Tanya, a Madison County EMS representative, told the Madison County Fiscal Court on Aug. 26 that the service responded to just under 20,500 calls for service in 2024 and has taken multiple steps to address staffing and enhance care in the field.

"In 2024, our crews responded to just under 20,500 calls for service," Tanya said. She described a locally run education pipeline offering EMT, advanced EMT and a hybrid paramedic program designed for nontraditional students, with nine classes described as ongoing: the county expects to graduate seven new paramedics within a year and to begin another paramedic class in January.

Tanya said the service is partnering with regional hospitals — Baptist Health Richmond and Saint Joseph Berea — and with local fire and police departments for joint protocols and training. The county has introduced Madison County's first police paramedic officer, Addison Akin, who will be ALS‑capable, she said.

A notable clinical addition is a whole‑blood program operated in partnership with the University of Kentucky, Kentucky Blood Center and other agencies; Tanya described it as a high‑value, low‑waste capability that "saves lives." She also reported that the agency completed Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) accreditation for the third time after a multi‑month review and documentation process.

Operational updates included fleet investments — three new ambulances added and three more ordered (two arriving in fall, one in 2026) — and upgrades to auto‑load stretchers and load systems. On staffing, Tanya said Madison County EMS has about 104 employees (full‑ and part‑time) and credited the local training pipeline with helping the service maintain staffing levels.

Tanya also reported the Madison County EMS board accepted a real‑property compensated rate of 0.42 for 2025 and maintained motor vehicle and watercraft rates at 0.06.

Why this matters: EMS volume, local training pipelines and adding advanced capabilities such as whole‑blood transfusion affect emergency response times and local clinical outcomes. The CAAS accreditation signals conformity with national EMS standards; fleet and staffing investments support system resilience.

The court thanked the service for its work; magistrates and the judge praised employees and noted that roughly one in five county residents interacted with EMS in the prior year, based on the call volume presented.