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11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 1100
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Home » MED-ACT » 9-1-1 Response
MED-ACT units are located throughout Johnson County to provide advanced level emergency care with optimum response times. While each EMS unit has a defined response district, the districts are only representative of what is generally the "first due" area for a given station while the system is at rest. For each emergency call, the closest available response unit is determined by GPS location.
Ambulance Stations
MED-ACT has nineteen ambulances that are strategically stationed around Johnson County. Station locations are chosen after a response time analysis optimizes coverage based on historical patterns of emergency calls. MED-ACT has ambulances in fifteen local fire department stations, and four are housed and maintained in stand alone ambulance stations. Sixteen ambulances are staffed 24-hours a day, augmented by three additional ambulances that are staffed during weekdays, coinciding with peak demand times. Additional reserve ambulances are deployed around the county to help support maintenance and provide surge capacity for disasters.
Each station has heated garage space for response units. Office and living quarters are provided to support the twenty four shifts worked by paramedics.
Paramedic Advanced Response (PAR) Units
MED-ACT also operates two PAR units, that are staffed 24 hours a day, consisting of a single paramedic with advanced life support capability, to provide additional quick response in the western and southern areas of Johnson County. Additional reserve PAR units are used to provide dedicated paramedic staffing for special events, such as Old Settler's Days or certain sporting events.
MED-ACT Headquarters is located at 11811 South Sunset Dr., Suite 1100 in Olathe, Kansas at the Sunset Drive Office Building. This location is in the center of Johnson County. While most of the population currently resides to the north and east portions of the counties, the south and western portions of the county are seeing tremendous growth. The current site of headquarters opened in April of 2006. Headquarters houses all administrative staff, with the exception of field Battalion Chiefs. It is also the location of choice for team trainings, council and group meetings, some community education programs, and point of contact between the department and outside agencies. The Emergency Operations Team operates the Emergency Medical Services Operations Center (EMSOC) out of this office during severe weather or emergency conditions.
MED-ACT has two different types of ambulances. Most are Type III ambulances, consisting of a modular patient care compartment mounted on a van chassis. A few are Type I ambulances, consisting of a modular patient care compartment mounted on a truck chassis. The patient care compartment is custom designed to allow for the paramedic to safely care for the patient being transported. Three ambulances are operated jointly with the Overland Park Fire Department. These have a significantly different external appearance than other MED-ACT ambulances - they are red and carry both the MED-ACT and OPFD logo. Ambulances carry a wide variety of equipment: including radio and internet communications, diagnostic equipment, medical supplies, stretchers and other equipment to move patients.
Tactical Medical Team (TMT)
Formed in 1992, Med-Act's Tactical Medical Team (TMT) provides immediate medical support for the law enforcement tactical teams of Johnson County, Kansas. These teams include those from the cities of Lenexa, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Shawnee Police Departments, and the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. The TMT supports the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Teams of Overland Park Police and Olathe Fire Departments. The TMT also enjoys a close training relationship with the Kansas City Metro Tactical Officer's Association, by doing medical standbys during courses and providing instructors for the TEMS class and teaching Officer first aid.
Hazardous Material Medical Support Team (HMMST)
In 1993, Johnson County Med-Act created the Hazardous Materials Medical Support Team (HMMST) to respond to incidents involving chemicals that require specialized medical evaluation and support. The team consists of paramedics who have acquired training specifically to support fire department haz-mat response teams. The HMMST members are specially trained to provide medical support for hazardous materials incidents, including providing effective medical care for contaminated patients.
Disaster Medical Support (DMS)
The Disaster Medical Support (DMS) is comprised of specially trained and equipped paramedics to provide medical support for technical rescue incidents such as building collapse. Members of the DMS are able to work at any level within the Medical Branch as needed to support complex incidents.
Emergency Operations Team (EOT)
The Emergency Operations Team (EOT) coordinates the delivery of emergency medical services under adverse operating conditions. Team members are familiar with the Johnson County County Emergency Operations Plan (CEOP) and its methods of activation, as well as the emergency operations with county, regional, state and national agencies. During severe weather, mass casualty incidents, and/or special system needs, the EOT activates the department's operations center, known to the organization as the Emergency Medical Services Operations Center (EMSOC). The EMSOC provides a command and control center for all EMS activities and operations. Located at headquarters, EMSOC ensures system stability by adequately staffing of ambulance and rapid response units, strategically placing units, monitoring impending weather conditions and other system stressing causative factors, and facilitates additional resource requests.
Bicycle Medic Team (BMT)
Med-Act's Bicycle Medic Team (BMT) began in the summer of 2003, and has proven to be an effective way to deliver care when reaching patients becomes difficult at planned events. Every year there are several large events held in Johnson County where the team has proven very useful. These include the Johnson County Fair, Old Shawnee Days, and Old Settler's Days.
