Anderson County EMS Crews Return Home After Hurricane Deployment
Garnett, Kansas – After a vital 20-day deployment in regions impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton, Anderson County Hospital welcomed home its EMS crews this week. Anderson County EMS played a crucial role under American Medical Response's (AMR) Office of Emergency Management FEMA contract, providing essential emergency medical services in response to the disaster.
On September 26, Anderson County EMS Director and Paramedic Troy Armstrong and EMT Wyatt Westhoff deployed to Greenville, South Carolina, along with a department Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance.
“When we arrived in Greenville, there were about 50 ambulances,” said Armstrong. “By that afternoon, there were 300 ambulances staged, and 100 more arrived overnight. Our drive was long. However, it was tremendous to see crews from places even further away like Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona. It was a true reflection of teamwork and dedication.”
Their strike team assignment took the crew from South Carolina to North Carolina before the impending arrival of a second hurricane diverted efforts to Florida to support Hurricane Milton’s relief operations.
The Anderson County EMS crew assisted with the evacuating of multiple healthcare facilities, providing emergency services at a refugee shelter, and supplementing local 911 emergency response efforts in North Carolina and Florida.
“I’m proud that our Anderson County EMS department not only has the skills and equipment but also the support that allowed us to serve this critical need miles away while continuing to provide EMS response to our home community without disruption,” said Armstrong.
“We received so much encouragement and support from our EMS team back home, the hospital, local partnering agencies, our friends and family, and even some special notes from area students. That’s what kept us going.”
Armstrong and Westhoff were relieved from their extended deployment by Paramedic Ashli Gavel and EMT Maralee Clark, who both work on-call for Anderson County EMS. Gavel and Clark completed the assignment and returned with the department ambulance earlier this week.
These EMS professionals all played a vital role in the disaster response, providing life-saving care in devastated areas, and we are glad to have them all back home safely.
Additional information:
Media are invited to meet the teams, hear their stories from the field, and learn more about their role in the overall emergency response. The returning teams consist of EMS personnel who were on the front lines in hurricane-impacted zones, offering life-saving services and supporting local medical operations. These individuals can offer a unique insight into the realities of disaster response and the dedication of our EMS professionals.
About Anderson County Hospital
Anderson County Hospital is a member of Saint Luke’s Health System, which consists of 14 area
hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient,
outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, our
mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the
advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization
in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental,
and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.
About American Medical Response
American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of emergency medical services,
provides mobile healthcare in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR
paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to care for more than 4.8 million
patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. For more
information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on
Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram.
AMR is part of Global Medical Response. With nearly 36,000 team members, Global Medical
Response delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency
medical services and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world.
GMR was formed by combining the industry leaders in air, ground and community,
industrial/specialty and wildland fire services. For additional information, visit us on LinkedIn or
at www.GlobalMedicalResponse.com.