New Hanover Special Event Medicine

Request on-site emergency care for your event

If you are hosting a community event in New Hanover County, you will have peace of mind knowing Novant Health New Hanover EMS is there to provide quick medical response should you have an emergent need.

We provide evaluation of patients, treatment and if needed, transport to the Emergency Department for participants needing additional services.

We cover many large events each year, including the PPD Ironman North Carolina triathlon, NC Azalea Festival and the Wrightsville Beach Marathon.

Medical Services for Events

Our fees depend on the type of services needed. All prices are hourly, and a three-hour minimum is charged per event. We offer the following resources:

Staffed by two paramedics, this is the traditional method used for medical coverage of a sporting or mass gathering event. An ambulance is recommended for events with more than 500 participants. Although the ambulance has limited access to patients for some venues, it supports our specialty teams. 

The New Hanover EMS-Bicycle Emergency Response Team (B.E.R.T.) uses specially trained paramedics to reach patients when ambulance access is limited. Because of their mobility, the team is able to navigate through large crowds or off road areas with ease. BERT is an ideal asset for events such as the Azalea Festival, Riverfest and marathons.

Staffed by a single paramedic, the Quick Response Vehicle (QRV) augments the ambulance and/or BERT. The QRV is a sport utility-style vehicle that adds versatility to our response capabilities.The QRV is perfect for sporting events such as baseball or soccer games. A QRV is recommended for your 5K with less than 500 participants.

Medical carts (golf carts) are staffed by a single or dual paramedic. Often used as a transport arm of BERT, these vehicles are outfitted with stretchers, thus the ability to safely move patients out of a crowd to a designated triage/ transport site. They are also used to transport the team’s bicycles, as the BERT members provide continuous care to the patient during transport and can easily transport athletes off playing fields without damaging the field. They are also a great resource at events with wooded trails and uneven terrain as well as gated events including festivals and outdoor concerts.

Special Event Request Form

To request New Hanover EMS services for your next community event, complete the form at least three weeks prior to your event dates.

A Novant Health team member is sitting at her workstation on the computer while others are printing copies and on phone calls.

Request Community Education

Our team of safety experts from the Novant Health AirLink and VitaLink teams can participate in your group event or public safety activity in New Hanover County. Upon availability, we participate in public events including:  

  • Community CPR (Hands Only CPR) training 
  • Stop the Bleed™ training 
  • Career days (critical care/flight medical professionals and helicopter pilots) 
  • Touch a Truck 
  • Public gatherings (festivals, picnics, fundraisers) 
  • Parades   

To request our participation, call: (910) 667-8520.