By Dean Meenach, MSN, RN, CNL, CEN, CCRN, CPEN, EMT-P
Missouri EMS Connection Editorial Advisor
The District
Meramec Ambulance District is an advanced life support (ALS) stand-alone ambulance service located about 30 miles southwest of St. Louis County, primarily in northeast Franklin County, Mo. Founded in 1972, now 27 full-time EMS providers and 18 part-time EMS providers serve the district. Chief Taz Meyer leads a team comprised of three battalion chiefs and three captains who oversee three full-time crews of personnel who manage all emergency response services for a population of more than 28,000 residents. Four ALS ambulances, with four backup units, respond from four engine houses to more than 4,400 calls in the 244-square mile rural and urban area district each year. Three-year EMT with the district, Tori Siebum, explains how it is difficult to capture the district’s coverage, “It’s a vital part of three counties: Franklin, Jefferson, and St. Louis. While our primary district lies in Franklin County, we proudly serve smaller portions of Jefferson and St. Louis Counties as well. Many people don’t realize how large and diverse our coverage area is. From rural backroads and farmlands to suburban neighborhoods and major highways, Meramec is there for them all.”
Organizational Mission and Values: Dedication, Leadership, and Integrity
The vision statement of Meramec Ambulance District includes providing professional service to the community and organization through dedication, leadership, and integrity. As part of their commitment to their community, they foster collaborative relationships with the fire services in their district to serve parts of Pacific, Catawissa, Robertsville, Gray Summit, Labadie, St. Albans, and Villa Ridge.
Meramec Ambulance District provides no-cost education and training to their service area fire departments as well as daycare centers, public schools, civic and business organizations, and police departments. The district participates in Pacific’s Volunteer Response Team, which includes providing first aid training, CPR, and Stop the Bleed education to the team members.
“Community engagement is something our district does very well,” states Chief Meyer. District coworkers actively participate in local back-to-school supply drives each fall. Every November, the coworkers support the local food pantry by creating a friendly competition between the district and the Pacific Police Department and Pacific Fire District. Meramec Ambulance District sponsors blood drives twice a year, provides ambulance standbys at sporting and other events, and hosts Halloween events and games along with a winter “Breakfast with Santa” event. District leadership is active with the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce and serve as a member of the Chamber Board of Directors as well as serving on the school district’s safety committee.
On the horizon is an expansion of their Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program. Meramec Ambulance District is one of five ambulance districts that form the Eastern Missouri MIH Network, which is currently funded under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant. Several paramedics are certified as community paramedics. Currently, one battalion chief plans and implements the MIH program as an additional duty.
Collaboration and Engagement: The Key to Effective Service
One way Meramec Ambulance District establishes itself as a fully integrated and collaborative healthcare stakeholder is by coordinating with local community groups and public service organizations. “It is important for the district to always be there as the safety net of the community,” reports Board of Director Member Curt Saitta. “Through our shared commitment with district and statewide stakeholders, we not only provide quality emergency care, but also assist the community with connecting with other healthcare resources, accessing food and basic needs, and sometimes just extend a helping hand.”
Saitta attributes the district’s success to the effective leadership team and the collaborative relationships with the talented and compassionate frontline EMS professionals.
Describing the employee relationship with the board of directors, captain and five-year district veteran Jake Castro states, “The board of directors treat us as true professionals and as major community stakeholders… they don’t get involved in the day-to-day operations of the district, but instead keep their focus on the pulse of the community.”
Collaboration and engagement within the frontline providers is an area of the remarkable work-family culture at Meramec Ambulance District. “The work culture is a tight-knit family. The camaraderie among our crews truly reflects a brotherhood and sisterhood built on trust, respect, and shared experiences,” describes Siebum.
Describing the workplace culture, Castro reports, “My fellow brothers and sisters are very determined to provide the best patient care possible… there is a competitive and encouraging atmosphere in which everyone wants to pursue that next professional certification (CCP, CP, etc.) and experience that next training.”
Dr. Shayne Keddy, the district’s Medical Director, characterizes the work culture as “very supportive” and describes his relationship with the EMS providers as one of “receptiveness and eagerness to provide the best medical care.”
Considering that training and education are currently areas of growth for the district, Castro describes how the frontline providers have taken responsibility for their own development by the captains and battalion chiefs “stepping up” and providing monthly training. There are also in-the-moment, unplanned training events that occur when a coworker returns from a conference or when a “see a need, fulfill a need” moment is identified by a provider. The district personnel respond in numerous ways to fulfill district needs. For instance, besides serving as an EMT, Siebum serves on the public relations committee, manages the district social media pages, fulfills the role of official district photographer and videographer, and even assists with teaching community CPR classes.
Many district providers identify a tragic event this year as a moment in which they seized an opportunity to tighten their bond in service. On March 14, 2025, EMS Station 2 and the Administration Building located in Villa Ridge sustained heavy damage from a tornado that moved through the area. Fortunately, none of the crew members were injured, but the building was rendered uninhabitable. This caused operations to be relocated. Siebum reflects on the actions of her coworkers after the tornado, saying, “Our employees put in countless hours to relocate equipment and operations to other stations. Despite losing our main administrative building, our team never gave up. Instead, they stood together to rebuild and strengthen our foundation for the future.”
Training and Education: A Cornerstone of Professional Practice
Meramec Ambulance District is currently in the planning phase of its future training center. Training and education are fostered and developed by a team of EMS professionals. A wide variety of certification and continuing education classes are offered by the district. Training at the district utilizes authentic adult and pediatric scenarios to provide an innovative learning opportunity for its employees and healthcare partners. The frontline staff hold certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Certified Emergency Vehicle Operations (CEVO), and Neonatal Resuscitation Provider (NRP), just to list a few. Most of the paramedic staff are also nationally certified in critical care and many are certified as community paramedics. As part of a new training rollout, EMS providers complete training in situational awareness and defensive tactics specifically designed for EMS providers.
Meramec Ambulance District also engages in a Special Needs Tracking & Awareness Response System (STARS). This is a progressive patient-focused program the district facilitates in collaboration with its healthcare partner, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. The program is designed to identify children with special needs within the community and provide specialized resources and training so prehospital professionals are best prepared and equipped to meet the unique needs of their “star” patients.
For more information about starting a STARS program at your district, call 314-422-6383 or visit SSM Health STARS for Special Needs Kids.
Their commitment to education places a Meramec Ambulance District thumbprint on the future of EMS by serving as an effective and enthusiastic field internship site for many surrounding colleges and universities. The skilled district prehospital providers served as preceptors and shared their expertise with more than 30 students last year, resulting in more than 1,000 hours of field internship experience by EMT and paramedic students.
The Future of Service at Meramec Ambulance District
The stakeholders of the Meramec Ambulance District EMS community are challenged with fulfilling their ongoing vision of dedication, leadership, and integrity. Their leadership philosophy is one of collaboration, patient-centered focus, engagement, and vision. The tight-knit frontline professionals and organizational strength will make them more capable of effectively responding to the uncertain future healthcare climate, technological changes, and financial uncertainties, while synergistically providing opportunities to improve performance, productivity, and sustainability. No matter what future challenges the district faces, the leadership team, frontline providers, and board of directors will be unified in fulfilling their mission to their community.
To learn more about Meramec Ambulance District, visit meramecems.org or call 636-451-5816.