HOISINGTON — For the past four years, Hoisington EMS Director Scott Fleming and the Hoisington EMS staff have pulled out the stops to provide the community a first-class opportunity to meet and greet first responders and get an up-close look at the equipment they use everyday in their mission to preserve life and limb. The event is part of National Emergency Medical Services Week, the goal of which includes bringing together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s “front line.”
At the Monday, May 14 Hoisington City Council meeting, Mayor Dalton Popp declared May 20-26 EMS Week in Hoisington, and Fleming announced that Thursday, May 24, the EMS Open House would return. The theme this year is “Stronger Together.”
Thursday morning, the department hosted the weekly Chamber of Commerce coffee. Fleming introduced his staff. He and Megan Elmore are the only paid staff. In addition to taking calls as an EMT, Elmore takes care of the medical billing for the service, Fleming said.
“We show up on people’s worse days, and try to make it a little better for them,” Fleming said.
All others are volunteers, giving several hours of service each month to the community.
Some, like Paramedic Elea Durr and EMT Angela Gonzalez, live and serve in Hoisington, but others, like Robert Montgomery, St. John, and EMT Seth Gruber, Russell, come some distance to volunteer their time.
Still others, like EMT Hailey Jump, Lawrence, and EMT Andrea Aguilera, Chase, are college students at Barton Community College, exchange their free time for call time in order to advance on their way towards their eventual careers. College students can go to school and also come in and take calls, Fleming said.
“If you see any of these folks on the street, please let them know you appreciate them. They’re all volunteers, and they take time out of their day to help people.”
Hoisington EMS assist volunteers with scholarships to BCC’s EMT program in exchange for volunteer hours, and Sue Cooper from the Golden Belt Community Foundation shared that the foundation also has vocational scholarships available for EMT training and other allied health careers. The GBCF also presented Hoisington EMS with a check for $2,800 for the purchase of a transport ventilator following Fleming’s presentation.
That evening, first responders fired up the grill and began cooking hotdogs and hamburgers for the crowd. A local radio station set up a live remote, and in addition to the EMTs and Paramedics, police and firefighters were on hand to meet and greet the public.