Emergency response time demonstrates need for more EMS bases

For a person in cardiac arrest, every second that passes without medical attention lowers the chances of survival. Getting there in time to help is a problem in Burke County.

Burke’s average EMS response time is 10½ minutes, the highest among a selected group of similar counties. The slower response puts the average cardiac arrest survival rate at less than 10%, the lowest of the group.

By comparison, the best response time among the counties studied was 7.5 minutes for Cleveland. The best survival outcome was Catawba, which averaged better than 16%.

Troubling numbers like those are a big reason the county commissioned N.C. Fire Chief Consulting to develop a public safety strategic plan for the county.

The plan was unveiled at the Burke Board of Commissioners annual budget retreat earlier this month.

County Manager Brian Epley said Fire Chief’s study and recommendations would help Burke catch up in areas where it lags behind.

“You can see from a Burke County perspective, we have the highest response time and the lowest positive outcome from cardiac arrest,” Epley said. “We want to change that. We believe that there’s some good strategies in place to do so, and those are the things that led this board last year to prioritizing the strategic plan.”

Despite the cardiac arrest stats, the report said Burke public safety excels in numerous other areas, which may be a direct result of the fact the board has increased public safety spending by 7% over the last two budget cycles.

Public safety accounts for 30% of the annual budget for 2024-25, more than any other area of expense in the budget.

Epley was quick to note the slow response time is not the fault of EMS personnel. Burke is geographically diverse and spreads out over 515 square miles.

Each of the seven EMS bases in the county is responsible for more than 73 square miles of coverage. Only McDowell (112) covers more among the counties studied.

A new EMS base is currently under construction as part of the commission’s capital improvement plan.

“When you look at the number of bases that they have to cover on a square-mile analytic, our folks are moving a lot,” Epley said. “The chief said last month, we covered 40,000 miles with nine ambulances, so that gives you some context. That team is hustling around.”

Fire Chief Consulting’s Scott Burnette, who helped develop that part of the plan, said several key focus areas could make a difference.

“There’s three areas that your EMS system needs to focus on, or identified as collaborative partnerships and training enhancements,” Burnette said. “And again, retention and recruitment at EMS also is a very important, a key focus area for Burke County, also implementing the department strategic plan, which includes planning for future EMS base locations, the collaborative partnerships and training enhancements.”

The study evaluated all aspects of county public safety — emergency medical services, emergency management, the sheriff’s office, fire marshal’s office, and emergency 911 communications.

The result was a 118-page document that takes a deep dive into the entire scope of Burke public safety.

Overall, Fire Chief found leadership and workforce performance to be solid across the board in all departments. Logistics, such as the need for more EMS bases in the eastern part of the county, where a majority of calls originate, tend to be stumbling blocks.

Among the needs that repeatedly cropped up were the necessity for employee recruitment and retention; increased training opportunities; and a focus on employee development and wellness.

You can view the plan in its entirety at: www.burkenc.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1155?fileID=4100. It begins on page 88 of the budget retreat agenda and runs through page 206.