Caldwell County Emergency Medical Services officially opened two bases — one in Lower Creek and the other in Valmead — on Thursday.
“We are excited to see these projects come to fruition,” said Emergency Services Chief Dino DiBernardi. “Our staff has put a great deal of time and energy into making sure we have buildings that will meet our needs for another 40 or 50 years.”
The two new facilities replace the downtown Lenoir base, which was built in 1929 and renovated in 1961.
“Since the founding of our county in 1841, we have never built a new EMS base. We have always moved into existing facilities,” said Caldwell County Board of Commissioners Chairman Randy Church. “The opening of two new bases is a proud moment for residents of Caldwell County.”
Each facility is home to one advanced life support crew, consisting of two members, and a spare ambulance. The Valmead base, the larger of the two bases, also houses Medic 2, the assistant shift supervisor in a quick response vehicle, some special operations equipment, and emergency management resources.
“The new bases are part of an effort to better serve the entire county and decrease the amount of time it takes for an emergency medical crew to respond to a call,” said Emergency Medical Services Director Jonathan Cook. “By strategically placing our crews around the county, we can save minutes responding to calls in situations where every second matters.”
With the addition of the Lower Creek and Valmead bases, the county now has six EMS bases and four fire/rescue departments that provide backup EMS services.
Photo 1: Chief Dino DiBernardi shares the features of the new EMS bases.
Photo 2: Caldwell County Board of Commissioners Chairman Randy Church thanks city officials, county staff, and everyone who played a part in the construction of the new base.