History of Higginsville EMS

The City of Higginsville took over the ambulance service in the fall of 1970.  At that time, volunteers with basic first aid staffed the ambulance and provided care to the patients.  The early days of notification that a call had been received were by telephone.  So, the attendants either stayed by a phone, or continually called the coordinator with the new number.  The ambulance staff responded this way until April 1973, when the City received enough donations to buy the first pagers to be used by the staff.

The City's ambulance had been running out of an old service station located at 19th & Main,  until July 1973.  It was at that time, the old Bennett garage located at 19th & Walnut was purchased.  The ambulance, along with the fire department, would operate out of that facility until the fall of 1998,  when both departments moved into a new fire and ambulance station,  located at 211 West 19th.  It is a structure designed for those operations and both departments have been truly thrilled with the facility.

We currently have two type III units.  All units are advanced life support-equipped. We also have one ALS response car.

In 1973, the City hired their first full-time employee to oversee the operation.  He became a paramedic and remained in that position until late 1979.  During this time, the call load for our community hovered around 35 calls per month.  However, that was beginning to change.

Beginning in December 1979, a new director was hired.  And, as the calls increased,  so did the additional requirements from the State.  As a result, additional staff was added.  At the present time, we have 3 full-time paramedics, 3 full-time EMT's, and 11 part-time staff.  With all that this department does, it takes all of us to make it run this smooth.  At present, we average around 97 calls per month.

We offer a wide range of training for both our own staff, as well as the community.  Some of the classes offered are CPR, first aid,  ACLS, and basic aid training for kids.

Higginsville EMS is active in the community, with its many training programs that are offered both to the general public, as well as within the school system.  We provide ambulance coverage for many of the sporting events in our service area, as well as providing health screening to the community on a regular basis.

The service is a City-owned/operated service that covers over 10 square miles, serving rural and urban areas, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We are a department that is very interested in providing the best care possible for our patients.  We strive to stay abreast of recent changes and update our equipment as needed, necessary, and possible.  We have excellent community support and have received several appreciation awards over the years.

We want to remind everyone who wants an ambulance to come to their location for ANY reason, to use 911 as their contact for ambulance service.  Office phones are not staffed 24/7, 911 is.