Each bicycle is set up to operate independently, although most often the BMT paramedics work in teams of two. In its panniers, each bike carries an AED, Oxygen and airway equipment, IV supplies, and medications to effectively provide initial treatment until a transporting ambulance arrives.
Standby Team
Large crowds at public events can present unique challenges in gaining quick access to those in need. Med-Act's Standby Team provides dedicated paramedics to select large scale public events, trained and equipped for rapid access and care.
Peer Support Team
A career in EMS can be take its toll, both physically and psychologically. PTSD and depression occur at higher rates in EMS than other professions. To combat this, the Peer Support Team was formed in 2017. The Peer Support Team provides peer mentoring for employees and their families. The team offers assistance and support when personal or professional problems negatively affect an employee, their work performance, or their family unit. Staffing comes from all levels in the department. Members of the Peer Support Team receive specialized training that helps them provide emotional support to the members of the department. They are also trained to recognize when those looking for support need professional help and can help in making those arrangements.
Our mission is to ensure medical emergencies in Johnson County have the best possible outcome. We provide 9-1-1 response to over 535,000 citizens across 476 square miles with dual paramedic crews operating ambulances from 17 fixed ambulance stations and a single paramedic first response from two fixed stations. Our values Excellence, Trustworthy, Humility, Integrity, Compassion, and Service guide us toward creating a continuum of out of hospital medical care, a prepared community and a community-wide feeling of safety and confidence.
Response to medical emergencies in Johnson County is a coordinated system consisting of response by MED-ACT ambulances, often augmented by local fire department personnel. Some of these firefighters are also paramedics. All agencies operate under a common set of medical protocols that are approved by the EMS Committee of the Medical Society of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. MED-ACT works closely with each agency to assure a smooth continuum of care for medical emergencies.
MED-ACT Senior Leadership
EMS Chief: Paul Davis, BS
Medical Director: Ryan Jacobsen, MD
Field Crews
Paramedics are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, to serve our community. Johnson County MED-ACT paramedics work 24-hour shifts and 8-hour shifts. Employees on 24-hour shifts may sleep during the shift, but must be able to quickly respond to the ambulance in the event of an emergency call. Paramedics on 8-hour shifts provide additional ambulance coverage across the system during our high call demand times and are expected to be proactive in their response. We call these our IMPACT ambulances. Crew members must be prepared to respond to a variety of things that can happen on an emergency incident. Some of the major challenges faced are mass casualty or multiple patient situations, dealing with life and death situations, risks from emergency driving and performing in inclement weather.
Our paramedics on 24-hours shifts work a modified Berkeley shift schedule of alternating days of 24 hours on-duty and 24 hours off-duty for a total of three shift days over a five day period. The paramedics then enjoy four days off in a row to recharge, and recuperate for another rotation of shifts.
Crews are composed of two paramedics. Each two-person team is led by an officer, either a captain or lieutenant. The officer provides medical leadership and guidance for all personnel who are part of the on-scene EMS team. The team may confer with each other about decisions to be made, but the officer has the final accountability and bears primary responsibility for any actions taken by the EMS crew.
MED-ACT Battalion Chiefs (BCs) assure the delivery of high quality emergency medical services and maintain a supportive, progressive, participative and quality oriented work environment. There are seven Battalion Chiefs, with two assigned to each of the three shifts (A, B or C) and one assigned to the IMPACT Battalion. Each shift is divided into the North Battalion or South Battalion. Battalion Chiefs are responsible for eight to ten field crews. The Battalion Chief oversees the performance of Paramedics and is a critical component to the future development of leadership skills in each Officer and Paramedic. Battalion Chiefs are frequently dispatched to calls of serious clinical nature, multi-patient calls, unstable crime scenes, calls involving entrapment of patients, and to calls that have multiple agencies responding to the scene. The IMPACT Battalion Chief oversees the IMPACT ambulances and is also responsible for organizational scheduling.
Battalion Chiefs report to a Division Chief. The Division Chief is responsible for coordinating effective EMS and overseeing needed operations. The Division Chief is available for response to particularly complex events when needed.
The Support Services Division for Johnson County MED-ACT consists of three employees, led by the Logistics Manager. It is a subdivision of Operations, and provides the vast majority of equipment and supplies necessary for MED-ACT personnel to conduct EMS activities 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This team is housed in a 5,500 square foot facility near the center of Johnson County.
This Division is responsible for coordinating vehicle maintenance and repair, supply restocking, coordinating maintenance and repair of medical equipment, and the retrieval of reusable equipment from hospitals and sterilization procedures. The Support Services Division also handles bid specifications for emergency equipment and vehicles.
If this is an emergency,
please call 9-1-1
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