Emergency Services
Call 911 for all emergencies. That part works the same as anywhere else.
Here’s what’s different: we’re on an island. The nearest hospital emergency room is at minimum a three-hour trip away. So our local emergency services aren’t just important – they’re critical.
Ocracoke Health Center handles primary care and basic medical needs, but it doesn’t operate as an emergency room. They’ve been a non-profit, community-owned medical facility since 1981, providing family practice care for residents and visitors.
Hyde County EMS responds to 911 calls 24/7 with paramedics and EMTs trained for medical emergencies, trauma, and accident scenes. They normally have two ambulance crews, but sometimes both might be off-island transporting patients to Outer Banks Hospital – an eight-hour round trip.
For serious cases requiring specialized care, we use helicopter medivac, primarily ECU Health EastCare from Greenville or Dare MedFlight.
Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department serves our 950 permanent residents, though that number swells to 10,000 during peak season. Working with the National Park Service and Hyde County EMS, they handle fires, accidents, medivac coordination, rescues, and other emergencies. Many of our EMS team members also volunteer with the fire department.
The reality? Weather can ground helicopters. Distance matters. Sometimes it can be a matter of life and death.
But these people – your neighbors, local fishing guides, former teachers – drop everything when that radio crackles.
They’re trained, they’re dedicated, and they know this island better than anyone.