Seneca County EMS unveils new Bloomville Station

By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator

 

When EMS service began in 1978, First Responders tended to patients with a small medical bag and a prayer they would get the patient to the hospital before it was too late.

“Paramedics were unheard of in rural areas at that time,” said Seneca County EMS Director Chris Hafley. “Now we respond to the side of a patient with a mini emergency room.”

 

Although technology has transformed the level of care provided to EMS patients, paramedics still faced a dangerous obstacle in Seneca County. They couldn’t reach patients quickly enough. Now, that has changed. The new Seneca County joint EMS district is building new stations, creating collaboration across the county, and opening the door for better, more efficient emergency care. In the end, that means more lives will be saved.

On September 14, the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting and open house for Seneca County EMS’s first new station, Bloomville Station #4. During the ceremony, Seneca County Commissioner Anthony Paradiso thanked countless people for helping bring Seneca County EMS into a new era of service. Paradiso was joined by Seneca County Commissioners Bill Frankart and Tyler Shuff and Seneca County Administrator Barb Patterson. Patterson worked extensively with Hafley toward the success of the countywide system.

 

“We commissioners support countywide EMS. We want a sustainable system,” Paradiso said. “We’re just beginning. Today is a monumental moment where we can celebrate all our hard work.”

Hafley thanked the commissioners and Patterson “for their unwavering leadership and dedication” to improving EMS service in the county.

Seneca County had tremendous help from federal and state elected officials as it worked to improve service. Congressman Bob Latta helped bring $750,000 in funding to the county. During the ceremony, Latta praised the Seneca County Commissioners for their visionary response to EMS needs.

“It’s a privilege to be able to do this and work with the commissioners,” Latta said.

State Senator Bill Reineke and State Representative Gary Click helped procure $900,000 for Seneca County EMS. Click also championed change at the state level that will allow Seneca County EMS to qualify for Medicare billing on ambulance runs. The change will bring thousands of dollars to the county annually.

“As of Oct. 1, in the State of Ohio, stand-alone EMS can now bill for Medicare services thanks to Rep. Click,” Paradiso said.

When Paradiso was first elected county commissioner, he was told that EMS would be his biggest challenge. Conversations with Frankart, who was then advocating for EMS change as an Adams Township Trustee, and with former Green Springs mayor, Adam Greenslade, helped Paradiso understand the challenges EMS was facing in the county, and it lit a fire that eventually culminated in Seneca County EMS.

Click praised county leaders for their success in improving EMS service in Seneca County.

“What we are witnessing today is transformative leadership,” Click said. “When I think of Tony (Paradiso), I think of EMS. This has been his heartbeat. He fought for this. If there is ever a legacy Tony will leave, it is rural EMS.”