Wake County EMS will celebrate four decades of service to the community at a public event in downtown Raleigh on Thursday night, August 4, at 7:00 p.m. at Meymandi Concert Hall, at the Duke Energy for the Perform Arts. Or what we called Memorial Auditorium back in the day.

They’ll be celebrating their history and expressing their appreciation to the many partners and stakeholders who have worked so hard to bring success to the Wake County EMS System.

Static Display – Retro Ambulance, Evac 1, and More

From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the front plaza of the performing arts center, facing South Street, will be a static display of Wake County EMS vehicles:

• “retro ambulance” with the original green-over-white colors
• medical ambulance bus Evac 1
• Major Operations Support Unit Truck 1
• EMS special events cart
• paramedic bike team.

Formal Program

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Meymandi Concert Hall, the formal program will include:

• Welcome by Chairman James West of the Wake County Commissioners and Wake County EMS Director Dr. Jose Cabanas.
• Remarks from partner hospitals Duke Raleigh, Rex, and WakeMed.
• Video history of Wake County EMS including tribute to partners and stakeholders.
• Greetings by current and past directors: Dr. Jose Cabanas, Dr. Brent Myers, Skip Kirkwood, Barry Britt, Gerald Brown and Russell Capps.
• Music performance by a group of current and past members of Wake County EMS.
• Open microphone opportunity for audience members to make brief reflections.

This program is about the people of our past, the people our present, and the countless partners and stakeholders who have helped make this EMS system one of the best in the nation. You are invited, and we hope you’ll come and help us celebrate.

Learn More History

Visit these web sites to learn more about the history of Wake County EMS, and the earlier years (and decades) of ambulance and rescue squad service in Raleigh and Wake County:

• History of EMS in Wake County on Facebook
• Photo albums via History of EMS in Wake County on Facebook
• Historical research by Mike Legeros