About Us

The EMS field is a young industry that evolved after the Vietnam War. EMS in Kentucky evolved in the early 1970’s and has continually grown and improved. Jessamine County EMS officially started under the operation and management of the Jessamine Fiscal Court on July 1, 1986, at 12:01 AM. There were 21 employees hired to staff two ambulances for 24/7 basic life support coverage. Initially, the annual run volume was approximately 3000 and today we treat on average 9750 patients per year.

In 1987 the service began to perform its own dispatching, and this evolved into the centralized 9-1-1 dispatching center that is now in operation. In 1992, the Jessamine Fiscal Court decided to upgrade to an advanced life support service. Advanced life support officially started in February 1994, and the program has been a success. In 2000 there were a lot of improvements and changes ranging from mutual aid agreements with fire departments to better serve our citizens to additional ambulances and stations put in service. In 2004, the communications center and EMS were separated due to the growth so that each unit could better focus on their respective missions. The communications center and EMS are now separate departments within the County Government and are stronger than ever.

Presently, Jessamine County EMS employs 45 personnel and utilizes a dynamic staffing model to staff five ambulances during the day and four ambulances at night, with an additional ambulance during peak hours. Our crews provide basic life support and advanced life support coverage, and operate out of three stations throughout Jessamine County.

Jessamine County EMS operates under evidence based protocols approved by the Medical Director. With several grants we have been able to outfit our ambulances with state of the art equipment including Zoll cardiac monitors, Stryker power-load technology, Hamilton T1 ventilators, GlideScope Go video laryngoscopes, Sapphire IV pumps, and Lucas mechanical CPR devices. Personnel complete regular online and in-person training, and have regular skill competencies to demonstrate proficiency.

One of the most recent developments at Jessamine County EMS was the transition from 24 hour shifts to 12 hour shifts. This change was made with the goal of maintaining a safer work environment for employees and providing better care to the residents and visitors of Jessamine County. Many other EMS agencies in the area have also looked to Jessamine County for guidance as they work to transition their agencies to 12 hours shifts.

Jessamine County EMS is moving to a more measurable future focusing on continuous quality improvement and patient-focused initiatives. We owe it to the citizens to provide innovative service while also constraining costs as much as possible. We will utilize incremental change to assure quality and affordable service to our community.

Our core values are the cornerstone of our service; everything we build is centered around these values. We strive to provide excellent services while practicing integrity and treating all patients with compassion, and will continue to make this a priority in all future initiatives.