My husband and I moved from Holly Springs to Apex back in 1997. It was a relatively short drive straight down Highway 55 from the old house to the new one, and we had only been married for two and a half years, so we didn’t have much stuff. We made several trips back and forth over one weekend, our cars loaded with boxes and small items, before the U-Haul brought the rest.
We passed the Apex EMS building every time and noticed that folks slowing down or coming to a stop gave the entrance a wide berth to avoid blocking the driveway. It was a safe feeling to have the ambulances and employees so close by.
When Apex EMS was absorbed by Wake County EMS, Apex residents were afraid response times and services would suffer. I think we all felt a little possessive about our rescue squad. Now, granted, I’ve been fortunate to never have needed emergency aid, but it’s been my impression that the merger with Wake County EMS was seamless. (Personally, in an emergency, I’m not going to be one who asks my paramedic or ambulance driver where they came from. I’ll simply be happy to see them!)
While that old EMS building still sits on Highway 55 and is very much in use — one ambulance currently serves Apex from this site — a new EMS Apex Main Station is now under construction at 6950 Apex Barbecue Road. The 4,300-square-foot facility will feature three ambulance bays, kitchen and dining areas, locker room and bathrooms with showers, a state-of-the-art dayroom wired with the very latest communication technology, office space, and more.
Between the rumored widening of Highway 55 and this new building slated for completion in the coming months, I was curious about what all this meant for Apex. Jason Jones, Deputy Director, Chief of Support Services for the Wake County Department of EMS, graciously gave me the answers to a few key questions.
SL: Will the new station on Apex Barbecue Road be the only EMS location in Apex?
Jason: The new EMS station on Apex Barbecue Road replaces the current station [owned by Town of Apex] on Highway 55. We are in the early planning stages for a station near Apex Fire Station 2 and near Apex Fire Station 6 at the White Oak Park/American Tobacco Trail.
SL: For a town our size, when might additional units (or stations) become necessary?
Jason: Travel time and proximity to areas of high call volume are the two main drivers for EMS station location. When we look at the Apex area, shifting the station south to Apex Barbecue Road provides the best location for both the travel time and call volume. This new station has two additional bays, allowing us to add ambulances at this location as call volume increases in the future.
SL: If the new station’s location is addressing growth west of Apex, how might response times and service be affected in the areas of Apex that are closer to Morrisville/Cary?
Jason: While this is the only EMS station currently in Apex, all our ambulances are constantly moving throughout Wake County to position them in the optimal location for a timely response.
EMS travel in this area has a lot of overlap due to this constant movement. Coverage from our stations in both West and South Cary overlap with this new station in the areas closer to Cary along US64 and Ten-Ten Road. The residents of Apex will still see a timely response for their 911 calls.
SL: Is the purpose of the new building to update/upgrade, increase size, incorporate new technology, or mainly to vacate the Highway 55 building due to the anticipated road widening?
Jason: All of these! The current station was built in 1974, and EMS shares the space with Apex Fire Department administration staff. Moving to a new facility better meets the needs of the community by providing us additional bays for future ambulances and additional space inside the building for our crews to use without impacting the day-to-day work of the Apex Fire Department administration, while also proactively moving us outside of the new Highway 55 widening project.
SL: Is construction on track for projected completion in early 2025?
Jason: EMS will begin responding from this new location in April 2025.
SL: Is there anything you would like Apex readers to know about the collaboration between the Town of Apex and Wake County?
Jason: Wake County would like to thank the Apex Fire Department for allowing us to share space with their administrative staff at the current station, and the Town of Apex staff for their coordination and assistance on this project over the years. The Town has been a great partner, letting us occupy the [current] station with their staff while we construct the new station.
