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EMS News and Events
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First responders help to keep students safe on prom night
During a mock car accident in the parking lot at Battery Creek High School Thursday, students got an inside look at what could happen if they make the wrong decision.
"It's a very good demonstration of what would happen," said student, Nathan Cooper.
The Students Against Destructive Decisions group sponsored this exercise, hoping to make an impact before prom.
"Hopefully they can understand the decisions they make everyday not only affects them but affects a lot of other people and sometimes its the people closest to them," said Battalion Chief Matt Maichel. "Hopefully this sends the message of texting and driving and also the impact of drinking and driving."
Students say all of this was a real eye opener.
"Really was because I'm a driver myself and been driving for three years now and never have been in an accident and hope I won't just going through that simulated event that kind of scared me a bit," said Donnie Ganshow.
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National Nurses Week - May 6 - 12
Everyone at Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services would like to thank the nursing staffs at
Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Hilton Head Island Hospital, Coastal Carolina Hospital, the hospitals in
Savannah, GA & Charleston, SC, along with any specialty hospitals that our patients may get transferred
to for treatment.
Every year, National Nurses Week focuses attention on the diverse ways America's 3.1 million registered
nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. Annually, National Nurses
Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence
Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession.
Traditionally, National Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which registered nurses,
who comprise the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care. From bedside nursing
in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the halls of research institutions, state legislatures, and Congress,
the depth and breadth of the nursing profession is meeting the expanding health care needs of American society.
American Nurses Association Nursing World Press Release - 2012
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Lady's Island Firefighters Deliver Baby Outside Fire Station
By Holli Bounds – WSAV TV
February 15, 2012
www2.wsav.com/news/2012/feb/15/ladys-island-firefighters-deliver-baby-outside-fir-ar-3237450
None of us likes waiting in traffic - but especially a Lowcountry newborn who just couldn't take it anymore.
Austin Ryan DePoyster was so ready to see the world last week, his mother was forced to give birth on the way to
the hospital.
Luckily, his grandmother pulled over in just the right place, where the baby was in good hands.
Born at 8:21 a.m. February 9th, Austin Ryan Depoyster weighed a solid seven pounds, 11 ounces at birth. But the
little guy didn't want his story to start out with the typical stats.
"My friends all say he's the fireman now,” mother Elena DePoyster said.
So he threw mom and the guys known for putting' out fires for quite a loop.
"I met the chief downstairs and he told me I was going to deliver a baby,” Firefighter John Norton said.
Blame it on the morning traffic or a curiosity for the Ladys Island- St. Helena response time.
"Since I got there... he was out... he was out like that,” DePoyster said of how quick it all happened.
But Grandma behind the wheel got the signal that this was gonna happen-- now -- and thought who better to
do the duty than those who protect and serve?
"I've always felt very highly about firefighters,” she said. “Anybody who serves the community, they're special people
From the eight firefighters to the two paramedics who gave care after delivery, they each had a special role.
"I went to the truck and started cleaning him off and checking him out. And grandma's sticking a camera in my
face!” Paramedic Shayna Orsen said.
While it's certainly not the way mom Elena was planning for this to play out, she's got a new appreciation for how
fast firefighters act.
"I was expecting to be the in hospital, with like an IV,” she said. “But if I had to do it again, I like the way this
one went because it was fast. It was right to it. I didn't have to wait hours in a bed for the pain medicine to kick
in and stuff."
Wednesday Elena, her husband Joey and Elena’s mother presented the firefighters with a plaque of appreciation
for their service that day. The firefighters told Elena that little Austin is now part of the family and they expect to
see him back at the station.
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Grandparents Thank Firefighters for Delivering Baby
http://www.wtoc.com/story/16910947/2012/02/10/grandparents-thank-firefighters-for-delivering-baby
LADY'S ISLAND, SC (WTOC)
A mother was on her way to the hospital to give birth when all of the sudden, the baby decided not to wait
anymore. Luckily, there was a fire station nearby and the firefighters were there to help deliver the baby. It
happened to Elana Depoyster Feb. 9 on Lady's Island. Depoyster and her parents say the firefighters were the
real heroes. Later in the afternoon, when the mom and her son were okay at the hospital, the newborn's
grandparents made a trip back to the firehouse to say thank you to the everyday heroes.
"It was a little exciting, my daughter delivered a baby in my car," said Lynn Hopkins, grandmother. "When your
daughter is yelling I'm crowning, you just pull in the parking lot."
That is just what Lynn Hopkins did. She drove into the Lady's Island firehouse on Sea Island Parkway and jumped
out of the car.
"I started knocking on the door and nobody was there. I said I'm going around back. So, I walked around back
and they were all running out," said Lynn Hopkins.
After the baby and mom were taken to the hospital, grandma and grandpa made their way back to the firehouse
to say thank you.
