🌳 Durham EMS Short 13 Ambulances
TL;DR — Things to Know This Week
Durham County EMS director Seth Komansky says the agency needs 32 ambulances at peak demand but has only 19, forcing crews to triage 911 calls and sometimes send no unit at all.
Durham County commissioners voted 4-1 to adopt a nine-month data center moratorium after amending it three times on the floor, over Commissioner Nida Allam's objection that exemptions for smaller facilities undercut the county's own findings on water and power impacts.
Durham EMS Is 13 Ambulances Short of What It Says It Needs
Director Seth Komansky said the county needs roughly 32 ambulances running at peak demand but is allocated only 19, a 13-truck gap that built up over years as Durham grew.
EMS held about 6,000 calls last fiscal year, and Komansky says some responses now take up to an hour, with the agency sometimes unable to send any unit at all.
The 2026-2027 budget funds one new ambulance, the agency's first additional truck in over a decade, and 10 new positions, alongside 18 EMT job offers that would cut the vacancy rate to 8.9% if all are accepted.
Komansky said he has warned county commissioners about the shortage for years and that even the new hires and equipment won't be enough to match current demand.
What to watch: Durham County EMS is rolling out a three-tier response model that sorts calls by severity, with full implementation targeted for 2028.
Durham County Adopts a Data Center Moratorium After Hours of Floor Amendments
Durham Board of County Commissioners · Regular Meeting · August 24, 2026
Commissioners worked past 11:30 p.m. rewriting their own data center rules before voting 4-1 to pause new facilities for nine months.
The board approved a nine-month moratorium on new and expanded data centers, but amended it three times on the floor first, adding disclosure requirements for cooling systems, backup generators and expected electrical load for facilities claiming an exemption.
Vice Chair Nida Allam cast the lone dissenting vote after failing to get a second on her motion to strip the moratorium's exemptions entirely, arguing the carve-outs for facilities under 100,000 square feet contradicted the county's own findings on water, noise and power impacts.
Commissioner Wendy Jacobs countered that a blanket moratorium could cost a half-billion dollars in Research Triangle Park activity, citing the county's $20 million investment in a transit hub tied to RTP's growth plans.
Separately, Tax Administrator Keyard Doyle told the board that a record 10,533 property appeals after the 2025 revaluation, plus over-assessed commercial buildings, drove roughly $4 billion in downward adjustments to the county's tax base.
What to watch: County staff now have nine months to draft permanent data center zoning rules, including how floor area relates to electrical load, while a state downzoning statute may limit what the county can ultimately require.
Quick Hits
Durham planners advanced a 190-unit housing plan on Virgil Road after the developer cut 35 units and added a $19,500 school payment and stricter stormwater limits.
Durham trash, recycling and yard waste pickup will run one day late the week of Sept. 7 for Labor Day, and City Council meets Tuesday instead of Monday.
Durham Public Schools starts the school year under North Carolina's new statewide cellphone restrictions during class time, with exceptions for emergencies and health needs.
Duke Street between West Trinity and Monmouth avenues stays closed through Sept. 25 for the South Ellerbe Restoration Project, and West Trinity Avenue will close entirely from Sept. 28 through Dec. 31.
Durham County's SNAP office has 9 workers but needs 14 to 15 as new federal work requirements take effect before an October 2026 cost shift estimated at $69 million statewide.
Gov. Josh Stein appointed Christy Malott to Durham District Court, filling a vacancy left by Judge Clayton Jones's resignation.
Events
Chance The Rapper
Sat, August 29 · Red Hat Amphitheater
Gallery Talk: Exploring Mapping Malcolm with Najha Zigbi-Johnson
Sat, August 29 · Nasher Museum of Art
Ira Glass
Sat, August 29 · DPAC
Black August in the Park
Sun, August 30 · Durham Central Park
Gary Clark Jr.
Thu, September 3 · DPAC
Beats and Bars Fest
Sat, September 5 · Durham Fruit and The Rooftop at The Durham Hotel
Duke Blue Devils Football vs. Tulane Green Wave Football
Sat, September 5 · Wallace Wade Stadium
Grupo Frontera
Sat, September 5 · Red Hat Amphitheater
Melissa Etheridge: RISE
Sat, September 5 · Carolina Theatre
Real Estate
4 Kimberly Dr
$3,420,000 · 4 bed, 5 bath, 5,040 sqft
2013 Dartmouth Dr
$515,000 · 4 bed, 3 bath, 1,932 sqft
1961 mid-century on nearly half an acre in 27705.
7990 State Highway 751
$1,150,000 · 4 bed, 3 bath, 3,799 sqft
6.35 acres with two driveways, offering rare space and flexibility near 27713.
Jobs
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. · Durham, North Carolina
Leads marketing for the historic Carolina Theatre, promoting 75+ touring shows and 3,500 screenings a year.
Very Part-Time Community Ambassador
The Glass Jug Beer Lab · Durham, NC
Pours and sells house-brewed beer at Durham Central Park events and local festivals a few days a month.
From Reddit
A recommendation to skip the Ideals line and walk down Angier Avenue to Sofia's Pizza instead.
Sofia's Pizza on Angier is very good · r/bullcity
Â