the Fire/ Rescue staff recognize the contributions made by its citizen volunteers, past and present, through these 51 years of service.
Brunswick County first granted the volunteer department an ambulance franchise nearly two decades ago, and did so again when the department became a division of the Town of Leland in 2017. As outlined in N.C. General Statute §153A-250, county governments have authority in decisions regarding franchises for ambulance services.
“We are proud of the accomplishments our nationally recognized EMS department has achieved, and are prouder to have served our fellow citizens as a department for more than 50 years,” said Chief John Grimes of the Town of Leland Fire/Rescue Department. “We appreciate the County’s trust in us to serve – and the opportunity to continue serving – our fellow residents in emergency medical situations. We have all confidence in the County’s decision to expand its EMS services to our area, and to do so without disruption to Town citizens.”
The Board of Commissioners and Town Council will consider approval of the proposed EMS service agreement during their next regular monthly meetings on May 20 and 23, respectively.