No Volunteers: Fuquay EMS Will Shut Down

Fuquay-Varina EMS is shutting down on March 31. Wake County EMS will have sole responsibility for Fuquay-Varina's emergencies.

Fuquay EMS Chief Donald Page says there simply are not enough people to provide the services.

"There were not that many local people still volunteering for the organization," he says.

Two years ago, Fuquay EMS had 27 volunteers. Today, it has have none.

Steve McArthur is one of the few paid staffers working for the town's EMS. He began as a volunteer two years ago, but decided to go professional. He says the hours for a volunteer are grueling.

"You might not get any calls one night, but you might get five calls the next night, which means you'll be sound asleep when you go to work the next day," he says.

EMTs also have to go to more classes to keep up with the latest techniques. The time and energy are harder to demand from volunteers, who receive no pay for their services.

This all puts the growing town in a predicament.

"With every new subdivision -- if there are 150 homes, that's the potential for 150 more calls," says Page.

There is one benefit from being served solely by Wake County EMS. Every Wake County ambulance has at least one paramedic on board, providing first-class emergency medical care.