Cole County EMS opens new headquarters in downtown Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County Emergency Medical Services officially opened its new headquarters Friday, welcoming 200 visitors to tour the long-awaited facility.

The facility is located on Adams Street in downtown Jefferson City. the new administrative headquarters and EMS station took two years to complete but has been a need for over a decade.

Chief Eric Hoy said for years, the EMS department operated out of multiple locations, but none were specifically designed to support their operations

"About ten years ago, when the county took over the EMS service, they had to have a temporary option to put an ambulance downtown because the county didn't own a building," Hoy said. That ambulance actually went into the law enforcement center across the street where it was meant to be temporary. And that temporary option lasted about a decade. Now, with the growth in call volume and the needs for services in downtown, we really need a bigger space to put another ambulance in."

Hoy said it's crucial to have the building in the downtown location, because it's where most of their calls come from.

The headquarters are across the street City Hall and the police department, creating a public safety hub in the downtown area, a critical step for improving emergency response times in the area.

"It's a populated area of downtown, you know, during business hours. You know, there's a lot of activity downtown obviously with the state capitol and the legislature being in session," Hoy said.

The $5 million project was partially funded by a $2 million Community Development Block Grant, according to Hoy. It features key upgrades to support EMS staff, including five private bedrooms for rest during 48-hour shifts, a kitchen, break room and a community classroom for training and outreach programs.

EMT Dirk Protzman has worked for Cole Count EMS for two year and said he is thankful for the new building.

"They were gracious enough to provide us with a nice day room where we can go in between calls," Protzman said. "And in between training and stuff we can sit down and relax or we can write on... our work, on our reports. You know, just having a place that feels like ours."

Protzman added that the most common emergencies this time of year involve severe respiratory issues and vehicle crashes.

According to Hoy, the station responds to around 3,000 calls in the jurisdiction per year. Within the first 72 hours of operation, the station had already answered 49 calls.