Somerset- Pulaski EMS
Always on call
By Olyvia Neal
In times of emergency , they are there for their community .
The Somerset-Pulaski EMS ( Emergency Medical Services ) has always been one call away from injury to illness for their Lake Cumberland residents .
“ You listen to those calls , and you can see how personal it is for the person calling . It is truly their emergency ,” said Somerset-Pulaski EMS Chief Steven Eubanks . “ You can hear the desperation in their voice , and the fact that they need help and we can provide that for them is everything .”
The Somerset-Pulaski EMS is made of five emergency units , one non-emergency unit , a rescue squad , a 911 center , 18 fire departments , a regional Haz-Mat team and an aero medical service to be able to provide the necessary services in a matter of minutes when the time comes .
“ It all just ties into our county and the availability of what we have resource wise here from our fire departments that are so great to step up and help us when we need it to our rescue squad and special response teams that help us too ,” said Eubanks , who has been with the EMS team for over two decades .
However , Eubanks said it is largely thanks to the volunteers in the county that help the EMS team respond and operate effectively . This is especially important in the summer months when the population fluctuates significantly higher than its average of 65,000 . “ The amount of volunteers in this county and the hours they give makes our job a whole lot easier just to know we have all that help ,” said Eubanks . “ It can be quite a challenge to be able to staff for the needs of the influx of population , but our crews really step up to do that .”
The Somerset-Pulaski EMS has made an average of 12,000 to 13,000 calls per year . By the end of June , the EMS team had responded to about 6,000 calls , so Eubanks has predicted this year will remain within that average .
However , the past few years amidst the pandemic skewed these numbers with dips when residents were afraid to go to hospitals as well as peaks when hospitals became overcrowded .
Commonwealth Journal - Unsung Heroes - 2022 33