Honorable County Commissioners,
The Blowing Rock Civic Association engaged Joe Lord to prepare an independent report on the EMS Ambulance System in the County and Blowing Rock.
His report is attached and confirms the conclusion of our research and meetings this summer.
The taxpayers of Blowing Rock have invested substantially to provide first class paramedic 1st Responder services to manage the health care risks of our citizens and visitors.
We again ask the County Commission to re-evaluate your public policy to provide quality ambulance services throughout the County and adopt a Fractal Success Measurement that includes both geography and response time.
The taxpayers throughout the County should receive the same level of service, especially when dealing with the lives of our citizens.
Mr. Lord recommends adding at least 3 new stations throughout the County including Blowing Rock. Mr. Lord estimates based on information from Watauga Medics that each additional team and ambulance would cost approximately $650K annual without the cost of the building. As you know, Blowing Rock has a dedicated facility for the County ambulance and I assume other rural fire departments may have or could provide facilities.
Please put lives over dollars and invest our tax dollars to match the risk outside of Boone. It seems reasonable and practical for you to direct the County Manager to implement a plan over three years to prioritize the health and safety of all residents.
We and Mr. Lord are available to provide additional insights from his report.
Regards,
Tim Gupton
President
Blowing Rock Civic Association
Below is the PDF report conducted by Lords Consulting, LLP
Independent EMS Report by Joe Lord January 2021