Kirk’s EMS will providing Elgin with ambulance service

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - The city of Elgin will soon have an ambulance to provide quicker service to the city and surrounding areas. Kirks EMS is a family-owned business that has been around for 50 years. They are celebrating the milestone by ensuring Southwest Oklahoma has the EMS service response they need.

Elgin has been without an ambulance in city limits for several years, solely depending on EMS services from the surrounding areas. Fire Chief Mike Baker said this new truck will create an all-around better response time and when seconds count it can mean the difference between life and death.

“Being here that quick you know, with a stroke and things like that time matters and you know your shaving 30 minutes off the time they can get to the hospital, that’s a big difference,” said Baker.

Chief Baker said currently the fire department is the first responding agency and relays the information to paramedics until they get on the scene.

Bruce Crowell, Director of Kirk’s EMS, said this new agreement will cut down their response times significantly from what they were doing before.

“We’ve been talking about this for some time we have seen that Elgin is growing, the response times are taking getting from Lawton and other areas out here are getting longer and we’re just wanting to provide a service with quick medical care,” said Crowell.

Elgin Mayor JJ Francais said the Elgin Fire department has been doing a great job serving the community and responding to medical calls, but having an EMS service within the city will make a major impact.

“When I took office KSWO interviewed me and said what do you want to accomplish? One of the first things I mentioned was the ambulance service because it was something that several community members kept reaching out saying this need and to be met. And so I reached out to providers across the state of Oklahoma and Kirk’s was really the one to step up and make this possible and to that, I am very appreciative and now we’re going to see where this year takes us,” said Mayor Francais.

Mayor Francais said The city of Elgin entered into a 1-year lease with Kirk’s EMS service and this will cost the city no money to have this service. Kirk’s said the Elgin Fire Department can expect the new truck in a few weeks.

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