AC EMS named Service of the Year by 16 county group
Anderson County EMS was named Service of the Year by the Region Two EMS Directors Association. Pictured are: Back row from left, Freddy Cousino, Nathan Sweet, Robert Martin, Chris Ayers, Chase Anderson, Chris Ramirez, Patrick Donnelly and Matthew Hawke. Front row: Scott Thomas, Tori Metzger, Amber Dalton, Faith Phillips, Bryan Schroeder, Jessica Hill and Lorelei Hefferna. (photo:Tony Cox )
“I’m blessed to be surrounded by incredible people who make me look better than I actually am,” ACEMS Director Nathan Sweet told the Anderson County Commission at its Nov. 20 meeting.
Sweet said ACEMS is a part of the Region Two EMS Directors Association, which includes agencies in and around Knox County. It includes more than 20 ambulance services. The association hosts a conference every year with awards.
“This is a team, and the team goes beyond the patch that we wear,” Sweet said, thanking both the ACEMS employees and the Anderson County community.
“The men and women who make Anderson County EMS great are the crews that answer the calls and the admins that have helped support them to meet the community’s needs every single day,” he said.
“We are far from perfect, but the commitment to be better every single day is palpable,” he said.
The number of 911 responses the ACEMS has to make has risen over the past few years while the number of staffed ambulances hasn’t, he said.
He also spoke positively about training, not just for people in his department but also CPR training for people outside of it.
He said that over the past year, the department has assisted in one field baby delivery and saved 10 people suffering cardiac arrests.
The service responded to many requests for aid to people beyond its coverge area, as well, he said.