The Beginnings of a New Service for the Residents of Oscoda County
The Oscoda County Ambulance service was born in the early 1960s when three local men – Joe Larrison, Gloyd Money, and Paul Starry – decided to do something about our community’s ongoing need for emergency medical transporation services. In the beginning, since Joe Larrison owned Larrison’s Funeral Home, a hearse was used as the first ambulance in the county (a fact perhaps not so comforting for those being transported!) Back then, Joe’s entire family took part in the day-to-day operation the service.
In 1973 the Ambulance Service became a part of the Oscoda County Sheriff Department. During this period, services were provided almost exclusively by sheriff deputies. For 16 years the Ambulance Department continued on in this manner, until 1989, when the County decided to make the service a separate entity officially known as the Oscoda County Ambulance Service (OCAS) and hired its first Director to oversee operations and manage costs.
Significant Milestones
1989 – Sally Galbraith became the first part-time director of the Oscoda County Ambulance Service. At the time OCAS had approximately twenty volunteers serving as drivers and EMT’s. A second base of operation was established at the Fairview Fire Department and the service acquired two new ambulances, one to be stationed in Mio and the other in Fairview.
1990 – OCAS obtained two hand held radios on the Sheriff Department frequency. This was a substantial upgrade from the previous method whereas all dispatch was done over the phone.
1991 – The Citizens Ambulance Advisory Board was formed. The Advisory Board assists the Director to help promote the Ambulance Service to the community.
1992 – A millage for ambulance radios and equipment was passed. The ambulances purchased in1989 were paid off and a computer system was installed to assist in billing.
1993 – OCAS purchased two new ambulances one for Fairview and one for Mio giving each station a total of two ambulances. They were then able to purchase and issue hand held radios for local Emergency Medical Technicians. This allowed faster response time and better communication with dispatch. In this same year the millage expired and was not renewed.
1995 – The first Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was placed in the ambulances. An AED is a device that can be used to send an electric shock to the heart when it goes into an arrhythmia.
1997 – A new garage was built with millage money (approximately $25,000) at the Sheriff’s office to house the ambulances.
2000 – A new Ambulance Building was constructed by the County using funds recovered from a lawsuit at the landfill combined with existing Ambulance Dept funds.
2001 – The Ambulance Service hired 2 full time EMT’s – 36 hours per week with full health benefits. The remaining 12 hour shifts were staffed with part time employees. OCAS started staffing one EMT at the station 24/7 and the second EMT would respond from home. Call-in personnel are still utilized for additional and multiple patient runs. OCAS received ATV grants and purchased an ATV for retrieving patients from trails and limited space areas.
2002 – The County Board of Commissioners made the Ambulance Director a part-time salaried position. The first operation millage was approved by voters.
2003 – The Ambulance Service upgraded all two way radios to meet new state (MEDCOM) requirements and began using the Accumed Billing Service for the first time.
2004 – OCAS refurbished their aging ambulances with a technique known as “remounting”. Remounting is the process of building a new box over an existing chassis. Doing this saves money over purchasing all new equipment and allowed the service to get an almost new ambulance for half the cost.
2005 – The Ambulance Service began the process of upgrading to a new computer system for managing patient care records to meet new State of Michigan requirements for record sharing via the Internet… however due to numerous, unforeseen problems, the state delayed implementation of the program. Also this year, mobile phones were updated to digital service.
2006 – For the first time, OCAS entered into a contract with Tri-Township Ambulance Service from Atlanta, Michigan to provide Advanced Life Support (or ALS) services 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Prior to 2006, we provided only Basic Life Support services. ALS allows paramedics to administer IVs, medications, perform advanced airway techniques, cardiac monitoring, & advanced cardiac electrical therapy.
2008 – Oscoda County hired a new ambulance director, Casey Pullum. Casey received his Bachelors Degree in Administrative Management from Bob Jones University and was also a paramedic with 10 years of EMS experience.
2009 – Oscoda County Ambulance Service added Emergency Medical Services to it’s trade name. Now known as Oscoda County EMS (OCEMS), the service became an ALS agency obtaining approval from the State of Michigan to provide it’s own ALS service. By doing this the County r residents saved the county nearly $40,000.00 annually.
2010 – Oscoda County EMS began staffing one ALS ambulance and one BLS ambulance to assist with the call volume. OCEMS signed a contract with the AuSable Valley Nursing Home (Later to be know as Lutheran Home Ministries then Wellsprings) to provide all BLS transfers to or from their facility providing an additional $100,000.00 in revenue for the ambulance service.
2011 – Oscoda County EMS turned the BLS ambulance in to an ALS ambulance and began staffing it 12 hours per day 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. This ambulance was moved to the Greenwood Township Fire Department to reduce response times for 911 calls in the northern portion of Oscoda County.
2012 – Oscoda County becomes licensed with the State of Michigan as a Medical Education Facility. This allowed us to provide Medical First Responder (MFR), EMT and Emergency Medical Technician – Specialist courses in Mio.
2013 – In March of 2013 Casey Pullum resigned as Director of Oscoda County EMS and Jason Beck was hired into that position. Jason had experience in EMS as an EMT, Paramedic and Instructor for fifteen years. He held a Bachelors degree in Public Safety and a Masters Degree in Leadership with a Focus on Emergency Management.
2014 – In January after extensive research and planning, the Board approved the purchase two new ambulances and the remount of two ambulances with 4 wheel drive capability. The money used for this purchase came from the equipment millage and which was allocated for the purchase of new ambulances.
2015 – In April of 2015 Jason Beck resigned and in June of 2015 Susan White was approved as the new Director of Oscoda County EMS.
2019 – In January of 2019 Robert Hunter was approved as the new Director of Oscoda County EMS.
2023– In January of 2023 John Mattson was approved as the new Director of Oscoda County EMS.
This has been an overview of the history and progress that our county run service has made over the last 46 years. The motivation behind these changes is to provide our residents with the best care possible and with your on-going support we will continue to make it even better. Thank you!