September 27, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 26

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PG4 HOMETOWN HEROES Emergency Medical Services The Emergency Medical Services Di- changed a great deal since the begin- vision of the Elk City Fire Department ning to meet the needs of the citizens commenced operation on Oct. 1, 2003, the department serves. In 2003, the the department said in a news release. ECFD/EMS responded to approximate- The Elk City Fire/ EMS is licensed as ly 1,000 calls. That number increased to a basic ambulance service by the Okla- a total of 2,139 responses in 2018. To homa State Department of Health EMS meet this increased need and to provide Division. They have a 911 primary re- the best service to our community and sponse area of 667 square miles that surrounding areas, the three shifts are extends into four counties and provides now comprised of six dually trained fire interfacility transfers from Great Plains & EMS providers and two EMS-only Regional to specialty hospitals in the paramedic providers. They now have OKC area. Elk City Fire/EMS also pro- five ambulances available to respond vides paramedic intercepts for our sur- and 20 medically trained volunteer fire- rounding agencies. Their mission is to fighters. This staffing and equipment al- provide the patient the best care avail- low ECFD/EMS to respond to all calls = > able in accordance with our protocols with little or no delay in patient care. Some members Elk City EMS are, from left, Demerie Pool, and level of certification without re- In our far-reaching primary response Tate Chaney and Annie Glover. Staff photo by Don Munsch. gard to age, sex, lifestyle, mental status, areas, the ECFD/EMS has assisted our national origin, religion, creed, color, partnering fire departments in Carter allowing the local fire departments to ing. This facility is the primary training severity of injury, or ability to pay for and Canute in becoming Emergency better serve their community, facility for the firefighters, EMTs, AE- services provided. Medical Response agencies. These Another area of focus for the ECFD/ MTs and paramedics in the area. The Elk City Fire and EMS started agencies are staffed by well-trained, EMS is providing training to the com- The Elk City Fire EMS attributes its with two ambulances staffed by three equipped, and community-minded indi- munity and future EMS providers in success and continued improvements to shifts of 5 dually-trained EMS and Fire viduals that are able to respond to calls our area, They have accomplished this the supportive nature of the City of Elk department personnel that provided all in their towns starting lifesaving care by developing an excellent relationship City, and its goal to continually improve Fire and EMS services in the Elk City while an ambulance is en route, signifi- with the Western Technology Center as pre-hospital care and provide interfacil- area. The system and call volume have cantly improving patient outcomes and the educational center for all EMS train- ity transport of critical patients. While we go about our day and night, we often forget those who are always When we need assistance in an emergency ,' there in case of an emergency. our first call is to our first responders. Thank you to our first respoton Thank you to those who put their lives on the line everyday to ensure our safety. Kithoffer Flooring Center DBA Bell's Carpet (3 InterBank “Quality at Affordable Prices” +E 44 Residential & Commerical -580-225-1291 (580) 225-5580 * 1620 W. 3rd St. Elk City, OK 73644 We appreciate our local law enforcement and We proudly support our first responders. They keep us safe and are the some of the first people to put their lives in danger. Hometown Heroes! ndurance Be HAINES WRECKER & U-HAUL Licensed and Insured Federal Credit Union 225-4191 105 Regional Dr. - www.endurancefcu.org 2623 West Broadway ° Elk City 225-2690 - Insured by NCUA www.haineswrecker.com