Emergency Medical Services
Our Mission
Talbot County EMS has a mission to provide the highest quality of pre-hospital emergency care to every resident and visitor of Talbot County Maryland. Our mission includes having a fully staffed paramedic unit available for every emergency call twenty four hours a day.
E.M.S. The Beginning
Baron Larrey “Father of Emergency Medical Services” developed what we know today, rapid access to the patient, field treatment and stabilization. and rapid transport to a medical facility while providing medical care. The first ambulance service in the U.S. began in 1865 at Cincinnati General Hospital and was operated by the fire department. Services followed in most major cities and were limited to those areas. The dispatch system was also very different from today. Operated by a bess, a weight was triggered to fall lighting a gas lamp to wake the physician and driver, a harness, saddle and collar to drop on the horse and open the stable doors.
In the early 1950’s (the modern father of E.M.S.) J.D. “Deke” Farrington M.D. and others questioned the lessons learned from military medical corps from pervious wars were not being adopted by civilians to improve standards of care. E.M.S. and emergency medicine was not what we know today, interns were assigned to ambulances to provide care for medical, trauma and other emergencies. Hospitals were not set up to handle accident victims or serious trauma, so you may have gotten an opthalogist or dermatologist for a fracture, head injury or ruptured spleen.
Until the idea of civilians being trained in the medical field as first responders and E.M.T.’s pre-hospital care was merely transportation in a hearse by the local mortuary patients were taken to the medical facility in the back of the hearse alone or at times with a family member. Many questioned the efficiency and ethics then realized the need for improvement which leads us to E.M.S. today.
Today
Talbot County E.M.S. is complimented with a full time staffing of 32 and a part time staff of 23 that provide pre-hospital care to citizens and visitors of Talbot County. Operating with today’s most modern equipment and training, the department responds to medical, rescue and fire related emergencies. The department has an array of equipment including 2 supervisors chase vehicles, 6 Advanced Life Support transport units, a Mass Casualty trailer, 3 Hazardous Materials units equipped and ready to respond to emergencies. The Haz-Mat team is staffed with both career staff and volunteers from the surrounding county fire departments. E.M.S. units are strategically placed throughout the county. Four paramedic staffed transport units are on duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year stationed at the Easton Fire Department, Trappe Fire Department, and St. Michaels Fire Department. The fourth unit is located at headquarters at The Easton Airport which also houses the Special Ops units. In addition to these full time units another paramedic transport unit has been placed into service from 7 a.m. on Fridays thur 7 a.m. on Monday mornings. This unit is to supplement the E.M.S. program during high call volume times. This unit is currently stationed at the Tilghman Island Fire Department to assist with coverage in the Bay Hundred area of Talbot County.
The qualified E.M.S. personnel working in the field today are providing an invaluable level of treatment. The advance of medicine and pre-hospital care are endless. Pre-hospital care is an idea that had just come of age, and is still maturing. The existence of E.M.S. has saved many lives and will save many more. Citizens who may have had a heart attack in the past may have died, but with advancement of E.M.S., the A.E.D. program and C.P.R. training to civilians, today lives are being saved and living longer healthier lives. Individuals who may have endured serious trauma may have also died, but the advancement in fluid replacement, treatment of trauma and rapid transport via aviation have greatly improved survival rates. Along with the strong desire to help and the challenge to heal thru continuous training, the staff of Talbot County E.M.S. will ensure top notch care to the citizens and visitors of Talbot County. The future of E.M.S. can only be assumed to improve to incredible levels.
Special Operations
After the event of September 11, 2001 the Talbot County Council elected to have a Hazardous Materials Team assembled. The council concerned greatly for the safety of the citizens and the overwhelming alerts for unknown substances had state officials running circles. Local fire departments and E.M.S. were responding to many suspicious packages and substances following the terrorist attacks. People were scared and wanted security, quick response and reassurance. The Haz-Mat Team was assembled in cooperation with local volunteer firefighters and Talbot Emergency Services. Members were placed through hours of training from the operational level to technical levels. Team members also fulfilled class time for Weapons of Mass Destruction and National Incident Management System. Two school buses were obtained from the school board and retro fitted to fulfill the demands of emergency response vehicles. Equipped with personal protective equipment, spill containment, onboard research and command centers, decontamination equipment. The units are available to the citizens of the county, local fire department and able to provide mutual aid to surrounding counties. Once again the future of Special Operations is unknown. However the department will adapt to provide any service deemed necessary for the protection of Talbot County.
In Closing
The department of emergency service of Talbot County strives to provide the highest quality of service to meet and exceed the growing population and expand our duties to meet local, state, and national levels of care and protection.
Talbot County EMS Advisory Board Meeting
TCEMS Advisory Board has changed its meeting schedule to the fourth Wednesday of every month.
Location: Operations Center, 605 Port Street, Easton Maryland 21601
