State of the art

Forsyth County is home to two of the region’s largest hospitals: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (WFUBMC) and Forsyth Medical Center (FMC) – which also rank as the county’s two largest employers with well over 20,000 employees. WFUBMC specializes in many advanced medical care sectors and FMC is the second busiest birthing center in North Carolina, averaging more than 7,000 deliveries per year.

Emergency Medical Services

Forsyth County EMS (FCEMS) provides 24 hour-a-day advanced life support, pre-hospital emergency medical care for a population of over 306,000 in a 420 square mile area. Emergency response time averages 3 minutes within city limits. Countywide, the average response time is 9 minutes. Additionally, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine/Baptist Hospital Medical Center operates Air Care, a helicopter ambulance service. Both hospitals are Level 1 trauma centers.

Police Protection and Crime

While over 1.6 million people live in the Piedmont Triad, a large share of the population resides in either the non-urbanized areas or smaller cities that surround Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point and Burlington. The prevalence of small, close knit communities has helped the region maintain relatively low crime rates.

Fire Protection

In Winston-Salem there are 17 fire stations staffed by 287 full-time fire fighters. They are equipped with 16 pumpers, 4 aerial trucks, a hazardous materials van and an air van. Outside city limits, there are a total 24 fire stations with 59 full-time staff and 900 volunteers.