Research notes on the history of Wilmington Fire Department’s rescue squads and ambulances. See second blog posting for wider history of New Hanover County ambulance and rescue services. 

See also, Wilmington Fire History by Legeros. 

1969
WFD placed first rescue unit in service. [SN, 6/30/71] Was a utility-type truck and was not equipped for transport.  

1971, June 30
Star-News reported that for the third budget year, the fire chief has requested funding for a boat, trailer, and outboard motor. Currently, only the fire boat was available for water rescue calls, which can’t reach most water accidents in the city. The budget request also included a $1,500 resuscitator and other breathing apparatus for the rescue truck. 

1974, June 15
Star-News reported that the proposed city budget included $9,000 for a new rescue truck. This was an ambulance and WFD started transport services, though only for patients with life-threatening conditions.  

1977, Apr 8
Star-News reported that a WFD underwater dive team had been operating for four years. The team consisted of sixteen members.

1976, Aug 25
Star-News reported that WFD had a single “ambulance/rescue vehicle” and they provided both EMS and rescue service, but only transported in “cases involving life or death.” The city and county was also served by:

• two volunteer squads (Ogden and New Hanover)
• two private ambulance services (only one that provided emergency service)
• one ambulance at Carolina Beach FD
• the CB’ers Search and Rescue Assistant Group of North Carolina, that helped with land and water searches and recovery.

1978, Mar 9
By this time, WFD was required to dispatch a private ambulance service on all rescue calls, since WFD did not transport unless patients faced a “life or death” situation. This procedure started about two years ago [actually about four years ago], when WFD began operating it’s rescue squad [e.g., ambulance unit]. Prior to that time, city police dispatched ambulances. County volunteer squads were not called to city incidents.  [SN, 3/9/78]

1978, Oct 3
Star-News story noted that the city was now operating two rescue units, based at Station 1 and Station 2. They had a four-minute response time to any point in the city. The county was enacting tighter ambulance regulations and there was doubt whether the city would be granted an exclusive franchise for same within the city limits. Volunteer squads now regularly answered calls in the city. New Hanover VRS, for example, could reach some areas of the city in half the time of WFD. Also, a new 911 number could be implemented county-wide within the next 12 to 18 months.

1978, Oct 
Snapshot. The WFD ambulance answered 1,288 rescue calls last year, not including fires, and transported 438 patients. Additionally, WFD had applied for a grant to help buy second ambulance rescue unit. WFD had 57 EMTs plus 10 “ambulance attendants”. [SN, 10/7/78]

1979, Aug 4
Star-News reported that the only remaining private ambulance service in the county has ceased operations. They had operated since 1970.

1979, Nov 28
Star-News reported that the city had a second ambulance, added about three months ago. [Was that an error? Was the second ambulance added a year or more earlier?] The two ambulances were based at Station 1 and Station 2. By that time, all fire units were staffed with two or three EMTs.

1980, Nov 19
Star-News reported that the WFD rescue units usually requested a county rescue squad to transport their patients. WFD only transported critically injured patients. The two county squads (Ogden, New Hanover) believed that WFD “should bear more of the load.” Proposals to make WFD part of a countywide service–and supported by county funding–had been unsuccessful. 

1981, Jul 27
Star-News reported that a county-wide EMS system was being planned, with both the volunteer rescue squads and WFD ambulances participating. All would receive funding from the county. WFD would have an agreement with the county to receive funding for their rescue units, and the county would act as collection agency for billing. WFD would also offer “first call” service to some areas outside the city limits. In return, New Hanover VRS would serve some areas of the city. WFD’s proposed service area would cover most of the city, the eastern half of an annexation area, and the industrial corridor along US 421 northwest of the city. Also, the new 911 number would be installed next year. [SN, 7/27/81]

1982, May
Snapshot. The two WFD rescue units responded to about 250 calls per month on average, compared to about 20 per month for fire trucks. Emergency 1, the WFD rescue unit, also carried rescue supplies, plus extrication tools. It was not equipped for patient transport. [SN, 5/23/82] 

1985, Mar 28
Star-News reported that the county had proposed consolidating the two WFD ambulances and three volunteer squads into a single county department. The city declined the offer.

1985, Sep 7 
Star-News reported that regular staffing of the WFD ambulances was three people, but had been cut to two temporarily, due to staffing shortages due to retirements.
 
1985, Oct 23
Star-News reported that the county had hoped to take over “rescue operations” in the city by December 1. The county paid the city about $175,000 to provide services inside the city. The county was scheduled to take over that responsibility in August 1986.

The project committee wanted the county to take over ASAP, because WFD was unable to staff their units with two EMT-I members, 24/7. The county, meanwhile, was hiring volunteers from other rescue squads to staff the WFD ambulance at Station 2. By not having enough EMT-I members on duty, the city was violating its contract with the county and threatened the county’s plan to “advance the county’s rescue certification.” The city fire chief was trying to reach an agreement with the county. The county has presented three options to the city:

– Hire temporary rescue squad members to supplement city ambulances until next August.
– Approve the December 1 takeover and give the county the two city ambulances.
– Create an EMS division within WFD to handle city ambulance services.

1985, Dec 
By this time, WFD ambulance services were operating under contract with the county and received county funding, along with the three volunteer squads (Ogden, New Hanover, Pleasure Island). Fees were charged for emergency ($135) and non-emergency ($60) transport. [SN, 12/25/85]

1986
WFD ceased operating their ambulances. New Hanover County took over the service (and assets?) that summer, after taking over the service (and assets?) of the volunteer rescue squads on March 1.  

Sources

See this Google Drive folder for 200+ articles, including those referenced above.

See this Wilmington FD fleet history (PDF).