Emergency Medical Services
Our Services
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BLS Ambulance
We staff a basic life support ambulance with 2 South Orange EMTs that run in the Orange County 911 system, responding to the citizens of Orange County every night of the week.
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Event Standby Coverage
We deliver standby EMS coverage at sporting, community, and other events in Orange County, NC, including UNC-Chapel Hill and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
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Mutual Aid
We provide mutual aid at unplanned emergency situations, such as fires, or to address a need for additional medical coverage in the county.
2023 Statistics
911 Responses
1540
Special Events
163
Pageouts
33
2023 Calls By Dispatch
Volunteer Opportunities
South Orange Rescue Squad is always accepting applications to join. We look for bright, eager, and dedicated individuals who want to further their experience in Emergency Medicine and provide a service to their community.
We do expect our prospective members to have their State or National certification as an EMT Basic-level provider. If you do not have your EMT certification, you can take a class!
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"SORS has taught me so much. Not only about patient care, but also about family and community."
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"We love EMS because we feel like we're making a difference in the lives of people in our community."
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"I love training our new members and getting to know my peers. The SORS family is what makes the squad so special."
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" I love SORS because I get an opportunity to interact with my community and help out the citizens of Orange County."
Training Process
Prospective members are interviewed and evaluated by the Membership Committee before being brought into the organization as cadets. Cadets undergo a rigorous training process before they earn regular status and can act independently. Each cadet is assigned to a Lieutenant, to monitor and mentor them throughout their training.
Training starts with orientation and a CEVO Ambulance Driving Course. Cadet training involves 48 hours a month actively working on an ambulance, in addition to specialized training sessions designed to supplement their medical expertise. The training program consists of 3 phases with written and skills tests at the end of each phase. It generally takes members an average of 4 months to complete all the training requirements to become independent, or cut-loose, EMTs.
After training is completed, members are required to work 24 hours per month, either on the BLS ambulance or at special events. These individuals also attend monthly Continuing Education training sessions; these sessions cover everything from operations and recent protocol changes to generalized remediation of common medical conditions.