SOUTHERN SHORES, N.C. — It’s out with the old and in with the new when it comes to EMS facilities in Dare County. County and town officials gathered in Southern Shores Friday afternoon for an open house to celebrate the opening of EMS Station 4.
The station, which will be shared with the Southern Shores Fire Department, is the first of several new stations that will go online this year and in the years to come.
Dare County EMS Chief Jennie Collins was more than proud to show off the new station, especially after the cramped conditions her staff had to work around for more than three decades.
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“They have been looking forward to this day for a very long time,” Collins said. "In fact, so much so that they’re bidding against each other who gets the first assignments here, and I can promise you they never did that with the old station.”
The old station was so small, the main ambulances didn’t fit and the ones that did were parked just inches from the living quarters, Collins said.
The Southern Shores station is part of Phase 1 of the upgrades, projected to cost $43 million as part of the county's Capital Improvements Plan. It includes a new station in Kill Devil Hills and a MedFlight hangar in Manteo.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chair Bob Woodard said the county is investing millions to build the new stations, because the number of calls for services continues to grow.
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“Therefore, it’s critical that these essential members of our workforce have access to the quality facilities and the resources that allow them to perform their duties efficiently and effectively,” Woodard said.
Commissioners approved the next phase of the plan earlier this month. It includes facilities in Manns Harbor and Kitty Hawk.
Collins said the Kitty Hawk station would be an addition to the system, and reduce the strain on the Kill Devil Hills and Southern Shores stations. The budget for the two stations is more than $20 million.
Construction on the new stations in Manns Harbor and Kitty Hawk is expected to begin in just a matter of weeks.
