Pitt County Protective Services
Law Enforcement
Fire Protection
Emergency Medical Services
KEY FACTOR SUMMARY
 Professional, trained police and fire/EMS personnel
City fire/rescue personnel are all EMT and IV certified
City has established special Hazardous Chemical Treatment Team to handle chemical spills or fires
Mutual aid fire-fighting and EMS pacts between all municipal and rural volunteer units
City fire departments will contract for fire protection services beyond city limits
Virtually all county residents are within 6 minutes response time of emergency medical service
Air ambulance service (helicopter) available to transfer critically injured patients to area and regional tertiary/specialized care hospitals
All fire stations equipped with at least one 750 GPM pumper truck
Centralized communications center - 911 emergency number available county-wide
City police department has 2.5 sworn officers per 1,000 residents
County Sheriff's department has 2.3 sworn deputies per 1,000 non-urban county residents
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Pitt County:
The Office of Sheriff was created by the North Carolina Constitution in 1776. As an elected official, the Sheriff serves four-year terms and has the sole authority to hire, fire, and supervise his employees. The Pitt County Board of Commissioners, however, controls the number of employees and establishes the sheriff's operating budget.
The Sheriff is Pitt County's Chief Law Enforcement Officer and has county-wide jurisdiction to enforce criminal and civil law. As a practical matter, he provides primary law enforcement protection to areas of the county outside of the jurisdiction of a local police force and assists local police agencies when requested. The Department also provides a School Resource Officer for each of the County's high schools. As an officer of the court, the Sheriff is charged with the duty of courtroom security in all Pitt County courts and for serving all summons, warrants, orders, and judgments issued by the court. The Sheriff also operates the County Detention Center with a bed capacity of 404 inmates.
The Sheriff presently has 268 employees (120 sworn deputies), 55 patrol units, and a total budget of $19,855,938 (2007-08). The Sheriff's Office is located in the County Courthouse in Greenville. The emergency telephone number of the Sheriff's Office is 911. The Sheriff's non-emergency telephone number is 902-2800.
City of Greenville: The Greenville Police Department is a nationally accredited agency responsible for law enforcement within the Greenville City limits. The Chief of Police is a professionally trained officer selected by the City Council. The Chief is empowered to hire and fire employees as permitted within the constraints of the department's budget established by the City Council. The agency has 171 sworn officers and 40 non-sworn employees. The Police Department headquarters is located at 500 S. Greene Street. The emergency number is 9-1-1. Non-emergency and general information number is 329-4317.
The Department is organized into an Administration Bureau and an Operations Bureau. The Administration Bureau consists of a Support Division and a Professional Standards Division. These units include the following functions: records, parking enforcement, communications, property and evidence, warrants, animal control, public affairs, crime stoppers, internal affairs, personnel recruitment/selection, training, and accreditation. The Operations Bureau consists of the Patrol Division and the Investigations Division. Patrol consists of four rotating patrol platoons, patrol special operations impact team, bicycle patrol, and housing authority. The investigations responsibilities are assigned to units specializing in major and general investigations, family services, special investigations, crime scene identification, and school resource officers. The Emergency Response Team is comprised of 12 officers trained in special weapons and tactics who respond to calls involving high risk situations.
Other Municipalities: Most incorporated towns in Pitt County have their own police departments or contract with the Pitt County Sheriff's Department to provide coverage.
| Town |
Phone
|
| Ayden |
746-7015
|
| Bethel |
825-5481
|
| Farmville |
753-4111
|
| Fountain |
749-2881
|
| Grifton |
524-4161
|
| Grimesland |
752-6337
|
| Simpson |
757-0101
|
| Winterville |
756-1105
|
Other Departments
The East Carolina University Police Department provides law enforcement for the university's main campus, the Brody School of Medicine, and the medical school's clinics. The department has 52 sworn officers and is located at 609 E. 10th St. in Greenville; phone: 328-6787.
Pitt Community College's police department provides law enforcement for the campus with five full-time and two part-time officers. The department is located on campus in Trailer 17; phone: 321-4210.
