County nixes contract with Roseboro Rescue and EMS

The Sampson County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to end its contract with Roseboro Rescue and EMS during a meeting Monday night.

“Mr. chairman, we are recommending that the county give notice of termination of the rescue services contract with the rescue squad in Roseboro,” County Manager Ed Causey requested at the meeting.

The contract was created between the rescue squad and the board June 1, 2023 and listed light rescue services that the Roseboro Rescue and EMS would have to complete. Representatives from Roseboro Rescue and EMS informed the county that they would no longer be providing these services, which breached the terms of the contract and allowed the county to terminate it.

According to Causey, Roseboro stopped its general rescue services over a year ago, and then in the last year they stopped providing RT services, or those services using heavy equipment for rescue. The only service left was the dive team, but Causey was not sure if it was still operable.

Also discussed was pending offer by the county to provide $200,000 to the rescue group for repairs to the building currently housing its operation if Roseboro Rescue members deeded the building to the county and continued to operate.

“In a variety of discussions, we had brought before the board and got the board to approve $200,000 on the basis that (Roseboro Rescue and EMS) was going to deed us their building, and we would, in turn, provide them space as long as they continue to operate,” Causey explained. “And we were going to spend $200,000 that you had authorized on the upfit of the building, and the board had approved that back in May.”

Causey said the rescue team has withdrawn that offer, and instead decided they would keep the building and do whatever needed to be done themselves.

After explaining the background of the contract’s termination, commissioners opened the issue up for questions or discussions. There was none, and a motion was made to void the contract, which was passed unanimously.

Subsequent to ending the contract, the board then had to decide on the future of a rescue squad in Roseboro, run by the county.

Causey said Roseboro Mayor Alice Butler told him the town had been awarded a $4 million grant to build a new fire station on Highway 24.

“(She) expressed some interest in selling us some property at a real good (price) that’s on their complex to potentially build a rescue squad building,” the county manager told commissioners.

Causey urged the board to consider Butler’s property proposal, saying the building would be the county’s, but it would be next to the town’s fire station, and would in his words “sort of give them their own complex.”

“What we’re asking the board to do in this resolution, which you’ll get a final approval, is to allow us to extend the $200,000 which was previously appropriated for the upfit to use toward the purchase of a new facility or construction of a new facility,” Causey explained.

He continued by saying they would like to “build a building with the expectation of having two bays and four bedrooms that would accommodate two full rescue teams at some point in the future.”

“We’re asking you to, in this resolution, allow us to move forward, appropriate the 200, let us proceed on getting plans developed and come back with a more formal recommendation when we’ve determined what the cost will be,” Causey asked the board.

“We’re looking at $500,000 total,” Commissioners Chairman Jerol Kivett clarified. “Of course, we could, maybe, lobby for some funds from the state, maybe for grants.”

Causey concurred, explaining that the board might have some money left over from other projects that they’re doing that can be transferred to the proposed building.

“It is our intention to come back with a recommendation that does not ask you to go into the general fund,” Causey told commissioners.

A motion was made to allow the staff to moved forward with the development project. It was passed unanimously.