Recently, the Town of Emerald Isle announced that after extensive data analysis by Town task forces and Town leadership it will combine its fire and emergency medical service operations into a single department, known as the Emerald Isle Fire Department, effective the first of the new year. Current employees will be trained as both firefighters and EMTs, AdvancedEMTs or Paramedics. To quote Bill Walker, the Town’s fire department chief, “by having a sole Fire/EMS department with cross-trained personnel, we anticipate enhanced patient care and emergency call response times, the ability to have a second full-time ambulance available year-round, and a variety of other life-saving improvements.” The proposed new Fire department will operate three shifts that work 48 hours on, 96 hours off, with staff rotating between the two existing fire stations, one in the eastern part of town and one in the west. Eight personnel will be on shift per day, with four at each station. Presently, there are 18 members of the existing fire department, and each is certified as firefighter and basic EMT. There are eight members of the current EMS department, a blend of EMT Basic, EMT Advanced and Paramedics.
So, why the merger? At first blush, it would appear that Emerald Isle needs more full-time employees in EMS. This makes sense for two reasons. First, although the population of Emerald Isle is not growing rapidly, it is getting older. The median age in Emerald Isle is around 56 years of age right now and rising. And, adults aged 60 years and older disproportionally use EMS compared to younger individuals. With older adults expected to comprise roughly 50% of the total Emerald Isle population by 2030, having another ambulance center to respond in a more timely manner to calls in the eastern half of Town makes sense. Second, as Emerald Isle continues to market itself as a vacation resort destination, more and more vacationers will populate the town’s beaches during the summer. The number of water rescues increase disproportionately during June, July and August so having a second ambulance center to service the eastern half of town in this time-critical event also makes sense. A third reason is rather obvious, too. There are far fewer fires in Emerald Isle than there were in the past. Building materials are less combustible, building are designed with fire safety in mind and buildings are laid out to deter the spread of fire. Fewer fires means fewer firefighters.
One solution is to lay off a bunch of firefighters and cut down on the budget for the fire department. Residents of Emerald Isle would embrace the tax savings wholeheartedly but even the resident bean counters recognize that fires still happen and when they do they can cause severe property damage and threaten people’s lives. So, it doesn’t make much sense to cut the fire department.
But, what also doesn’t make sense is the merging of the fire and emergency medical services departments. To be sure, individuals in both professions get up every morning prepared to save people. But, they save people in very different ways. And they receive very different training. Firefighters are trained not only to put out fires but they are motivated to put out fires. It's what they do. It’s in their DNA. What’s not in their DNA is driving an ambulance and providing medical care. EMS personnel are trained not only to provide medical assistance and transport. But they are motivated to provide medical care. It’s in their DNA. What’s not in their DNA is putting out fires. Now, Fire Chief Bill Walker says that all personnel will be cross-trained by July, 2023. That’s easy to say in a press release. What I want to know is whether all current personnel were asked their opinion on this proposed merger. It’s one thing to start a cross-trained or merged Fire and EMS department from scratch. It’s quite another to blend two dissimilar professional groups, ie. Fire and EMS into one.
As Town manager Matt Zapp put it, “Joining of the departments and cross-training staff will provide a cost avoidance of $250,000 a year.” As a tax paying resident of Emerald Isle, I hope Matt Zapp and Bill Walker are right. But, history and my experiences with the merger of police and fire departments in Durham in the 1970s suggests otherwise.
First, public safety consolidation can be costly what with higher wages, and higher cross-training expenses. The proposed shifts, working 48 hours on, 96 hours off, with staff rotating between the two existing fire stations, one in the eastern part of town and one in the west may very well endanger teamwork, and lead to lower morale and higher turnover, especially with fire fighters. Firefighting requires closely coordinated teamwork that engenders cooperation and trust. It is for these very reasons that fire companies train, live and work together on a daily basis.
Then, there is the confusion and conflict that will arise when personnel are constantly switching from fire fighting to providing medical assistance. This confusion might result in delays in responses that could result in loss of property and life. Insurance rates could increase and Emerald Isle residents wouldn't stand for that outcome. And, are there enough hours in the day for an individual to be properly trained in two decidedly different professions? I don’t think so. Teamwork and training may not be enough to eliminate the conflicts that may very well erupt between fire-oriented and EMS oriented personnel. After all, firefighters focus on mechanical and technical aspects of rescue, while EMS personnel deal with psychological and personal issues.
In the end, if this merger does go through, I fear that most, if not all, of the current fire and EMS personnel will leave. That’s too bad as I count several firefighters and EMS personnel among my friends. To be sure, I hope I am wrong. But if not, then, the town will be faced with hiring specific CROSS-TRAINED individuals who will rightly demand significantly higher wages. So much for that cost avoidance of $250,000 a year that Matt Zapp is talking about. To stay informed about what is going on in Emerald Isle, and the Crystal Coast, go to my website, www.EmeraldIsleHomesforSaleNC.com and sign up for my blog. Ready to buy or sell? Call me at 919-308-2292. Explore the video tab for my weekly uploads to my YouTube channel. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive free donuts at my Flip Flops Donut shop. Text your email address to 919-308-2292 and subscribe to my newsletter. My book, "Live Where You Vacation" is available on Amazon.com or at Kindle.
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