The Pitt County Memorial Hospital Police Department has 34 sworn officers and provides law enforcement for all hospital buildings. The office is located at 2100 Stantonsburg Rd.; phone: 847-5909.
The NC State Highway Patrol enforces traffic laws on all county roads and highways. Troopers also assist motorists involved in wrecks or whose vehicles have broken down. They can be reached with a mobile phone by dialing *HP. Twenty-one troopers and 4 supervisors serve Pitt and Martin Counties. Troop A headquarters is located at 2815 E. 10th St. in Greenville; phone: 758-5300.
Pitt-Greenville Crime Stoppers
Pitt-Greenville Crime Stoppers, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization that offers cash rewards up to $2500 to anonymous callers giving information about crimes and possible suspects. Callers, who are assigned an identification number, are rewarded when their information leads to the arrest of a suspect or the recovery of property. The program was launched on September 1, 1983 by local law enforcement agencies with the cooperation of the Greenville-Pitt Chamber of Commerce. The Crime Stoppers Hotline number is 758-7777.
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FIRE PROTECTION
Pitt County: The Pitt County Emergency Services Director (252-902-3950) is responsible for the coordination of fire protection services in all areas of Pitt County (including fire-fighting as well as code enforcement) except for the City of Greenville. He also assists local industry in the training of fire brigades and investigates suspicious fires.
The smaller municipalities and unincorporated areas of the County are served by twenty (20) volunteer fire departments. Approximately 85 percent of the County's land area and over 90 percent of its population are within recognized fire districts. Fires can be reported from any area of the County by calling 9-1-1, and the average response time is 8 minutes. Pitt County collects property taxes for eighteen fire departments whose voters approved a special fire tax. The tax rate for each district is set each fiscal year by the County Commissioners after reviewing the requests from the various fire departments.
More than 70 pieces of fire-fighting equipment (pumpers and tankers) are utilized in the County (peripheral equipment such as brush trucks are also utilized). All twenty volunteer fire departments have at least one 750 GPM pumper and one 1,000 gallon (Quick Dump) tanker.
|
Municipal Fire Protection Classifications & Equipment
|
|
Municipality
|
Rating
|
Fire-fighting Equipment
|
| Ayden |
6
|
2 pumpers (1000 GPM), 1 tanker (1400 gal.) |
| Bethel |
7
|
2 pumpers (750, 1000 GPM), 2 tankers (1200, 1600 gal) |
| Farmville |
6
|
3 pumpers (750, 1000, 1250 GPM), 1 tanker (1500 gal.) |
| Fountain |
7
|
2 pumpers (750, 500 GPM), 1 tanker (1300 gal.) |
| Grifton |
7
|
2 pumpers (750 GPM), 1 pumper tanker (1500 GPM) |
| Grimesland |
7
|
2 pumpers (750, 500 GPM), 1 tanker (1000 gal.) |
| Winterville |
6
|
2 pumpers (1250 GPM), 1 tanker (1000 gal) |
Note: Fire protection classification for all non-municipal fire districts is at least 9 with many having lower ratings including Staton House with 6; Pactolus, Eastern Pines, and Bell Arthur which are rated 7; and Simpson, Red Oak, and Black Jack with 8.
City of Greenville: The City of Greenville operates a combined Fire and Rescue Department (GFR) in which all personnel are cross-trained in both fire-fighting and rescue operations. Every Greenville firefighter and officer is a NC Certified EMT. The department has 143 full-time employees. Forty-two personnel are on duty 24 hours per day working a three shift system of 24 hours on-duty and 48 hours off-duty. Services are provided out of 6 strategically located Fire/Rescue stations maintaining an average response time of just over 4 minutes, giving Greenville an ISO fire rating of 3. Fire/Rescue personnel are also responsible for building inspections, emergency planning assistance for local businesses, and general facility and equipment maintenance.
Personnel train almost on a daily basis in order to maintain current skills and to acquire new ones. Much of the training if provided locally and includes a mix of both hands-on type training and academic classroom instruction. A four-story drill tower contains facilities to conduct live fire training evolutions using liquid propane gas.
