Presenting research notes and more on the history of rescue services and EMS in Brunswick County.
Resources
- View family tree graphic: JPG | PDF
- Read research notes (PDF)
- View various newspaper clippings in Google Drive folder.
- See more Legeros EMS histories.
Related Social Postings
Short Version
1950 to 1959
- 1955 – Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point opened, had ambulance.
- 1958 – Southport Rescue Squad organized.
- 1959 – Kilpatrick’s Funeral Service (Southport), Gilbert’s Funeral Service (Southport), Peacock Funeral Home (Shallotte) operating ambulance services.
1960 to 1969
- 1967 – Long Beach Fire Department renamed Long Beach Fire Department & Rescue Squad. The department had one ambulance.
- 1968 – Leland Rescue Squad organized.
- 1968 – Shallotte Rescue Squad organized.
- 1968 – Town Creek Rescue Squad organized.
1970 to 1979
- 1972 – Southport RS added their first rescue boat.
- 1973 – Long Beach Rescue Squad created, separated from fire department.
- 1975 – Care Ambulance Service in Southport started operation.
- 1976 – Coastline Rescue Squad organized.
- 1976 – Southport RS started ambulance service, after local private service ended operations.
- 1978 – Boiling Spring Lakes Rescue Squad started operation.
- 1979, circa – Waccamaw Rescue Squad organized.
- 1979 – County granted franchises to several squads: Coastline, Leland, Long Beach, Shallotte, Southport, Town Creek, and Waccamaw. [SN/12/4/79]
1980 to 1989
- 1981 – Calabash Rescue Squad organized.
- 1986 – Navassa Rescue Squad organized.
- 1987 – Bald Head Island Rescue Squad organized.
- 1988 – Navassa RS ceased operating.
- 1989 – Calabash RS renamed Calabash EMS.
1990 to 1999
- 1990 – Southport RS became first squad in the state with a certified water ambulance.
- 1991 – First full-time county rescue workers started working. Two-person teams rotate among some of the squads.
- 1992 – County started 911 service.
- 1992 – Brunswick County EMS started service.
- 1992 – Navassa Volunteer EMS started operating.
- 1994 – Shallotte RS opened substation on Ocean Isle Beach.
- 1995 – Bald Head Island RS named Bald Head Island EMS by this time.
- 1997 – Oak Island Water Rescue Team Inc. organized.
- 1998 – Leland Fire/Rescue created as a merger of the private fire and rescue departments.
- 1998 – Town of Long Beach activated Squad 24, an ambulance staffed with four full-time town employees who were EMTs, to provide day-time coverage.
- 1999 – Boiling Spring Lakes RS had ceased operating.
- 1999 – BCEMS opened opened four substations.
2000 to 2009
- 2003 – By this time, Oak Island RS had merged with Oak Island FD to create Oak Island Fire & EMS.
- 2003, Jun – By this time, Oak Island VRS was named Oak Island Volunteer EMS. [SPP, 6/16/03]
- 2005, circa – Town of Long Beach medics merged with fire department.
- 2006, circa – Oak Island (Volunteer) EMS ceased operating.
- 2006 or 2007 – Town Creek RS ceased operating.
- 2007 – Shallotte RS merged with county.
- 2007 – St. James FD added ambulance service.
- 2009 – Bald Head Island EMS merged with fire into Bald Head Island Public Safety.
2010 to 2019
- 2012 – Southport RS crash truck transferred to fire department, during consideration of merging the fire and rescue departments.
- 2014 – Oak Island Fire & EMS started providing paramedic-level ambulance service.
- 2015 – Calabash EMS merged with the county.
- 2015 – Oak Island Fire & EMS sold one of two ambulances, BCEMS took over as primary EMS transport service on island.
- 2015 – Southport Fire & EMS created after squad merged with fire department.
- 2017 – Oak Island Fire & EMS ceased providing transport services.
- 2017 – Sunny Point EMS ambulance now ALS.
- 2017 – Leland Fire/Rescue merged with the town.
- 2019 – Leland Fire & EMS ambulance service absorbed by county.
- 2019 – Coastline RS ceased operating.
- 2022 – Oak Island Fire & EMS ceased providing paramedic first responder service.
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