HOISINGTON — The City of Hoisington has hired a new Emergency Medical Services Director, Scott Fleming, who will begin his work on May 5 in Hoisington.
Fleming just recently received an award, Outstanding Service Director, from the Kansas Emergency Medical Technicians Association. This award is presented to a person who the awards committee feels has created or continued the most outstanding emergency medical service in Kansas.
The new director replaces Craig Sowards.
“We are looking forward to having him join our team,” said Jonathan Mitchell, Hoisington City Manager.
Fleming will leave his job as director of the county-wide EMS service in Comanche County, which is the part of the state where he grew up.
Fleming emphasizes patient respect as a cornerstone of his work. As an EMT instructor, he tells his students, “Try to treat everyone like your mother, and you’ll make a good EMT.
“What I enjoy most is helping people and making a difference in people’s lives,” said Fleming.
He also emphasizes team work as an important segment of an EMS service. “If you don’t have good EMTs with you, a paramedic is useless,” he said. “It takes team work,” to provide a foundation for good care.
His goal is to provide Hoisington and the surrounding area with the best EMS service possible and patient advocacy is high on his priority  list, wanting to do what is best for the patient.
During his career, he has worked as a helicopter paramedic, as well as serving as a paramedic in Allen County, Potawatomi Tribal Emergency Services, and Ford County. He also worked in the U.S. Air Force as a security police officer.
Fleming has a long family history in service to the community. His father and grandfather were both involved in volunteer fire fighting.
He started in high school as a junior fire fighter in Comanche County. Junior fire fighters assisted full-time fire fighters.
He took a class in EMT in the 1980s and progressed with his training throughout the years.
His certifications are NREMT-P, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska certified paramedic, CCEMT-P, KU certified firefighter II, ACLS, ACLS E/P, PALS, AMLS, PHTLS, PPC and PEPPS; and instructor certifications: Kansas BEMS Instructor/Coordinator, BLS, ACLS, PALS, AMLS, PHTLS.
The new director’s first job after the military combined fire fighting and EMS Services and Scott became more interested in the medical portion.
Scott is married to his wife Jamie whom he recently wed. They went to school together during their growing up years.
He moved back to Comanche County in 2011, and they became reacquainted. They have been married about one year.
Fleming has four children; two stepsons; and six grandchildren.