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EMS Week

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 3846

Posted by: RStokes
Date: May 21 2018 8:03 AM

DOTHAN - HOUSTON COUNTY:    This week has been proclaimed as EMS Week by Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and members of the Dothan City Commission.


A time to salute the men and women who serve in the Emergency Medical Service Field throughout the wiregrass area.


A lot of times we do not think of the emergency medical service professionals until which time that emergency strikes. At that time we call 911 and the EMS professionals begin to roll.


Which had you rather have when emergency strikes outside the hospital - a EMS professional or a Medical Doctor? You are better with a EMS Professional outside of the medical setting rather than a Medical Doctor.


The reason is, the EMS Professionals are not geared towards working inside the "clinical" setting of hospital. EMS Professionals are geared towards making things work no matter where they are at. If they have to improvise something rather than a medical tool designed for a certain procedure.


In Dothan - Houston County, the first ambulance services were operated through...guess? The funeral homes. 


Over 50 years ago Mr. Joe Pilcher and his wife Ruby went into the ambulance business. It was their dedication that took the ambulance business from the funeral homes into a specialized medical field. There was a doctor also inspirational in the medical field and I can not remember his name.


Dothan Fire Department went into EMS. In it's first stage Dothan Fire had three Paramedic trucks. They were located downtown at Central, Ross Clark Circle East at Station 5, and Westgate at Station 3. Later when Dennis Rubin came as Fire Chief he phased the three paramedic trucks out and made all Dothan Fire Engines paramedic units.


A lot of critics have talked about fire engines running to medical calls. But it went from only 3 paramedic trucks to 8 paramedic engines. Making one closer to the location of the emergency.


In Houston County there are 6 EMS units. The units are Ashford, Columbia, Cottonwood, Rehobeth, Wicksburg, and Headland covers Kinsey area. Pilcher Ambulance serves as a backup to the rescue units across Houston County.


In Dothan, Dothan Fire responds to over 15,000 fire and EMS calls a year.


Outside the 68 square miles of Dothan, the Volunteer EMS covers the other some 519 square miles. They respond to over 6,800 fire and EMS calls a year.


A lot of calls. One minute they are on the scene of "my back has been hurting for two weeks" to a person not breathing and CPR in progress, to a person with their leg or arm trapped in a machine. 


The EMS Professionals never know what they will be faced with. You are truly professionals who serve the people with dedication, training, and compassion.




Family First Funeral Home

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