Written by Heather Scruton, Missouri EMS Connection Editorial Advisor
Photos provided by NSCAD
North Scott County Ambulance District (NSCAD) Chief Larry Chasteen is justifiably proud of his team. “We’ve been here since 1987, after an approved property tax provided funding. Our community approved a sales tax in 2020 to expand support for our services, which helped tremendously. We’re here to take care of that community,” said Chasteen.
NSCAD headquarters is located in Scott City, Mo., just south of Cape Girardeau. They provide 24/7 Advanced Life Support ambulance services for a district that covers the northern half of Scott County. They serve the towns of Scott City, Chaffee, Oran, Benton, Morley, New Hamburg, Commerce, Perkins, Kelso, Rockview, and others. In a county of 37,840 residents, the service covers approximately 17,000 of them.
Chief Chasteen reports transport times of 10–30 minutes, for calls including falls, traumas, mental health and overdoses, cardiac, respiratory issues, and more.
The service runs five ambulances, but has six including the Cardinal Glennon pediatric rig. They staff two paramedic/EMT or paramedic/paramedic teams 24 hours a day. NSCAD runs out of two stations and responds to more than 2,200 calls per year. It employs 16 full-time staff members, including 11 paramedics and five EMTs.
The district supports continuing education for the team in a variety of ways. In addition to the in-house training and education, NSCAD supports career advancement through continuing education.
North Scott County AD employees are actively involved with their community. Chasteen commented, “We love being a part of our community. We assist schools and health agencies with education and training.”
For information on NSCAD, check out northscottambulance.org.
