Thank you for helping our ambulance crews save lives! A message from Jackie Fox, EMS Director

My entire professional career in EMS has been to serve Tillamook County. When I first started in 1992, EMS care looked a lot different than it does today. The LifePak 5 cardiac monitors were very limited in what they could do to help diagnose and treat patients. The stretchers could not accommodate larger patients and required manual lifting into the back of the ambulance, which could help to build muscle but could also end your career if you did not lift carefully. For IV infusions, we had to manually count drops of medication while riding beside the patient as we bounced together down rough roads in a vehicle with stiff suspension. I did not realize when I started how much my professional practice and the technology for EMS care would change.

Today, I’m honored to lead a dedicated team of 25 EMTs and 16 paramedics who serve Tillamook County. I’m so glad for the advancement in equipment that helps us to provide exceptional care to our patients. Our EMS profession and our local teams are continually growing in the scope of practice that we can provide. This is a career of constant learning!

Thanks to generous community support, we now have Stryker power load gurneys on all of our ambulances. This ensures a smoother entrance for patients into the back of the ambulance as well as a safer way for our crews to care for their patients.

Each year we purchase at least one new vehicle that is equipped with up-to-date technology, including a smoother ride. And this year we are updating IV pumps on the five main vehicles, again with thanks to gifts from community members that come together with our capital budget to help make these significant purchases.

Like one of our community members shared, “I’m happy to give to help make sure that when an ambulance responds to my or my neighbor’s house, we have peace of mind knowing we have the best crews working with the best possible equipment!”

Thank you for your gifts over the years. Thank you for helping our crews save lives all over Tillamook County!