South Columbia now has a new Boone Health ambulance station intended to get emergency crews closer to calls and shave precious time off responses. The station also expands the number of units Boone Health can place in service as the area continues to grow.
Boone Health Ambulance Station No. 12 is located beside Boone County Fire Protection District Station 8 on South Route K. The dedication ceremony included a push-in of two emergency vehicles, the raising of the Boone Health flag and remarks from hospital and fire district leaders, according to KOMU 8.
A new ambulance base for south Columbia
Josh Peak, Boone Health’s chief of emergency medical services, said the location puts responders nearer to emergency calls in the southern part of Columbia and should help the city overall. The new facility will also allow Boone Health EMS to increase its fleet, with new personnel working alongside experienced first responders, KOMU 8 reported.
The neighboring Boone County Fire Protection District Station 8 has served the Rock Bridge area since the late 1970s and responds to medical emergencies, fires and specialized calls around Rock Bridge State Park and the Missouri River, according to the Boone County Fire Protection District. Putting an ambulance crew next door creates a tighter public-safety footprint for south Columbia and nearby county areas.
More units in a shared emergency-response system
Boone Health’s ambulance service is part of a broader system in which Boone County Joint Communications dispatches the closest available ambulance from Boone Hospital Center or MU Health Care, according to MU Health Care. A station positioned closer to high-demand areas can help keep units available for the next call while reducing the distance crews travel to reach patients.
Boone Health has also begun recruiting additional EMS personnel as it grows its response capacity. The hospital’s ambulance teams provide on-scene care and transport patients to the most appropriate facility, a role Boone Health describes as part of its around-the-clock emergency-care operation in its emergency department information.