"I have been here as a part time resident for 29 years and have never needed to use any of the services before
but we are eternally grateful to the Lady's Island Fire Department for reaching out in our time of need and
helping," said Greg Hopkins, grandfather.
For firefighter John Norton, it was the sixth baby he has delivered in his 18 years of service but this one was
different and one he will never forget.
"I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever had one drive up to the front door of the fire station,"
said Norton.
These grandparents are truly grateful for what the men and women of the firehouse did for their family.
"I'm just glad they were here and when I dialed 911 it didn't go to Florida," said Lynn Hopkins.
The grandparents received another surprise when they got back to the firehouse, the firefighters had cleaned
the entire car so it was ready for them to take home. Meanwhile, mom and baby boy Ryan Austin are doing
great and resting at Beaufort Memorial.
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Lowcountry Firefighters Deliver Baby at Their Station
By Jaime Dailey, Lowcountry Reporter
LADY'S ISLAND, SC (WTOC)
Firefighters train for all kinds of emergencies, but Lady's Island St. Helena Firefighters had to put their skills
to the test when they had to deliver a baby right in their parking lot at fire headquarters.
It's a proud day for Marine Cpl. Joey Depoyster and his wife Elena Hopkins-Depoyster as they welcome their
new bundle of joy into the world, Austin Ryan Depoyster, weighing seven pounds and 11 ounces.
"This is our little guy, born in front of the fire house," said Hopkins-Depoyster.
That's right, Austin was born right outside the fire station headquarters on Lady's Island.
"On our way to the hospital, there was bad traffic and my mom was using her little blinkers to go around the
traffic and I couldn't hold it anymore," said Hopkins-Depoyster. "I could feel him crowning and we pulled into
the fire station."
Firefighters said they quickly sprung into action, putting their training to the test.
"I said, 'Chief what was that call and he said we're delivering a baby in the parking lot," said Firefighter Aimee
Levesque. "The next thing you know we're grabbing equipment off the truck and ran out to the parking lot."
"I went up to the car and found the young lady and she was laid out in the front seat of the car, starting to
have a baby," said firefighter John Norton.
"They made sure I was alert," said Hopkins-Depoyster. "They did an amazing job and I felt comfortable 100
percent. I wasn't freaking out. I just wanted him out."
Firefighters say in just minutes, little Austin made his way into the world and Norton was right there.
"I was grabbing the baby, assisting the mother with delivery," said Norton.
EMS arrived and took them straight to the hospital.
"It was a relief knowing we did our job and everyone was safe," said Levesque.
While this certainly wasn't the birth the couple planned, they say they couldn't be happier with the outcome.
Depoyster was working at Parris Island when he got the call and ended up meeting his wife and Mother-in law
at the fire station. He says he wasn't able to be there for the birth of their first son because he was serving
overseas and missed out by just one day. This time he was right in the middle of the action, sitting in the front
seat of the vehicle with his wife as she delivered the baby.
"They were real professional, trying to keep her calm, you know, everything," Depoyster said. "It was a good experience."
"It's an amazing story to tell," said Hopkins-Depoyster. "So when he gets older, he'll know exactly what happened."
It's a day, firefighters say they won't ever forget either.
"No, definitely not," said Firefighter Laura Maule. "It's going to be in my memory box for a long time."
"These calls are few and far between," said Norton. "You can go a whole career, maybe have one. To be my
sixth is outstanding, that's why I do the job, helping the customers and the people."
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EMS Study Update Presented to Beaufort County Council
Governmental Committee
CRA Study Update
Beaufort County, South Carolina - January 3, 2012
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Dog keeps stranded boaters warm until Beaufort Water Search & Rescue Squad arrives
By ALLISON STICE
astice@islandpacket.com
843-706-8138
By ALLISON STICE The Island Packet
Published Tuesday, February 7, 2012
www.islandpacket.com/2012/02/07/1956184/dog-keeps-stranded-boaters-warm.html
A couple rescued Sunday night after swimming alongside their powerless boat to get it to land have man's
best friend to thank for keeping them warm while they waited for help.
After a two-hour search, volunteers with Beaufort Water Search & Rescue Squad found the wet, shivering pair
huddled on the boat with a chocolate Labrador retriever.
The warmth from the dog might have protected them from hypothermia, said squad spokesman Dick Jennings.
The man and woman told rescuers they had been on the water all day collecting clams. Their boat ran out of
gas in the dark.
Rather than let the 17-foot boat drift out to sea, they jumped into 56-degree water and towed the boat while
swimming alongside until it ran aground, Jennings said. They didn't know where they were when they called
911 at about 9 p.m.
The couple and the Lab were found by rescuers in the stranded boat at midnight in Trenchards Inlet, between
St. Helena Island and Pritchards Island in northern Beaufort County.
