In 1976 the San Carlos Indian Health Service Hospital obtained an ambulance and was staffed with their Housekeeping Department. In 1977, the San Carlos Apache Tribe (SCAT) started their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department. With grant funding received through the Kaiser Foundation, two ambulances were purchased, and training provided for 10 individuals to get EMT-certified.
This was the beginning of pre-hospital for the SCAT, delivering the most effective and immediate life-saving treatment ambulance services, as an emergency room on wheels. Their annual 911 call volume was 1,000-1500. As the 911 call volume increased, Tribal Work Experience Program participants (TWEP) joined the department as drivers, while the EMTs provided patient care in the back of the ambulance. At the time, the State didn’t require the attendant to be EMT-certified, as they do now. The EMS staff were crossed trained as EMTs, fire fighters, van drivers and as dispatchers.
The first paramedic was hired in 1988.
EMS also housed a volunteer fire department, and non-emergency medical transportation which only provided one shuttle bus service that traveled to and from San Carlos to the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) in Phoenix, Monday – Friday.
Today, EMS/Fire consists of the following divisions: EMS & Fire 911 Operations, Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), Dispatch, and the Administration. Altogether, the programs employ close to 100 employees.
The annual 911 call volume is over 10,000 and NEMT annual transport volume is over 30,000.
Staffing includes: Manager; Financial Officer, Personnel Clerk, Custodian/Groundskeeper, Patient Care Report Coordinator; Operations Shift Supervisors, Paramedics, EMTs, and Fire Fighters; Fleet Supervisor and Fleet Support; NEMT Supervisor, NEMT Support Staff, and drivers.
Our fleet consists of 8 ambulances, 4 fire engines, and 18 NEMT vehicles.