Orange County Rescue Squad ordered off 911 system

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — The Orange County Rescue Squad has been removed from the local 911 system after a number of complaints from the county's new emergency services director.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that on June 27, director Frank Montes de Oca Jr. ordered the private, volunteer rescue squad removed, citing safety concerns. He said emergency services supervisors should order squad members to leave if they showed up at accident scenes.

The squad serves the northern part of the county from a station in Hillsborough.

In a preliminary report dated July 1, Montes de Oca outlined a history of unsafe and unprofessional practices. In June, he said the squad's Rescue 1 truck spilled its equipment in responding to an accident on Interstate 40.

Rescue Squad Chief Brian Matthews said he never got to respond to the allegations before the order to stand down. He called many of the accusations baseless.

A second volunteer unit in the county, the South Orange Rescue Squad based in Carrboro, is not involved in the dispute.

Both squads have long also helped provide ambulance services in the county along with the county Emergency Medical Services division.

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My dept. has worked with these guys since the day they started, long before many of us were even born. This group is a very dedicated group. EVERY agency has issues, the problem is,in my opinion,that this group was sought out by those who wanted to take over their service. It's easy to read the negative comments on here by a couple of users and recognize the writing style of a former rescue squad member. The fact is that all those guys want to do is the right thing. They train, and whoever said certifications were not required, for the most part that is true, so the fact that most of their responders had STATE CERTIFICATION, means that this group went above and beyond instead of maintaining the minimum. What has happened, in my opinion, is the result of a few who have left the squad, because they couldn't get their way. Shame on the EM Director and shame on the Co.Manager for doing this behind the backs of the commissioners as another TV station reported.thank you OCRS for your svc

cc27599
July 17, 2008 8:57 p.m.

Nobody really reads these posts or the same stupid comments wouldn't be repeated.

THERE IS STILL AMBULANCE SERVICE AND RESCUE SERVICE IN ORANGE COUNTY. THERE IS STILL FIRE AND POLICE SERVICE IN ORANGE COUNTY. IT HAS NOT CHANGED.

The difference is the OCRS isn't being dispatched on the few wrecks the went on. And guess what, RESCUES ARE BEING PERFORMED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS who usually had finished the work by the time the rescue squad got there anyhow.

There enough already.

thinkbeforeyoublab
July 16, 2008 8:24 p.m.

Sounds like there is way more to this story...Sounds like personal & political issues as well. You would think they would inform them that the need to do things a little better instead of denying the public of their help!

momof3inNC
July 16, 2008 7:41 p.m.

This story was amazingly void of detail. I do wish WRAL would have more information before publishing a story. This seemed to just ignite frustrations and worry rather than inform.

kewlmom
July 16, 2008 3:44 p.m.

I don't think people realize that OCRS does not = ambulance/paramedics. OCRS only responds to special calls and work special events. The "special" calls they go on = wrecks, fires.... are calls that the fire departments and Orange County EMS are already responding too.