Taney County Ambulance District reports an increase in calls despite the pandemic lull

HOLLISTER, Mo. (KY3) - We celebrate National EMS Week this week.

EMT Sacha Williams began training for the Taney County Ambulance District last Monday. She says she was inspired by her many friends and family working in the medical field. She says she is ready to impact others across the county.

“I like to help, I like to teach, I like to coach,” said Williams. “I think this is definitely the field that will allow me to do that.”

Williams says being an EMT allows her to grow as a person while helping the community. She recognizes the obstacles first responders face daily but is always up for a challenge.

”I know there are certain risks for this job and I“m still here,” Williams said. “This is what I want to do, and this is where I’m going to stay.”

Williams is one of the nine new hires for the ambulance district. TCAD Public Information Officer Johnathan Tudor says hiring additional staff will help lighten the load with the high number of calls the district is experiencing. He says last year, TCAD responded to around 12,000 calls.

”Even since the pandemic, our call volume continues to increase,” said Tudor. “We’ve had to add an extra truck. We’re running as hard as we can today and still don’t have enough ambulances.”

He says recruiting EMTs can be challenging, and the district tries to start the recruiting process early.

”We try to convince high school students to look into places like Gibson Tech or OTC that offer dual credit courses, so they can get their EMT license before they even graduate,” Tudor said.

Tudor says the pandemic has taught them a lot. The past two years have been both mentally and physically demanding. However, he says it’s essential to keep your eyes on the goal.

”Our goal is to provide the best medical care we can, the best emergency services we can to our community,” Tudor said. “No matter how short-handed we are, we will do that, and we’ll do our best.”

Staff says while it is a relief to see COVID-19 numbers drop across the county, the calls are happening.

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