EMS Open House

The public had their first glimpse of the ambulance service's new Station One on the hospital campus during a formal Open House held on Sunday, July 17, from 2-4 p.m.
The new facility was constructed to house Stephens County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel after its old location at the hospital was taken up in the most recent emergency room expansion and renovation. The EMS will continue to operate its other station -- Station Two -- on Hwy. 17 South.

Emergency Medical Service Director Ray Willis said that he is very pleased with the new ambulance service headquarters on the Stephens County Hospital campus, and he is looking forward to showing it to the public.

"Many people have put a lot of hard work into this building, and I want to show the people what we now have," Willis said. "This is a project that everyone in Stephens County can be proud of. It is an excellent example of what cooperation between individuals, governmental agencies and businesses can accomplish."

Ambulance service personnel had been housed in a second floor patient room for several months after the new emergency room addition and renovation was begun for the hospital. It was during that time that the Stephens County Board of Commissioners and Stephens County Hospital Authority were negotiating the new contract for the ambulance service.

"With the new hospital addition and renovation, we had to utilize a second floor patient room, because our old location was taken up with the new construction work. However, during that whole time our county commissioners and hospital authority members were busy negotiating our contract, and part of that negotiation included this wonderful new facility," Willis said. It is a massive structure that according to EMS Director Ray Willis does not only house ambulances, but also serves as a home away from home for EMT’s. “We have it set up like a home,” Willis explained. Downstairs there’s a living room and full kitchen and dining area. Upstairs are small bedrooms, and a private office for my assistant and myself. There is also bathrooms and a full laundry room. And we have a training room. We don’t have chairs for it yet, but that will come a little later,” he said. All the new ambulances will be housed downstairs in the garage area, which is big enough for all five. “We have a five-bay garage for all of the ambulances that’s not air-conditioned but is heated in the winter,” Willis explained. “There’s also an inside wash and hose service so we can wash the ambulances in the winter without having to go out into the cold. It’s really something to see,” he concluded.

Under an agreement between the county and authority that has been in existence for many years, the local ambulance service's operation is jointly funded by both entities to help each body more easily meet the monetary cost of providing emergency services to the public.

"It took a lot of time and energy for everyone involved for us to achieve this. Everyone wanted to be sure to continue to provide the best ambulance service possible for our citizens. Our commissioners, hospital authority members and hospital administrator also wanted to be sure to provide the ambulance service personnel with a facility that would be second-to-none and that would last for many, many years into the future, and that's what we now have," Willis said.

"All of the ambulance service personnel are so proud of this new facility, and we are all so grateful to all of our commissioners and hospital authority members, as well as Mr. [Ed] Gambrell, our hospital administrator, for making this new station a reality. We are happy to have a wonderful new home to show off to the citizens of Stephens County," he said. Gambrell said that he also is very pleased with the new EMS Station One.
”It took a combined effort of the hospital authority and the county to do this, and I think everyone will be very happy with it. I am very happy with it. This is very good for the community," Gambrell said.

During the open house celebration, the Stephens County Hospital Auxiliary will be on hand to meet with the public. The home-baked refreshments and decorations were provided by the Auxilians. Stephens County Ambulance Service paramedics were on hand to provide tours for visitors through the proclaimed "best EMS station in the state of Georgia".

Special thanks to the following for making this project successful:
Stephens County Hospital Authority members: Ferman Gregory (chairman), Mark Wilkinson, Elliott Caudell, Bill Hunt, Dr. Robert Slate, Paula Dickerson and Hank Hayes.

Stephens County Board of Commissioners members: Steve Chitwood (chairman), Rex Anderson and Kenneth Peeples.

Former Stephens County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Linda Bell, who was part of the negotiation of the EMS contract that included the new Station One during her term in office.

Hospital administrator Ed Gambrell.

County administrator Darrell Hampton.

EMS Director Ray Willis.

Medical Director Dr. T. David Yates.