This is a blog version of a Facebook posting from September 10, 2022.
Early history of Long Beach Rescue Squad on Oak Island. From Wolfgang Furstenau’s 1995 book “Long Beach – A North Carolina Town: Its Origin and History,” from a copy in the collection of the North Carolina Heritage and Government Library in Raleigh.
1962, Sep 15 – Long Beach FD created.
1967, Nov 18 – Renamed Long Beach, N.C. Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad.
1973, Jan 18 – Town commissioners approve separating rescue squad.
1973, Apr 19 – Long Beach Rescue Squad chartered. First officers Chief Walt Johnson, Captain Ted Casto, Lieutenant Charlie Leggett, Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Leggett.
Equipment consisted of one ambulance, purchased in 1967, and a 17-foot KcKee boat with 100 horsepower outboard motor.
Prior to that, in Feb 1969, a three-acre tract of land was given to the rescue squad at the intersection of Route 211 and Long Beach Road.
1973, Aug – Squad as 30 active members, 27 of which were certified ambulance attendants.
1974, Apr 18 – New ambulance would be delivered in one week.
1975, Apr 3 – Constitution revised to allow membership from all of Oak Island, providing they were residents for at least one year.
1979, Jan 17 – Bid awarded for new ambulance, Grumman Emergency Products, $28,100 plus $120 in tax. Was a 1979 Grumman on Ford chassis. Certified to carry two patients. Squad paid $2,000 for equipment and $14,500 for vehicle. Town paid the rest.
1979, Jul 1 – Town started Public Safety Officer Program, to train police officers in first aid, since they were often the first to arrive at the scene of an accident.
1983, Jun 15 – Squad chief told town that they need $7,500 to assist in paying for two more ambulances, that were financed through a bank.
1990, Jan – Fundraising efforts were continuous. At that time, members were planting grass to stabilize sand dunes, to help raise money. Town paid $18,000 for the work, which helped pay the remaining balance for a new $61,000 ambulance.
1991 – Mutual aid agreement with Caswell Beach, in exchange for the town providing about 4 percent of the squad’s operating funds. Similar arrangement was made with Yaupon Beach.
1994, Nov 1 – Squad had 26 members, of which 19 were certified EMT or better. Six had EMTD, three had EMTI, and three were trainees. Rest were ambulance attendant certified.
Then what happened?
David Robinson remembers “In 1998, I was one of 4 of the first career EMT’s hired to supplement the volunteers with daytime coverage. In 1999 the town of Long Beach consolidated with Yaupon Beach to form the Town of Oak Island.”
“We continued providing daytime coverage until approximately 2005 when we [town employees] merged into the fire department to have full-time fire and EMS.”
“Eventually the rescue squad/EMS [agency] also merged into the fire department as Oak Island Fire Department (Emergency Services). “
“The Volunteer EMS was eventually phased out and the FD provided some form of fire-based EMS until phasing EMS [services] completely out in around 2013.”
“[The fire department] continued providing EMS ALS first responder [service] until [August 2022] and now [provide] BLS first responder [service].”