"That had to be one chilly swim," Jennings said.
The man and woman had launched from Station Creek Landing on St. Helena Island, where rescuers also
launched two search boats at around 10 p.m. About 12 volunteers participated in the search or were on standby
during the rescue, Jennings said.
The two rescue boats cruised "every river and creek," Jennings said. The rescuers eventually found them far
from where they had described their location, he added.
Rescuers provided blankets for the woman while taking her back to Station Creek, where deputies with the
Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and firefighters were waiting. The man stayed on his boat with the dog while
rescuers towed it ashore, Jennings said.
Emergency responders warmed up the man and woman in an ambulance with special suits, while rescuers helped
load the boat onto a trailer, completing the operation at about 1 a.m.
While the pair were being treated, they lost track of the dog. That triggered another -- but thankfully much
shorter -- search.
"The dog was in a deputy's car keeping warm," Jennings said.
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Fire leaves family homeless
By Tess Malijenovsky - Your Island News
www.yourislandnews.com/2011/12/28/fire-leaves-family-homeless/
Last week a mobile home went up in flames when a Pop-Tart started shooting flames from a toaster.
The wife was just returning from the hospital for the holidays, said Fire Fighter Dan Byrne.
The Burton firefighters arrived in minutes to the scene on Winsor road in the Shell Point area, but were
forced to exit the burning house as the roof weakened and the fire grew beyond their hose line.
In the middle of the operation, a home oxygen tank inside exploded with enough force to result in several
911 calls from the surrounding area and sent firefighters scattering; however, no one was injured. Firefighters
from Port Royal and Parris Island were called to the scene for assistance, along with Beaufort County EMS.
The Beaufort County Fire Scene Investigation Team is conducting an investigation and while the investigation
is still ongoing, Burton Fire Chief Harry Rountree states they have no reason or evidence to think there is another
cause at this time.
Burton fire officials encourage citizens to research the dangers of pop tarts and toasters, and stress the importance
of having home fire extinguishers that are readily available and all household members are knowledgeable in its use.
According to Byrne, the family has no homeowner’s insurance. The home was a total loss. A fund has been set up
at the Wells Fargo bank on Lady’s Island. To help this family, make a donation to the fund in the name of Gwen Price.
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A new license plate designed by a Beaufort County paramedic to show support of South Carolina’s Emergency
Medical Services is available for sale across the state.
The design by Crew Chief Danny Tinnel, an award-winning, 16-year veteran of Beaufort County EMS, was selected
among several submitted to the South Carolina EMS Association. It features blue lettering and a modified “star of
life” medical symbol combined with the state symbol.
The new EMS plate is available to all drivers in South Carolina and may be viewed online at the SCDMV website,
www.scdmvonline.com.
The plate fee is $30 and $21.52 of each sale goes to the EMS Association. Upon renewal, $26.02 will go toward
helping local EMS groups within the state.
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DIRECTOR OF BEAUFORT COUNTY EMS RETIRES
BOB SOFALY | The Gazette
Ed Allen, center, is retiring after 33 years as director of Emergency Medical Services and was honored with a
dinner Thursday at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Officers Club. At left is wife Andrea Allen and at right
is William Winn of Beaufort County Emergency Management.
Beaufort Gazette
August 10, 2007
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Longtime EMS chief honored on retirement
By Lori Yount
August 10, 2007
www.lowcountrynewspapers.net/archive/node/14336
Emergency medical services have come a long way since Beaufort County EMS Director Ed Allen drove a
hearse for an ambulance out of what's now Marshel's Wright-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Many would say Allen, the "first and only" EMS director, is responsible for that progress.
"When you think of Beaufort County and EMS, you have to think of Ed Allen," said Grady Thames, a former
councilman who was chairman of the 1973 committee that organized the EMS department. "He's taken it from
the ground up to what it is today."
Allen, who took the helm of EMS in 1974 at age 25 and was one of the first black EMS directors in the state,
plans to retire at the end of the month.
"EMS has been a truly enjoyable career," he said. "I did not have a day I did not want to work. But there needs
to be upward mobility in the department -- a new infusion blood."
But it will be hard to replace Allen's 33 years of experience.
"It takes time to build up that knowledge and skill," said County Administrator Gary Kubic, adding no decision
has been made on who will take over as interim EMS director.
Allen, 58, said he has no intention of retiring "totally." Besides continuing his duties as a board member of
several health care and service organizations, Allen, a funeral home director and embalmer, said he is considering
a run for county coroner in 2008.
During his tenure in EMS, Allen has seen the department grow with the county.
Along the way, he kept the department on the cutting edge of services by requiring certification for emergency
medical technicians and partnering with fire departments to create a first responder system to get emergency
personnel to a scene as soon as possible.
