Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between Horry County EMS and Rescue?   Horry County EMS is a fully staffed tax funded service, strategically located throughout the county, capable of responding with advanced life support personnel and equipment to any emergency for the purpose of treating and transporting the sick and injured to the nearest hospital. Rescue Squads are community based volunteers who compliment Horry County EMS's efforts in providing emergency care. They vary in the level of service which they can provide. The members of these squads usually work full time jobs elsewhere, and respond according to availability. Therefore, they cannot be depended on nor are they charged with the responsibility of providing 24 hour service seven days per week.
  
  
• Does Horry County EMS charge for their services?   Yes, even though Horry County EMS is funded by tax revenue it is not enough to cover the entire cost of maintaining the service. Therefore, to offset this cost, Horry County EMS charges a user's fee to customers utilizing the service. This fee varies depending on the services and equipment used during the treatment and transport of the customer.
  
  
• How do I call for the services of Horry County EMS if I need them?   Simply call "911" and give your location and/or address to the call taker to whom you are talking. Never panic and try to stay as calm as possible. Be prepared to give as much information as you can about the nature of the emergency you are calling about.
  
  
• I just moved to Horry County and was certified as an EMT (or Paramedic) in my last place of residence. How can I switch to SC certification?   Follow the link http://www.scems.com/edassn/forms/reciprocity.pdf for the offical document from our state-regulating agency, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, DHEC.
  
  
• Why does a fire truck and a rescue squad show up with the county's ambulance when I call for a medical reason?   Horry County EMS has fourteen ambulances stationed throughout the county. Whenever anyone calls for an ambulance, we will send the nearest available county ambulance. If the county ambulance in your area is busy or on another call, we will also send the nearest rescue squad and/or the nearest fire truck if your condition sounds life threatening to the dispatcher. All area fire fighters have been trained, at least, to the First Responder (advanced first aid level). The rescue squads are often trained and equipped at the paramedic level. These agencies can often stabilize your condition until the county ambulance arrives and sometimes provide you with all of the care you require from a hospital. Horry County is committed to sending you the quickest, most capable assistance whenever you cal for help.

Back to top

Common Terms

• EMS - abbreviation for Emergency Medical Service
• BLS (basic life support) - term used to describe a level of care that does not include the administering of intravenous fluids, medications and other procedures that require a higher level of certification and skills to perform.
• ALS ( advance life support) - term used to describe a level of care that includes BLS treatment as well as the ability to administer intravenous fluids, cardiac and other IV medications. The ALS provider has the ability to recognize and treat life threatening heart conditions with the use of sophisticated cardiac monitor defibrillators.
• Paramedic - term used to describe someone certified by the state to perform ALS skills in a prehospital setting.
• EMT-P (emergency medical technician paramedic) the official name for paramedic.
• EMT (emergency medical technician ) term used to describe someone certified by the state to perform BLS skills in a pre-hospital setting.
• EMT-I (emergency medical technician intermediate) term used to describe someone certified by the state to perform skills at a level between an EMT and Paramedic.
• Medical Control Director - local physician contracted by Horry County EMS to oversee and direct medical protocols for the department.
• Medical Control - any local on-duty emergency department physician, who is contacted by the attending emergency technicians, or patients whom they will be treating and or transporting. This local physician then assumes responsibility and directs the medical technicians accordingly.

Back to top

Major Projects

• Due to rapid growth throughout the county, EMS has plans to open eight additional EMS stations as funding permits. Our first priority is a station along the Hwy. 501 corridor at Carolina Forest. Others will be placed strategically according to growth and development.
• In respect to patient care, EMS plans to phase in twelve-lead cardiac monitors. These monitors provide greater diagnostic capabilities than the ones currently in use, and will allow for faster therapy.

Back to top

Interesting Facts

• The Horry County Ambulance Service was established by an Act of SC Legislature in 1967. By this Act, counties were held responsible for providing ambulance service. Locally, ambulance crews were then housed in the three local hospitals.
  
• The Horry County Ambulance Service was governed by the Horry County Ambulance Commission which consisted of ten members appointed by the Governor with respect to the Legislative Delegation. This commission governed the ambulance service until 1981, at which time the commission was abolished. The ambulance service became Horry County Emergency Medical Service by resolution of the Horry County Council in 1981.
  
• Until 1995, Horry County Emergency Services handled all pre-hospital medical transports including non-emergency transports to a doctors' office or to home from the hospital. This was stretching our resources and affecting our emergency response. At the end of 1995, we stopped handling non-emergency transports and became an emergency only response agency.
  
• The EMS Department currently has an annual budget of $7.1 million dollars and responds to more than 25,000 emergencies annually. The work force consists of more than 130 employees. This provides for fourteen ambulances operating 24 hours per day from fourteen locations throughout the County to cover 1152 square miles. We are not bound by limits or other jurisdictions. Each ambulance is staffed with at least a paramedic and an emergency medical technician. We provide transportation to four local in-county hospitals as well as two out-of-county hospitals which lie just outside of our county's boundaries.
  
• We utilize state of the art equipment both in treating patients as well as pen based field computers for collecting and reporting data on location. All employees are mandated to participate in our monthly in-service training program to maximize their skills and knowledge. This program also provides a means for their required state and national recertification.

Back to top

Contact Information

Back to top

Office Hours

Back to top

E-Mail your comments on information contained in this site to The Public Information Office.
Questions or problems regarding this site should be directed to Website Technical Support.
This is the official web site for Horry County Government.
Copyright © Horry County, South Carolina. All rights reserved.