While much of the Southeast waits for gas supply after Colonial Pipeline restarted operations on Wednesday, state officials in North Carolina continue to monitor fuel supply while discouraging panic buying and hoarding.
The rush to get what’s available is affecting some EMS workers in eastern North Carolina.
Most local governments have their own fuel supplies for emergency and public safety vehicles, according to the state, but Greene County has had to work with gas stations to support operations.
EM Coordinator David Lancaster said they limited travel and the number of trucks they respond with, depending on the call.
“As well as the fire service, we’ve limited number of engines on single-engine responses to certain types of calls,” Lancaster said.
There’s three EMS trucks that in total could take up at least 300 gallons of gas, according to Lancaster. To get to a nearby hospital, it takes 20 minutes to drive in either direction, so it adds up.