Statements will then be sent at 60-day intervals, Beecham said. If the bill is not paid within the year it is considered bad debt.

"Most rescue squads write the bad debt off but at least one, after nine years of operations, is considering turning over some bad debt to a collection agency," Beecham said.

He later said the he was referring to the Pasquotank-Camden Rescue Squad.

Currituck's rescue squads have not decided to use a debt collector, Beecham said.

A debt report will be reviewed by Beecham and County Attorney Bill romm at the one-year mark and they will make a recommendation to the commissioners.

"In this whole scenario I think about - I don't want to call them destitute - but don't beat up on old ladies," Miller said.

Commissioner Owen Etheridge asked Beecham if there was any way to end what he called "asinine" calls, fearing that rescue personnel responding to such calls would be tied up when a "real" emergency occurred.

Beecham said that the number of non-emergency calls was dropping.

"A lot of people don't understand the system. All they know is they have an emergency and call 911," he said.