EMS resources ‘a huge concern’ for Durham County residents worried about new development

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Parents of a young man injured during a high school football game in Durham County last month were told no EMS units were available to help.

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Now, the story is top of mind for many people in Durham protesting further development without the prioritization of emergency services.

“Now, we have reporters publishing articles about it,” Pablo Friedmann told members of the city council on Tuesday night. “There was a student at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability who couldn’t get an ambulance, and that made the news on CBS 17.”

This week, the city council voted 4-3 in favor of an annexation and rezoning request to allow for the construction of up to 50 single-family homes in southeast Durham on Sherron Road.

“The situation at Southern is very real for me, to know that someone’s child could’ve passed away,” Durham city council member Shanetta Burris said. “I get it’s not the developer’s fault. But as a city, it’s our responsibility to think about the quality of life for all of our residents.”

The project, called Oak Grove Landing, is being planned by developer M/I Homes. More than a dozen people spoke during a Tuesday night public hearing at City Hall, with several pushing against the proposal due to EMS response concerns.

“Fire and EMS services are a huge concern,” Durham County resident Pam Andrews said. “City and county leaders must plan for the safety of our citizens and first responders before more is approved.”

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In an interview two weeks ago, Durham County EMS Director Seth Komansky told CBS 17 that his department is not staffed for the current demand that exists in the community. That means they’re forced to hold calls.

“The call volume is out the window,” Durham County resident Eric Hester said. “It’s very overwhelming, which I understand why we have a shortage of personnel in each one of these departments.”

The developer for this project on Sherron Road is providing $15,000 for Durham County EMS, but residents said that isn’t enough to solve the problem.

“Responsibility of this lack of buses and lack of EMS doesn’t fall on the developer,” M/I Homes representative Juan Montez said. “It falls on the government, and we can only do so much to try to help with that.”

In June, the Durham Planning Commission recommended that the city council vote against the development proposal. But on Tuesday night, city officials approved all of the annexation requests on the agenda.

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