History of Butler County EMS
by L3 Josh Whiteside, BA, MICT
The history of Butler County EMS is a fairly short one, as is the history of EMS in the United States as a whole. Organized EMS has only been around for approximately 35-40 years.
Butler County is not unlike other areas of the United States in that the first ambulances were operated out of funeral homes. From the late 1930’s to the mid-1960’s the ambulance in Augusta was operated by Dunsford’s Funeral Home. Ambulances were also operated by funeral homes in Douglass and El Dorado. In some cases, there may have only been one attendant working on the ambulance and not two. The attendants at that time were either paid staff of the funeral home or volunteer fire department personnel. The responders had little, if any, medical training as first aid and CPR training were not available until the late 1960’s. Attendants more or less responded where requested, loaded the patient into the back of the Packard-Hearse, and drove the patient to the hospital. That’s right, a hearse, only some of which had lights and sirens. They weren’t fancy, but they were available and a way to the hospital, which is better than not getting there at all. It was also handy that these vehicles already had the ability to transport a person laying down in the back!
The first organized ambulance service came to Butler County in 1968 and was the Metropolitan Ambulance Service out of Wichita. They staffed paid ambulance crews in El Dorado and Augusta. The Douglass ambulance continued to operate out of the funeral home. Bob Dietz operated ambulances out of Dietz Funeral Home in El Dorado prior to the establishment of the Metropolitan Ambulance Service. Mr. Dietz opened a private ambulance service in 1970 with an ambulance "barn" at the corner of Sixth Street and Oil Hill Road in El Dorado. Mr. Dietz staffed full time crews in Augusta and Douglass, which took over ambulance service from both Metropolitan and the Douglass Funeral Home. The crews in Augusta and Douglass operated the ambulances from their own houses, responding from home 24 hours a day.
In 1972 Mitch Roberts purchased the service from Mr. Dietz and moved the El Dorado "ambulance barn" further east on Sixth Street across the street from Galen Blackmore football stadium. The three ambulances in Butler County at that time were 1971 &1972 high-top Suburbans and a 1971 Ford Van. The crews in Augusta and Douglass still responded from their homes. In 1972, KU offered the first EMS Instructor Coordinator class in Kansas. Soon after, the State of Kansas taught the first EMT classes in 1973. In June of 1974, 12 personnel from Butler County received their EMT certification. This made Butler County the first in the state of Kansas to have one or two certified EMT’s on ambulances at all times. However, some personnel with only minimal training continued to work as drivers.
On June 1st, 1975, Butler County purchased the EMS service from Mr. Roberts, and signed a contract with Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital (SBA) to provide ambulance bays and crew quarters. The El Dorado crews moved into the station at SBA in October of 1975. SBA acquired responsibilities for the operations of the service, funded by the county, including records and billing. The County signed an agreement with the Augusta Medical Complex (AMCI) in 1976 to provide ambulance bays and crew quarters so theat Augusta crews would no longer have to respond from their homes. The crews moved into the station at AMCI in 1977. Emergency calls for an ambulance rang directly to the hospitals and the crew quarters in each respective area. Therefore, the hospital switchboard operators dispatched the ambulances. This was nice for the crew back then, because they could listen to the actual 911 call and ask questions if needed.
Geographically, Butler County is the largest county in the state of Kansas at 1,427.85 square miles. Because of distances they traveled, it was difficult for two full-time ambulances and one recall crew to respond in a timely fashion to every call. F or this reason, the service started providing training for the volunteer units and fire departments in the late 1970’s. Volunteer first response ambulances were placed in Andover and Douglass. The county added a volunteer unit in Rose Hill in 1981 and one in Potwin in 1992. The training provided to volunteers was a great benefit to the citizens of Butler County and to Butler County EMS. This tradition continues today.
