Pasquotank-Camden
Emergency Medical Services
HISTORY
In 1967, the commissioners from Pasquotank and Camden Counties joined together and determined the need to have a County operated EMS system to staff EMS coverage during the day. The Pasquotank-Camden Ambulance Service was founded. The EMS system operated under the control of Pasquotank County. Camden County contracted with Pasquotank County to provide EMS services to their residents. The paid EMS staff worked from 7:45 am - 5:45 pm Monday - Saturday. The volunteers of the Pasquotank County Rescue Squad worked from 5:45 pm - 7:45 am and covered all Sundays and holidays.
In 1983, an EMS building was built on the grounds of Albemarle Hospital for Pasquotank-Camden Ambulance Service. PCRS still worked out of their own building on Knobb's Creek Drive, seperate from the EMS Building. In 1987, both organizations, for the first time, inhabited the same building located on the grounds of the hopsital.
Since the first EMS building (Station 50) was built in 1983, we have added 3 additional bays and a training facilty to that building.
Prior to the start of Pasquotank-Camden EMS, ambulance calls were answered by the all-volunteer Pasquotank County Rescue Squad. The Pasquotank County Rescue Squad (PCRS) was started in 1964 by a group of individuals who volunteered to answer the emergency calls for Pasquotank County. PCRS was the only emergency medical services provided until 1967.
On February 28, 1988, Pasquotank-Camden EMS answered the first advanced life support call. Until this point, all calls were answered at the basic life support level.
In 1993, Pasquotank-Camden EMS started providing care at the paramedic level.
In the late 1980's, Pasquotank-Camden Ambulance Service's name was changed to Pasquotank-Camden EMS (PCEMS).
From 2001-2006, volunteer coverage suplemented the EMS Department. Volunteers worked from 6:00pm - 6:00am daily and staffed all day Sunday and holidays. Gradually as volunteers participation declined, PCRS requested Pasquotank County to staff EMS 24 hours a day. In 2006, Pasquotank-Camden EMS started staffing 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
In 2008, at the request of Albemarle Hospital, Pasquotank-Camden EMS started providing non-emergency ambulance transports.
In all of the prior years of Pasquotank-Camden EMS, all EMS calls were answered out of one central location behind Albemarle Hospital (EMS Station 50).
In 2009, the EMS Board approved the first EMS sub-station, EMS Station 4 which is located in the Nixonton area of Pasquotank County. In 2011, an ambulance was approved to be placed at South Camden Fire Department's Station 12 on Sawyer's Creek Road in Camden County. These substations would reduce EMS response times in remote areas of the Counties.
As the staff continued to grow, in 2012, an EMS Administration Building was donated to Pasquotank County. EMS Administration and Billing would be moved to this new buildling, on the grounds of Albemarle Hosptial in 2013.
In 2015, EMS sub-station 14 was created and housed in the South Mills Fire Department Station 14 located on Keeter Barn Road.
Today, the Pasquotank-Camden EMS System has over 110 full-time, part-time and volunteer staff members. We opperate out of 4 EMS Stations and 1 Administration Building, operating a fleet of 13 ambulances and 6 quick response vehicles.
Pasquotank-Camden EMS responds to 911 calls, emergency and non-emergency transports, standbys and public relations events.
We are currently striving to achieve our system goal, "To be the leading EMS System in the Northeast Region by providing the best professional and innovative out of hospital care."