Greenville Fire and Rescue is also the home to NC Urban Search and Rescue Task Force #10. This team is funded by the State and is made up of 26 GFR professionals. The team has a large amount of equipment and expertise in the specialized areas of building collapse and other technical rescue situations. The team stands ready to be deployed at a moment's notice to assist anywhere in NC.
The Fire Chief's office is in the Headquarters Fire/Rescue Station No. 1 located at 500 S. Greene Street (329-4390). The emergency number is 9-1-1.
Station Equipment:
1- 1250 GPM 110' Aerial Ladder/Pumper
2- 1250 GPM 75' Aerial Ladder/Pumpers
2- 1250 GPM 55' Aerial Ladder/Pumpers
2- 1250 GPM pumpers
1- 750 GPM Mack pumper
6- EMS Rescue Vehicles
1- 17' Rescue Boat
7 miscellaneous vehicles
Service Beyond City Limits:
Fire and rescue calls are answered beyond city limits under a mutual aid agreement with Pitt County fire departments and rescue squads. Contracts for fire protection services for businesses located outside the city limits may be signed with the Greenville Fire/Rescue Department at a cost of $.10 per $100 assessed property valuation. Fire inspections are also conducted by the City Fire Department in extraterritorial jurisdiction areas.
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
Pitt County:
Emergency medical service in Pitt County is coordinated by the Pitt County Emergency Services Director who insures that each EMS unit is properly trained and equipped and assists communities in establishing new units. In 2002, Pitt County created a special tax district and a separate special revenue fund to more equitably fund and staff the emergency medical services squads in the county. This tax district encompasses all areas of the county with the exception of the City of Greenville. The current tax rate is 4¢.
Eight non-profit EMS squads and two county-owned EMS stations with 300+ volunteers and 15 county EMT/Paramedic positions are strategically located throughout the County and can be summoned via 911 at the County's Central Communications Center. Each volunteer is professionally trained. The units are located in: Ayden, Bell Arthur, Bethel, Eastern Pines, Falkland, Farmville, Fountain, Grifton, Pactolus, and Winterville. A quick response vehicle stationed at the Staton House Fire Department serves the Greenville Industrial Park and surrounding area.
All emergency medical service in Pitt County is coordinated via communication with the Trauma Center medical staff at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The Trauma Center is staffed 24 hours per day. Pitt County Memorial Hospital has been designated as a Level I Trauma Center and as such is identified as a regional referral center for emergency medical care.
City of Greenville:
Emergency medical service in the Greenville area is directed by the City Fire-Rescue Chief. The Greenville squad is a paid full-time professionally trained unit that serves the City of Greenville. The City's personnel are cross-trained in both fire and rescue procedures. All EMS units are equipped with UHF-EKG radio transmission capability which allows patient vital signs to be monitored by Pitt County Memorial Hospital's Trauma Center staff while in transit to the hospital.
EastCare
EastCare, the critical care air and ground transport of Pitt County Memorial Hospital was established April 8, 1985. EastCare supplements local emergency services through helicopter and critical care ground unit service, neonatal transport, and basic life support transport.
EastCare helicopters are self-contained emergency treatment centers with advanced trauma and life support equipment for one patient. They operate in a range of 120 miles to and from Greenville without refueling and can fly directly to the scene of an accident or disaster. The EastCare ground fleet includes five Mobile Intensive Care Units in Greenville and several satellite units throughout the region. These units are specially equipped to provide state-of-the-art care for critically ill patients. On a regional level, MICU's can rapidly move patients from community hospitals to regional referral centers.
The neonatal transport team consists of a neonatal transport nurse, a nurse practitioner, and an EMT driver or pilot. These nurses are highly skilled in neonatal and newborn care and have received additional training in transport. The air and ground critical care units are equipped with isolettes and incubators as well as specific equipment for monitoring temperature regulation, medication infusion, and respiratory support.
EastCare's ambulance service is available 24 hours a day and includes convalescent basic life support (non-emergency) transport of patients to hospitals, nursing homes, physicians offices, and to patient's homes.
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