In late 1979 and early 1980, the State of Kansas adopted the National DOT program for EMT-Paramedic, which was controlled by the Kansas Highway Patrol. The Kansas Highway Patrol chose to give technicians the title of Emergency Mobile Intensive Care Technician (EMICT), which was eventually shortened to Mobile Intensive Care Technician (MICT). This title was coined by a man who also began the program in Hawaii, making Kansas and Hawaii the only states where paramedics didn't actually carry the title "Paramedic". In 1981, the first EMICT class was held in Newton, Kansas, and two personnel from Butler County EMS attended. In late 1982, the station in El Dorado became Type I, which means at least one MICT is staffed on each ambulance at all times. The station in Augusta followed shortly thereafter in early 1984. In 2011, the State of Kansas passed a law officially changing the title of an MICT to "Paramedic".
In 1987, the county took over the operations of the service from the hospital, moving into an office for records and billing. The dispatching center moved to the county communications center located at the County Court House, which was operated by the sheriff department. Enhanced 911 was added in 1996.
In 1990, Butler County EMS opened another full time station in Andover, sharing station space with the fire department. This change replaced the volunteer unit. In 1994, Butler County opened a new Andover station in combination with Andover Fire and the county’s Emergency Management. Also in 1994, Butler County began construction of a new EMS office and station in El Dorado, and was opened in 1995. The crews moved out of SBA and in to the new station that year, and this station remains the headquarters of BCEMS today. The Augusta crews followed suit in 2001, and moved into a new station in combination with the Butler County Health Department and the Augusta Department of Public Safety.
So, by 2001 were three full time stations, one recall unit, 24 full time personnel, 15 part time personnel, and over 60 volunteers and first responders. This was adequate to cover the needs of Butler County citizens and visitors for a few years. Starting in 2004, Butler County experienced some large increases in call volume, and it was soon noticed that this impacted the safety and well-being of the staff. On January 1, 2006, another full time ambulance was added in El Dorado and recall was abolished, which also lifted the residency requirement for full-time staff. The department's call volume continued increasing throughout the south and west parts of the county as the population in these areas continued to grow, prompting the service to add another full-time ambulance at Rose Hill Fire Station in March of 2008.
Butler County EMS continues to work on expanding its services to meet the ever changing needs of the citizens and visitors of the county. Currently, there are plans to start building two new stations on the west side of county, possibly in the Andover and Rose Hill areas. This could start as soon at 2012. Butler County continues to be a staff driven service. Many committees formed by staff or administration are led by the staff so they have a hand in this rapidly evolving service. Many employees enjoy this opportunity and look forward to the future of this versatile and progressive service.
Fun Facts of Butler County EMS
- November 1974-Two high-top Dodge vans purchased.
- September 1975-Chevrolet high-top van purchased.
- November 1975-Rescue Squad started by L.E. & Randy Mitchell and run out of Mitchell’s Truck Stop.
- Squad 48 was the Rescue Squad’s first rescue unit. It was a repair truck donated by Mitchell Truck Stop. Squad 48 met all requirements for an ambulance at that time (c. 1977) and was the only rescue truck licensed by the State of Kansas. There were no pagers at this time. When EMS called for rescue, the hospital switchboard called the truck stop and the cashier had a list of phones number for the members and would call until they made contact with four members.
- 1975-Crew quarters at SBA were in a former patient room next door to the father’s waiting room on the OB floor.
- January 1976- Rescue Squad ran under Sheriff Department.
- 1978-Water rescue capabilities added to Rescue Squad.
- 1978-First Type I Modulance Ambulance purchased out of Colorado, and was given the CB handle, “Orange Blossom Special.”
- April 1981-First Van-Modular ambulance purchased. It was a 1980 Excellence built on a Ford E350 chassis.
- 1983 & 1984-Due to operating costs and purchase price, two high-top Ford vans are purchased.
- 1987-Rescue Squad now under the County budget.
- 1987-Butler County took over operations, and the service became Butler County EMS. Crews began unofficially calling the service Butler County EMS in the early1980’s because of the “cool” factor.
- 1990-Transitioned from van-style ambulances to current Type III chassis.
- 1990-Lieutenant position created.
