St. Francois County Ambulance District

09/07/2026

The eight-hour workday was not a gift. Somebody had to ask for it.

Labor Day started in the early 1880s, when working 12-hour days, six days a week, was normal, and children were on factory floors instead of in classrooms. Workers organized, marched, and pushed for change. Oregon made Labor Day an official holiday in 1887, and it became a national holiday in 1894.

The things we take for granted now, like a weekend, a lunch break, safety rules on the job, and limits on child labor, all came out of that push.

So today is more than the unofficial end of summer. It is a thank you to every person who works hard for their family and their community.

Happy Labor Day, St. Francois County.

09/04/2026

Please join us in congratulating EMT Class 26-1!

Last night, we held graduation for our newest class of EMTs here at St. Francois County Ambulance District. This group put in the work from day one, and it showed. The dedication, the teamwork, and the heart they brought to this program made it an incredible class to be a part of.

We are so proud of every one of these individuals. This is not the end of their journey. It is just the beginning, and we cannot wait to see the clinicians they become.

Help us celebrate them. Leave a comment cheering them on, congratulate them on this huge accomplishment, and share this post so they can see how much this community is behind them.

Great work, Class 26-1. Always remember, "You Set The Tone."

09/04/2026

Here is the part of drowning that surprises people. It is quiet.

No splashing, no yelling, no waving arms. A child slips under while eight adults are within thirty feet, and every one of them assumed somebody else had eyes on the water. That is not negligence. That is how a crowded holiday works.

So assign it out loud. One adult, on the water, phone down, for a set stretch of time. Then hand it off to the next person by name. Say the words "you have the water now."

Life jackets on the little ones and on anybody who is not a confident swimmer, no matter how shallow it looks.

Enjoy the long weekend. Just make sure one person always has the job.

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

📊 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 | 𝗦𝘁. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁

Another busy month in St. Francois County. In August, our teams answered 1,763 total responses, up from 1,712 in July.

Transfers returned to the top spot at 332, just ahead of 328 general medical calls.

A few notable shifts this month:

🧠 Behavioral health calls rose sharply, from 105 to 159
🚑 Falls climbed from 172 to 208
🫀 Heart problem calls increased from 96 to 125
🫁 Respiratory calls rose from 109 to 125
🚗 Vehicle accidents eased off, dropping from 84 to 66

Our Mobile Integrated Healthcare team logged 147 home visits, holding steady with July, continuing to help patients manage their care right at home.

Thank you to our medics, EMTs, and MIH staff for their dedication this month. We also want to thank our 911 dispatchers, local fire departments, law enforcement, and air ambulance services who partnered with us on so many of these calls. We could not serve this community without you.

08/30/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘆

Carson Peery, age 14, is the son of two of our own, Matthew and Abigail Peery. While Abi was on shift, Carson filmed a video of one of our ambulances and sent us the finished product.

This is impressive work, and at 14 years old, that says a lot about the eye and effort that went into it.

We talk a lot about the next generation of EMS around here, but talent shows up in many ways, and creativity like this is worth celebrating, too.

Watch the video, then drop a comment for Carson. A little encouragement goes a long way when you are 14 and putting your work out there.

Great job, Carson. Keep creating. Thank you for sharing your work with us!

08/29/2026

𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞.
EMT Class 26-1 completed their hands-on skills testing today, and every single student passed on the first try.

Here is what makes that even more impressive. This was our first summer program, condensed into 12 weeks instead of the usual 20. Same material. Same standards. Same skills. Just a whole lot less time to master it all.

They showed up, put in the work, and knocked it out of the park.

All that stands between them and certification now is the written exam. Once that is done, they will be certified EMTs, ready to start caring for their neighbors.

Drop a comment below and help us congratulate Class 26-1. They earned every bit of this.

08/29/2026

A sweet surprise showed up at our door today.

Hearing Care Partners of Farmington stopped by with a special delivery of Hurts Donuts for our crews!

If you or a loved one have been putting off getting your hearing checked, go see the folks at Hearing Care Partners of Farmington. They took great care of our crew today, and we have no doubt they will do the same for you.

Thanks again for the treats, and for the kindness behind them.

08/28/2026

Thank You, Camelot Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center!

A big thank you for the snacks and drinks dropped off to our crews today.

We work alongside the Camelot team often, and we appreciate the care they provide to their residents every day. Today they took a moment to care for our crews too.

Thank you, Camelot. From all of us at St. Francois County Ambulance District, we are grateful.

08/28/2026

𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦: 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦-𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣

This week, two of our paramedics, Ryan Hill and Bryce Stewart, spent the day at Practical Anatomy and Surgical Education at St. Louis University for training focused on advanced emergency procedures.

This is training you cannot get from a textbook.

Working alongside emergency physicians and surgeons, they practiced some of the most critical and highest-stakes skills in prehospital medicine:

- Advanced airway management, including direct and video laryngoscopy
- Surgical cricothyrotomy for the airway that cannot be secured any other way
- Needle decompression and chest tube placement for a collapsing lung
- Central vascular access, including internal jugular and subclavian lines
- Intraosseous access at the humerus and sternum
- Suturing and wound closure techniques

These are not routine procedures. They are the rare ones, the ones with no margin for hesitation. Staying sharp on them takes deliberate practice, and that is why we invest in training like this.

We are grateful for the physicians who spent the day teaching, and proud of Ryan and Bryce for taking on a demanding day of learning.

Because when seconds count, you do not rise to the occasion. You fall back on your training.