Short-staffed Durham EMS stretched thin
DEVELOP. AND IF THESE NUMBERS
CHANGE HERE FOR 30, BACK TO
YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU,
MARK. OK? SO WHEN YOU CALL
9-1-1, YOU EXPECT SOMEONE ON
THE OTHER AND TO SEND HELP.
WELL, WRAL HAS LEARNED AT LEAST
ONE RECENT INSTANCE, DURHAM EMS
DID NOT HAPPEN AND ONCE
AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO A
CRASHING WRAL'S. MONICA CASEY
TALKED TO THE EMS CHIEF TO FIND
OUT WHY.
>> BROADCASTIFY RADIO TRAFFIC
SHOWS UP BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN
DISPATCHERS AND FIRST
RESPONDERS ON A BUSY TUESDAY
NIGHT AND THEY WANT TO HELP.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW MATIC
AVAILABLE DURING THE M S CHIEF
MIKE LOCKHART TELLS ME AND EMS
SUPERVISOR WAS FIRST TO ARRIVE
ON HOLLOWAY STREET WHERE 2
PEOPLE WERE SHOT.
>> AN AMBULANCE ARRIVED 3
MINUTES LATER. A DURHAM POLICE
OFFICER RESPONDING TO THE
SHOOTING WAS INVOLVED IN A
CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE
NEARBY. PEOPLE AMERICAN IT WITH
YOU. AND THEN I NEED THE OTHER
MEDIC UNITS TO ATTEND HALLWAY
AND HYDE PARK. CHIEF LOCKHART
TOLD ME NO AMBULANCES WERE
AVAILABLE, BUT AN EMS
SUPERVISOR DID RESPOND AND AN
AMBULANCE WAS DIVERTED FROM
THE SHOOTING TO THE CRASH.
>> THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME
THERE HAVEN'T BEEN AMBULANCES
AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCIES IN
DURHAM. THE LAST SERIOUS 9-1-1,
CALLS HAD TO BE PUT ON STANDBY
IN JULY OF 2022. AND AGAIN IN
AUGUST, CHIEF LOCKHART TELLS
ME LAST SUMMER THERE WERE 25
VACANCIES. HE SAYS 11 RECRUITS
STARTED IN AN ACADEMY ON MONDAY
AND THE DEPARTMENT NOW HAS 18
OPEN POSITIONS. CHIEF LOCKHART
TELLS ME THIS IS A FUNCTION
OF INCREASED DEMAND VERSUS
SUPPLY, ESSENTIALLY BEING
STRETCHED THIN. MONICA CASEY,
WRAL, NEWS IN DURHAM AND THE
CHIEF ADDED A SHIFT COMMANDER
AND 2 LIEUTENANTS ARE IN SUV.
UNITS RESPONDING TO CALLS AS