About
Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) is an ambulance service headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas in the United States. MEMS operates as a nonprofit organization on the public utility model, which means it does not take tax revenue from the communities it serves, the only exception being Grant County, which voted on a tax for an ambulance service. MEMS is also an accredited service of the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS).
History
Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) was founded after the Medic Vac employees in the Little Rock Metro walked out over corporate greed taking priority over the quality of life. The Little Rock Ambulance Authority was initially formed as an oversight committee for a contracted ambulance service but found that creating an ambulance service would be more beneficial to the community.
Response Types
Medical
Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) is licensed to operate the metro area (Little Rock Metro) in a Tiered ALS/BLS and Advanced Response. Outlying areas such as Cabot and Grant county are licensed with ALS, or Paramedic Response MEMS also utilizes EVO’s (Emergency Vehicle Operators) that assist in BLS facility-to-facility transports alongside an EMT.
911 dispatch
Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) operates its own 911 Emergency Medical Dispatch Center in the headquarters building in Little Rock. MEMS dispatchers are protected and are able to continue operations if a natural disaster, such as a tornado, were to strike the capital city and the building itself. The dispatch center, IT, showers, and gym are located inside a tornado-safe structure that can withstand an EF5 tornado. MEMS dispatch also acts as a secondary PSAP for the City of Little Rock. Since October 2017, MEMS’ dispatch center has been an Accredited Center of Excellence by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.
Line of duty deaths
Paramedic Dean Douglas, of Jacksonville, died on November 28, 2021 while responding to a medical emergency during the Little Rock Marathon. Major Douglas was and active leader of the MEMS Special Operations Response Team. Police reports indicate that Douglas sustained injuries from a moving ambulance that he was hanging onto, and was pulled underneath.