Construction is set to begin this month on Buncombe County’s first standalone emergency medical services station.
On Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an $8.4 million contract for the new facility, to be located in the front parking lot of the Owen Pool in Swannanoa, with Hendersonville-based Carolina Specialties Construction. When complete, the base will operate around the clock, hosting up to six emergency vehicles and 12 staffers. Its initial capacity will include an ambulance with two paramedics, a triage room for on-site emergency treatment, and a community paramedic unit.
Placing those resources directly in Swannanoa, explained General Services Director Robert Brown, will lead to better emergency outcomes for eastern Buncombe County.
“The facility will improve response times in this area, addressing call volume growth and providing faster services during emergencies,” Brown said. “Faster EMS response times directly translate into lives saved.”
Buncombe leaders plan to add more standalone EMS bases elsewhere in the county as its population and demand continue to grow. An independent study conducted in 2022 by Burlington-based North Carolina Fire Chief Consulting recommended 12 new stations; last month, the county bought seven acres in West Asheville for $1.8 million to eventually host a regional EMS facility.
The total cost of the Swannanoa project, including architectural, engineering, and geotechnical testing work, is about $10 million. That’s up more than 50% from an initial projection of $6.6 million. Commissioners unanimously approved the budget increase to cover the higher cost on Aug. 19, with County Manager Avril Pinder anticipating the money would come from a mix of bond proceeds and Helene-related grants.
Asked at that meeting by Commissioner Terri Wells about the additional expense, Brown said the original budget projection was made in fiscal year 2022 and didn’t account for escalating material and construction costs. Brown also noted that, as an “essential facility” under recently adopted state building codes, the EMS station had to meet more stringent structural requirements for wind and earthquake resistance.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Brown said work on the facility should start Oct. 20 and would wrap up by the end of 2026. EMS personnel would then be able to start operating out of the base by March 2027.
Other tidbits
- Commissioners moved forward with multiple conservation easement projects meant to preserve 577 acres of Buncombe forest and farmland in perpetuity. Two projects totalling $79,200 will be supported by the county’s general fund. Another eight projects will be funded using about $637,000 from the county’s $30 million Open Space Bond proceeds, which voters approved in 2022. County staff anticipate another $2.7 million in bond money will eventually be needed to see those projects through to completion.
- Commissioner Wells updated her colleagues about the county school system’s desire to seek a bond referendum. At a recent meeting of Buncombe’s School Capital Fund Commission, she said, education leaders pushed for voters to consider around $130 million in new debt, including $45 million for Glen Arden Elementary in Arden, $30 million for W.D. Williams Elementary in Swannanoa, and $53 million for district-wide roofing projects. For a referendum to appear on the 2026 ballot, commissioners would have to vote.
- Buncombe accepted a $500,000 grant from insurer United Healthcare to expand the county’s community paramedic program. The money provides a year’s worth of funding for one part-time and two full-time paramedics, who will focus on home visits to residents with chronic disease in an effort to reduce strain on the health care system.
- The board approved a utility easement for the French Broad Electric Membership Corporation to power a new compost processing plant at the Buncombe County Landfill. The facility, part of the county’s ongoing efforts to divert trash from the landfill and extend its lifespan, is expected to enter operation early next year.
- Two county employees earned state awards for their efforts during Hurricane Helene. The N.C. Association of Registers of Deeds flagged Drew Reisinger as an Outstanding Register of Deeds for coordinating volunteer efforts throughout the storm. The N.C. Association of County Commissioners awarded Alex McKnight, a business administrator with Buncombe’s Public Safety Communications, a Heroic Hands Honor for supporting the emergency response and participating in urban search-and-rescue work.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville, beginning at 5 p.m. The next meeting will take place Tuesday, Oct. 21. See the full recording and agenda of the Oct. 7 meeting.
