Public safety services strained by growth

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the sixth article in a series looking at the issues Eastern North Carolina faces as a result of rapid growth due to a military influx.

Onslow County's population is growing but the number of people working to keep residents safe is not, area officials say.

The population in Eastern North Carolina is estimated to swell by the addition of 25,000 troops, civilian employees and dependents; 15,000 people indirectly associated with Marine Corps expansion; and another 21,300 due to normal growth.

And with those numbers is expected to come a greater demand on emergency and public safety services.

According to the Military Growth Task Force Preliminary Impact Assessment, Onslow County had 89 responses from Emergency Management, Homeland Security, HAZMAT and the Office of the Fire Marshal in 2007. They expect that number to rise to 95.4.

Emergency Medical Services had 12,868 responses in 2007 - and is expected to reach 15,242 with the growth, according to the assessment.

The Emergency-911 Call Center had 76,000 responses in 2007, a number anticipated to reach 87,780.

Onslow County Emergency Management estimates the department needs 39 new personnel - including 24 full-time paramedics and 10 part-time paramedics - to meet its share of those numbers.

Emergency Management, however, isn't the only one feeling the crunch.

Both the Onslow County Sherrif's Department and Jacksonville Police Department are worried they do not have enough officers to protect and serve their constituencies.

Calls to the Onslow County Sherrif's Department for services have doubled in the last six months, Sheriff Ed Brown said.

"Anytime there is a significant influx of citizens into a county or community it will require government to adjust to provide services and infrastructure to meet the demand," Brown said.

The Jacksonville Police Department has also seen an increase in their calls. In 2004, there were about 70,000 Chief Mike Yaniero said. So far this year, there's been over 100,000.

In an effort to keep their standard of service the same as previous years, JPD officers have been reassigned from administrative positions to patrol, and civilians have been brought in to free up as many officers as possible.

"We've done a number of things in addition to adding resources but you can only stretch so far," Yaniero said. "And as the military increases its number even more than they already have, they're going to have an impact on how we operate."

The Jacksonville Fire Department also has concerns with meeting the growing demand. So far this year, there have been 2,250 calls for service, Deputy Chief Mike Koonce said. With the increased calls, manpower becomes a concern.

"We need more, we do not have enough," Koonce said, explaining that in late 2005 or early 2006 a space needs study was done by an outside company that identified the department was at least 25 personnel short. "If they did it again they'd probably identify that we are a few more short."

In an attempt to make up for not having enough personnel, the Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune fire departments have an automatic aid agreement.

If there is a call for service along N.C. 24, from the Piney Green Corridor to Yopp Road, the Camp Lejeune Fire Department will send an engine crew to meet the Jacksonville Fire Department.

"That frees up our other second due engine so they can be free for other fire calls," Koonce said, explaining that in return JFD assists Camp Lejeune on Tarawa Terrance I, Tarawa Terrace II and Camp Johnson.

The department has also applied for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, which would allow them to increase the numbers of personnel on existing engine companies, Koonce said.

The influx, and traffic that comes with it, will also affect the department's response time.

"The roads are getting filled with more cars," Koonce said, "and the more traffic there is the longer it takes us to get there."

Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461.