Finding balance between Charlotte Fire and Medic: As Charlotte grows, so do 911 calls – and the burden on firefighters

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Mecklenburg County officials, fire chiefs, and EMS leaders sat down together Thursday night to tackle a growing challenge: how to handle the increasing number of medical calls while making sure fire crews aren’t stretched too thin.

Right now, Charlotte-area fire departments are often the first to arrive when someone calls 911 for a medical emergency, whether it’s life-threatening or not.

But as the county’s population grows, so does the number of calls.

And fire chiefs are raising concerns that their crews are being pulled away too often from their core responsibilities, like fighting fires and responding to rescue situations.

The chiefs are asking the county to share more data about the types and frequency of calls. With that information, departments hope they can better plan how to use their resources.

For now, fire departments and EMS crews will keep working together on the front lines, but behind the scenes, leaders are hoping to find a better balance.