Jefferson County Emergency Medical Services (EMS)/Emergency Management Agency (EMA) serves a geographic area that encompasses 314 square miles and serves a population of approximately 58,000 residents. With over 80 employees, we respond to more than 15,000 calls annually. JCEMS/EMA is divided into Emergency Medical Operations, Planning, Education/Training, and Administration.
The EMS Operations division provides prehospital treatment and transportation to those who are critically ill or injured. We also provide non-emergency and convalescent transport. We have 4 stations and 9 Advanced Life Support (ALS) units strategically placed throughout the county to ensure a timely response to any emergency. Additionally, we provide medical support for area fire departments during fire and hazmat responses, as well as law enforcement during Special Operations Response Team (SORT) operations. JCEMS also has a dedicated team that provides first aid at large-scale community events. JCEMS has specialized units that can be dispatched for atypical calls, including a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) that is designed as a smaller-scale ambulance with off-road capabilities and an ambulance bus (AMBUS) which serves as a mobile mass casualty unit.
The EMA Planning division works closely with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to mitigate the potential effects of the hazards to which the county might be vulnerable, both natural and man-made, and to respond effectively to the needs of county residents and local municipalities to assist in rapid recovery from these events. The EMA Planning division reviews emergency action plans from many departments throughout the county and organizes county-wide disaster drills to assess the efficacy of these plans. JCEMA has a deputy director on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies.
The Training Center offers a variety of emergency medical educational offerings. It is accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) and offers community CPR, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). It is also recognized as a National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) training center and offers MAEMT courses that include Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC), and Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS). In addition, the training center is recognized by the state of Tennessee to provide initial Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B), and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) courses. The JCEMS Training Center also serves as a clinical site for preceptorships for EMS students from Walters State Community College (WSCC) and Jefferson County High School. The JCEMS Training Center provides our employees with education that exceeds Tennessee EMS continuing education requirements and makes educational offerings available to county-wide first responders as well as the general public. More information on the JCEMS Training Center and its courses can be found here: Jefferson County EMS Training Center (jeffersoncountyemstc.com)
JCEMS/EMA Administrative personnel provide leadership and support services for all facets of operations. Administrative leadership consists of a JCEMS/EMA Director, a Deputy Director of EMA, a Deputy Director of Education & Training, and three on-shift supervisory Deputy Directors. JCEMS also employees a part-time Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC) who ensures the smallest of our citizens receive the best emergency care possible. Administrative support staff ensure the continuity of daily operations and can be reached at 865-471-9001 during normal business hours. Jefferson County EMS/EMAS is proud to be actively engaged with local and regional professional organizations and committees, accessible by the links below:
Region 2 EMS Directors Association: HOME | region2 (r2ems.com)
Knox-East Tennessee Healthcare Coalition: KET (Knoxville / East Tennessee) Healthcare Coalition (ketcoalition.org)
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency—East Region: East Region (tn.gov)
Tennessee office of Homeland Security—District 2: Homeland Security (tn.gov)
Walters State Community College Paramedic Advisory Board: Division of Public Safety - Walters State Community College (ws.edu)