By Nicholas Sullivan
The Charlotte Observer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. 鈥� Charlotte could see more emergency response workers under an agreement reached Tuesday between the city and the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.
The deal calls for the agency, , to increase the number of EMTs, paramedics and ambulances in the field to improve medical and fire response. Mecklenburg County provided for 50 new EMT positions and 10 ambulances in its 2025-26 fiscal year budget. MEDIC will add additional staff each year as necessary, the agency said in a statement.
The agreement also requires MEDIC to pay the city of Charlotte a monthly first responder subsidy of $41,586.25, or $499,035 annually. This money goes to the for EMS work, medical supplies and equipment.
MEDIC has partnered with Charlotte Fire and other municipal departments for decades to provide ambulance services across Mecklenburg County. Although MEDIC leads emergency medical services, local fire departments respond to tens of thousands of medical calls each year.
Charlotte Fire鈥檚 role in low-acuity and non-emergency calls should decrease under the agreement as MEDIC makes 鈥渋ncremental system improvements,鈥� according to the signed document. MEDIC will also participate in a county-commissioned study seeking to improve response protocols, the agreement says.
鈥淭his agreement does not change how Medic or Charlotte Fire responds to emergency calls today. Instead, it affirms and supports the work already underway to strengthen the EMS system for the long term,鈥� MEDIC Executive Director John Peterson said.
The new agreement with Charlotte and nearby towns as their contracts were set to expire this summer. One sticking point was the departments鈥� desire to respond to fewer non-emergency calls, especially during major events and severe weather. They also wanted more detailed data on response times and increased staffing.
Peterson said MEDIC launched initiatives to address those concerns before contract discussions began. Those efforts are ongoing.
鈥淏ut meaningful, lasting change cannot happen overnight or at the expense of patient safety,鈥� Peterson said in a statement. 鈥淚ncreasing Medic鈥檚 call volume without the necessary resources in place would only risk slower response times and compromise outcomes for our patients experiencing life threatening emergencies. Our priority must remain clear: to evolve responsibly, guided by data, and always centered on the needs of our patients.鈥�
The agreement begins Thursday and will run for 90 days, until Oct. 10 , 鈥渢o allow Medic time to demonstrate that it continues to work in good faith towards improvements to the EMS system.鈥� The agreement will automatically renew through June unless the parties amend it sooner.
Charlotte Fire did not respond to request for comment.
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