Healthcare Directory

4 | 2014-2015 Medical & Dental Directory general practice C umberland County is roughly 660 square miles in size, which equates to a lot of territory to cover for Cumber- land County EMS. Last year, the department answered 55,000 calls for help, making it the fih- busiest EMS service in the state. No one knows it more than Brian Pearce, Cape Fear Valley's EMS Director. "Anytime someone calls for help, we're going," he said. "And if someone wants to get to the hospital, we're going to take them there." e statement resonates like unof- ficial marching orders for Pearce's staff of 168 paramedics and EMTs. Each has a job to do, and must be done properly, because lives really are at stake. It's a big responsibility, but the employees are dedicated and enjoy working in a fast- paced, high-adrenaline field few can comprehend. EMS ambulance crews oen have to weave through traffic or rush to the C a p e F e a r ' s EMS ProfESSionalS Emergency Department, while work- ing on injured or ill patients. Since the county is primarily urban, most of the calls come from concentrated popula- tion areas, increasing risk. e payoff comes when patients make it to the ED, alive and safe. But it's not all glamorous work. Far from it. Every EMS employee must undergo continuing education and training to stay on top of their field. Luckily for them, they don't have to travel far to get it. Cape Fear Valley's EMS department provides in-house training, ensuring stringent standards are met and em- ployees get the best training possible. At least 24 hours of continuing educa- tion is required a year. Many employees do more. "We don't allow them to get it any- where else," Pearce said. "We have our own credentialed teaching institution, so they can receive continuing educa- tion credit." The fifth busiest in North Carolina By DoNNie Byers What they also get is world-class emergency medical training. Cape Fear Valley's EMS training program is so good that senior EMS members have gone on to win a slew of regional, state and national EMS training competi- tions in recent years. e biggest wins have come at the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) Games. e annual, two-day competition is open to any EMS department in the world and regularly attended by high- profile teams, such as those from New York Fire Department, Las Vegas and Miami-Dade County. Cape Fear Val- ley's EMS team has beaten all of them twice in the past five years to lay claim as the "Best in the World." Cape Fear Valley Health operates Cumberland County EMS 7 EMS outposts operate 24 hours a day at county fire departments in Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Wade, Stedman, Gray's Creek and the Westarea and Cottonade Fire Departments 4 EMS outposts operate 24 hours a day at city fire departments on Stacy Weaver Drive, Santa Fe Drive, Bailey Lake Road and the EMS Main Office on Gillespie Street 5 EMS outposts operate during peak hours at fire departments in Vander, Cumberland Road, Stamper Road, Langdon Street and Bunce Road 3 lead paramedics provide quick response to more serious calls. They are stationed at the EMS office and fire departments on Hope Mills Road and in Eastover.

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