However, Allen said there are always improvements to be made, and a new director will face challenges of raising
awareness of EMS services and retaining EMTs and paramedics. The department has had trouble keeping its 74
full-time and 14 part-time positions filled.
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EMS WEEK MAY 20-26 2007
Support your local EMS personnel just say “Thank You” to an EMT or Paramedic
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EMS Professional of the Year Awarded
In- House Story
February 7, 2007
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Paramedics Offer Free Car Seat Inspection
Beaufort Gazette
December 2, 2006
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Traffic accident leaves a woman in hospital
Beaufort Gazette
August 20, 2006
EMS WEEK MAY 14-20 2006
Support your local EMS personnel, say “Thank You” to an EMT or Paramedic
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Help in a hurry - Emergency Medical Service is just a call away
In House
Feb 1, 2006
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EMS Training Helps Protect Children
Beaufort Gazette
Letters to the Editor
Feb 9, 2006
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NEW BONE MARROW IV AND THE “GATOR” AID PATIENTS
In House
Feb 1, 2006
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Masonic Lodge Awards EMT of the Year
In House
Dec 6, 2005
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Beaufort County EMS is expanding service
In House
Dec 1, 2005
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EMS WEEK 2005 in Beaufort County May 15 - 21
In House
May 15, 2005
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Beaufort County Receives Awards at EMS Symposium
Beaufort Gazette
April 23, 2005
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Car Seat Fitting Station Opens
Beaufort Gazette
Jan 23, 2005
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EMS Professional of the Year Awarded
In House Story
Dec 15, 2004
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EMS Spokesman Returns from Course
Island Packet
Nov 28, 2004
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Car Seat Safety Event 10-15-2004
In House Story
Sept 14, 2004
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Car Seat Safety Event 09-11-2004
In House Story
Sept 7, 2004
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Paramedic takes skills to Taiwan's mountains
Beaufort Gazette
April 25, 2004
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Father of Five Dies on Impact; Heroic Rescue
Beaufort Gazette
April 29, 2004
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Elderly Man Dead; Wife Listed in Critical Condition
Beaufort Gazette
April 29, 2004
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EMS Secures Grant For AED'S
Beaufort Gazette
April 16, 2004
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Mass Casualty Drill at MCAS
Carolina Morning News
March 19, 2004
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3 Sailors Killed in Early-Morning Wreck
Beaufort Gazette
March 12, 2004
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EMS Symposium 2004
Beaufort Gazette
March 7, 2004
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Joe Scheafer EMS Professional of the Year
In House StoryNovember 1, 2003
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Local Girl Donates Teddy Bears
In House Story
October 15, 2003
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Nascar Needs Permanent Medical Crews
The Tennessean
August 18, 2003
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CPR Founder Dies at 79
American Heart Assocation
August 5, 2003
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Hispanic children learn to cope with emergencies
Beaufort Gazette
June 18, 2003
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Convicted Man with Unusual Appeal
Associated Press
April 24, 2003
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EMS National Moment of Silence
National EMS Memorial Service
January 6, 2003
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Local EMS officials to head up state organizations
By – Chris Bender
http://www.lowcountrynewspapers.net/archive/node/118290
Two leaders of Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services have been elected to the top positions of
statewide emergency medical associations.'
Ed Allen, director of Beaufort County EMS, was elected president of the South Carolina EMS Association.
The deputy director of EMS, Rusty Hollingsworth, was elected president of the S.C. EMS Educators Association.'
The elections took place at the S.C. Emergency Care Symposium in Myrtle Beach at the end of February.
Both men will serve for two years. '
One of the issues Allen wants to address is bringing EMTs' retirement system in line with other emergency
responders' plans.'
"We'll be looking at the present state of EMS in South Carolina, the retirement system and issues affecting
career EMTs," Allen said. "We need a retirement system more like what the police and firefighters have."'
Both police and firefighters can retire with full benefits after 25 years, Allen said. For EMS personnel, it takes
28 years on the job.'
"It's just as stressful and just as dangerous for the EMTs as it is for any other emergency responder," Allen said.
"We want to make things equal."'
Allen said he'd also like to see the costs of EMS training brought down.'
"We don't have anything like the state fire academy or the police academy for EMS," Allen said. "Training is
administered through the regional EMS council."'
Hollingsworth will be serving his second two-year term as president of the S.C. EMS Educators Association. The
association is involved in both initial training of EMS providers and continuing education.'
"One of the goals is to educate the public more about what we do," Hollingsworth said. "I also want to make
sure we have the highest quality medical care (from EMS) with an aggressive continuing education program.'
Hollingsworth will sit on the state Department of Health and Environmental Control's Training Committee,
which reviews curriculum used in emergency medical technician training.
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HIPAA Patient Privacy Policy
Updated Policy - March 20, 2003
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