History of KCEMS

Kimble County Emergency Medical Service (KCEMS) is located at 151 Hospital Drive in Junction, Texas and is the designated 911 provider for Kimble County.  Additionally, through local area service agreements and mutual aid agreements, KCEMS serves portions of Kerr, Menard, Sutton, and Edwards counties.   KCEMS is a member of the Concho Valley Regional Advisory Council, Trauma Service Area K.

            Prior to the formal organization of KCEMS in 1980, ambulance service was provided by Aubrey Fife Funeral Home.  The first documented KCEMS ambulance run occurred on July 29, 1980.  In its first full year of service, KCEMS functioned at a Basic Life Support (BLS) level, staffed mainly by EMT-Basics and nurses provided by Kimble Hospital, and made 203 ambulance runs with one ambulance and twelve members. 

            KCEMS has progressed to a BLS service with Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) capability operated by all levels of personnel:  ECA, Basic, Intermediate, and Paramedic.  To provide coverage for its 1251 square mile service area, KCEMS staffs one ambulance 24 hours per day, with a second ambulance for transfers from Kimble Hospital to facilities outside Kimble County on an as-needed basis, with a third ambulance for back-up.

            To staff its ambulances, KCEMS employs one full-time Director/Paramedic and an additional full-time Paramedic; additional staffing is provided by part-time volunteers.

Currently, the service has three Paramedics, six EMT-Intermediates, one EMT-Basic, and one ECA with six members cross-trained in fire suppression and rescue operations.  Medical direction is provided by Dr. Alberto Noe Martinez. 

            In the average year KCEMS responds to 370 911 calls in the county and transports patients to hospitals outside of Kimble County 110 times.  Additionally, the service provides medical standby service at local events such as football games and rodeos.