FEMA processing request to send 50 ambulances, 100 personnel to North Carolina to help with COVID-19

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is processing a request to send 50 ambulances and 100 personnel to North Carolina to help with the COVID-19 response.

The FEMA support information was detailed in a federal planning document obtained by ABC News.

Jaclyn Rothenberg, a spokeswoman for FEMA, told ABC11 that the request being "in-process" means there may be adjustments to the actual allocations.

RELATED: NC's official request to FEMA (.pdf)

"We're committed to working with North Carolina to fight COVID-19 and the request is under review," she explained.

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Ambulances were provided to the state of Mississippi last month and Louisiana earlier this month.

FEMA is also currently assisting North Carolina with clinical personnel for vaccine support.

The federal document doesn't detail exactly which jurisdictions to which the ambulances might be deployed.

The timeline is also currently to be determined.

ABC11 reported last week that Wake County EMS was experiencing a large volume of calls. Because of that, it's become a daily occurrence that there are some times when there are no ambulances available to answer calls in the Raleigh city limits.

Though summer is usually the busiest time for Wake EMS, Assistant Chief Brian Brooks said it has seen a historic surge in call volume.

"So, we will get there -- the lower acuity calls -- be patient, you're going to have to wait," Brooks said. "The higher acuity calls are going to take precedence over the low acuity complaints."

Johnston County EMS also told ABC11 last month that it was responding to a record number of overall calls -- from an average of 80 to 100 a day. At the time, the small department also had 14 vacancies.