North Carolina Mass Gatherings — G.S. 130A-251 to 130A-257 and 15A NCAC 18A .1415 (Provision of Medical Care)[1]
Summary
North Carolina's mass-gathering law (originating in S.L. 1971-712) reaches a congregation of "more than 5,000 people in an open space or open air for a period of more than 24 hours," excluding permanent buildings designed for large crowds. No person may organize, sponsor or hold a mass gathering without a permit from the Secretary, applied for at least 30 days ahead with a fee capped at $100, a performance bond and liability insurance. Rule 15A NCAC 18A .1415 requires a written medical-care plan approved in writing by the local health director and names a responsible clinician: "the name and address of a physician licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina to be responsible for the organization and delivery of emergency medical services," with a notarized statement of acceptance. That physician determines staffing levels for medical personnel. Also required: at least one enclosed covered structure of at least 450 square feet with running water under pressure, a named licensed ambulance service agency, and notification of all general public hospitals within 20 miles.
So what
North Carolina is the clearest physician-of-record state in the survey: a named, NC-licensed physician must formally and notarially accept responsibility for the event EMS system before the permit can issue, and that physician — not a state table — sets the staffing numbers. That is professional latitude and personal exposure in the same instrument, so the staffing rationale must be documented and defensible. Fixed build items remain: 450 square feet of enclosed covered treatment space with pressurised running water, a named licensed ambulance agency, and written notice to every general hospital within 20 miles.