By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Pender County will assume management of fire and emergency medical services on July 5, completing a consolidation effort approved by the Board of Commissioners in June 2025 after concerns about the independent EMS and Fire board’s lack of financial documentation.
- The county voted 4-1 to bring operations under direct county management through a plan known as “Option B,” with an estimated cost of $1,821,130.
- Pender EMS & Fire employees will become county employees with full county benefits; volunteers from Pender EMS & Fire and Penderlea Fire Department will remain active; Rocky Point and Maple Hill fire departments will continue separate operations.
- The new Pender County Emergency Services department will consolidate fire, EMS, emergency management, logistics, communications, training, and the fire marshal’s office under a single emergency services director.
- County officials stated that response times, station locations, and staffing levels will not change during the transition, though vehicles and equipment will be rebranded gradually.
PENDER COUNTY, N.C. — Pender County will assume operational control of fire and emergency medical services on July 5, implementing a consolidation approved by county commissioners more than a year ago in response to governance and financial accountability concerns.
The Pender County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 in June 2025 to transfer fire and EMS operations from an independent board of directors to county management. Commissioners cited concerns that the Pender EMS and Fire board of directors had failed to provide documentation showing how county funds were spent on emergency services operations.
The consolidation plan, designated as Option B, carries an estimated implementation cost of $1,821,130. Under the plan, most emergency services operations will be merged under county authority, with the exception of the Rocky Point and Maple Hill fire departments, which will retain separate operations.
Employees of Pender EMS & Fire will transition to Pender County employment on July 5, becoming county employees eligible for full county benefits packages. Volunteers from Pender EMS & Fire and Penderlea Fire Department will remain active in their organizations and continue providing emergency response services.
The county will establish a new Pender County Emergency Services department that will encompass fire services, EMS, emergency management, logistics, communications, training operations, and the office of the fire marshal, all operating under unified county oversight through a single emergency services director.
County officials stated that the consolidation will not alter response times, station locations, or existing staffing levels. Vehicles and equipment bearing Pender EMS & Fire markings will be rebranded gradually over time to reflect county ownership, meaning residents may observe multiple agency designations on emergency apparatus during the transition period.