Johnston County, NC – This past May Johnston County announced it would take over all EMS operations in the County, which meant that they were in effect putting out of business the volunteer rescue squads in Clayton, Smithfield, and Princeton. Johnston County EMS began county-wide ambulance operations on the first of July. However, the merger in Princeton has not been smooth.
Bad blood between the two entities began three years ago when Johnston County tried to shut down Princeton Rescue Squad after the Johnston County EMS Advisory Board found several problems with Princeton Rescue Squad, including falsifying records and patient care problems.
Johnston County contends that consolidating EMS operation county-wide will make it more efficient and cost effective for all of the tax-paying citizens of the county. Now Johnston County wants Princeton Rescue Squad's assets since it will be providing ambulance service to Princeton.
But not so fast, Princeton Rescue Squad says that their funds belong to the good people of Princeton who generously donated to the squad over the last 32 years, and according to their by-laws they are legally prevented from arbitrarily giving away those assets.
And Princeton Rescue Squad apparently has significant assets (to the tune of $300,000 in the bank, plus vehicles, equipment, supplies, and real estate).
According to Princeton Rescue Squad, they’ve been dealing in good faith, and basically their only requirement is that Johnston County place an ambulance in the Princeton town limits.
That’s the Reader’s Digest version, but it’s much more complicated than that. This week Princeton Rescue Squad posted a 5-page open letter that outlines all the details and problems dealing with Johnston County. It’s worth reading.
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