- April 26, 1991-Personnel, who shall remain nameless, lay in a ditch taking pictures of an F5 tornado in Andover, and then realize there is no film in the camera.
- 1994-Rescue capabilities now in Augusta.
- 1996-Zodiac boat obtained and assigned title, “Boat 2.”
- 1997-Rescue capabilities now in Andover.
- 1998-Lieutenant position made a full time spot.
- 1998-Transitioned to Life Pak 11’s.
- 2000-New heavy duty rescue truck purchased and is still in operation today.
- 2000-Responsibility of Rescue Squad taken over by EMS.
- 2002-Rescue capabilities now in Rose Hill.
- 2004-Augusta Department of Public Safety obtains water rescue “Boat 3.”
- 2006-Achievement Designation Program initiated.
- 2007-Lieutenant position upgraded to Captain.
- 2008-Transitioned from Life Pak 11’s to Philips MRX EKG monitors.
- 2008-Preventative Maintenance and a regular Maintenance program developed. Local El Dorado Firefighter and Mechanic Mark Riddle utilized for local service.
- 2009-Rescue capabilities now in Douglass.
- 2009-Logisics position created.
- Dean Dexter and Stuart Gordon responded on the first ALS cardiac arrests in both the north and south response areas of the county. The first was a cardiac arrest on Orchard Street in El Dorado for a man that collapsed shoveling snow from his driveway. The second was an assist with the Augusta ambulance that was BLS at the time at Haverhill and HWY 54/96.
- Dean Dexter applied the first set of MAST pants in the county on a motorcyclist with a torn aorta. They were instrumental in keeping him alive, and the patient survived.
- Joe Dickinson inserted the first EOA in Butler County.
- The 1970 low-top Ford van had a 302 2-barrel carburetor. There could be either power-steering OR air conditioning, not both due to space limitations under the hood. It is said the air conditioning worked very well.
- 2011-Butler County transitions from 400 MHz radio communications to a digital 800 MHZ system.
- Grant Helferich was the first EMT-I certified in the state of Kansas.
Service Directors
- Mitch Roberts, 1972-1975(?)
- Dan Leonard, 1980-1987
- Jim Emrick, 1987-1990
- Grant Helferich, 1990-Present
History of Butler County Ambulances
- 1973 Ford Van Modular-Horton
- 1975 Chevy High Top, Unit 66-Safety Equipment
- 1976 Chevy Truck Modular, Unit 76-Modulance
- 1981 Ford Van Modular, Unit48-Excellance
- 1984 Ford High Top Van, Unit 93-Collins
- 1984 Ford High Top Van, Unit 03-Collins
- 1985 Ford Van Modular, Unit 76-Collins
- 1986 Ford Van Modular, Unit 18-Collins
- 1990 Ford Van Modular, Unit 75D-Road Rescue
- 1990 Ford Van Modular, Unit 76D-Road Rescue
- 1990 Ford Van Modular, Unit 77D-Road Rescue
- 1994 Ford Van Modular, Unit 96D-Road Rescue
- 1995 Ford Van Modular, Unit 36D-McCoy Miller
- 1996 Ford Van Modular, Unit 87D-McCoy Miller
- 1999 Ford Van Modular, Unit 16D-McCoy Miller
- 1999 Ford Van Modular, Unit 04D-McCoy Miller
- 2000 Ford Van Modular, Unit 22D-MedTec
- 2001 Ford Van Modular, Unit 76D-Road Rescue
- 2003 Ford Van Modular, Unit 80D-MedTec
- 2005 Ford Van Modular, Unit 38D-MedTec
- 2006 Ford Van Modular, Unit 07D, MedTec
- 2006 Ford Van Modular, Unit 15D, MedTec
- 2008 Ford Van Modular, Unit 21D-Osage
- 2008 Ford Van Modular, Unit 88D-Osage
- 2009 Ford Van Modular, Unit 14D-Osage
A special thank you to Jeb Burress, Dean Dexter, Joe Moreland, and current staff for all the help in acquiring all this information.
L2 Joshua Whiteside, BS, MICT TOI
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