EMS Division
Background
In 1971 the Vermillion Clay County EMS began providing the citizens of Vermillion and Clay County with quality emergency medical care. Vermillion Clay county EMS and the Fire Department have always been housed in the same facility and many times crossed staffed. In 2014 the two departments merged with the goal of improving services.
Administration
The Vermillion Fire EMS Medical Director is responsible for all medical aspects of pre-hospital patient care. The Medical Director has the authority to approve the level of pre-hospital care which may be rendered by each of the departments members, establish and monitor compliance with field performance guidelines and establish and monitor training standards. The EMS Division is lead by two Captains that overseas all EMS operational / administrative staff.
Personnel Staffing
The EMS program is administered through the Vermillion Fire / EMS Department as an EMS Division. As a result, all EMS and fire personnel have opportunities to train together in emergency rescue, extrication, and the suppression and confinement of hazardous materials. There are 26 dedicated members of the EMS Division ready to serve.
EMS License & Apparatus
Vermillion Fire EMS is a Licensed EMS provider with the South Dakota Department of State Health Services. All of our ambulances are licensed as a combination of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS). Each ambulance carries advanced life support drugs, a cardiac monitor defibrillator, and other advanced EMS equipment to provide the highest level of care when EMTs arrive at the patient's side.
Relationship with Hospitals
Our relationship with area hospitals has given us the opportunity to play a part in successful patient outcomes related to Heart Attacks and Strokes by applying the latest treatments with the latest technology and equipment advances. Hospital selection is based on patient preference or appropriate facility based on the patient's condition.
Incident Response Time
We are proud to maintain an average response time of between 3 and 6 minutes throughout our community. We respond to around 900 EMS incidents per year and transport patients to hospitals in the Sioux Falls and Sioux City area including Yankton.
24 Hour Service
Utilizing Paid on Call staffing two of our three ambulances are staffed 24 hour a day everyday. This means that a crew of two or three is assigned to the ambulance for the 12-hour shift and they are not required to be in the station but they are required to respond within minutes of the 911 calls. Due to the response time requirements some staff members decide to use the stations living quarters and stay at the station for their shift.
Ambulance Billing
Ambulance billing is completed by Physician's Claims Company, Inc. You can inquire about a bill and making payments by contacting them at 1-877-882-9911.