SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WECT) – The City of Southport Board of Aldermen held an emergency meeting to provide direction to city staff in light of the new Brunswick County’s emergency services contract that would strip Southport of its ability to govern its paramedic crews.

Under the new contract, the county has the authority to deploy city equipment and personnel and stage them anywhere in the county for as long as they determine. Citizens of Southport exclusively pay for this extra medical support to its taxpayers due to the aging demographic of the community.

Southport Fire Chief Charles Drew said at the meeting that it is not plausible.

“Southport Fire Department has always been a good neighbor to Brunswick County,” Drew said. “We are mutual aid partners and if there is an incident, we will respond to their call for help. We are not saying that we won’t respond. We work together with them. But this franchise agreement is far-reaching.”

Representatives with the county told the board they are not asking for anything out of the ordinary.

“It has to be a whole system where we’re able to move the resources,” Brunswick County Health and Humans Services Executive Director Catherine Lytch said. “Is the county wanting to come and take over and tell you what to do? Absolutely not.”

The county could also deploy the Southport paramedics to Calabash leaving Southport without their funded medical support under the new contract. If the city refuses to sign the new contract, the county will remove the city from the county’s Director of Emergency Medicine’s state certification.

Southport’s mayor asked the fire chief at the meeting to gather details on the number of calls they respond to. Leaders will meet again later this week to obtain information and hand it to county officials.

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