Inside Hardin County EMS — National EMS Week with Director Mark Peterson

National Emergency Medical Services Week runs May 17–23, and we're going inside Hardin County EMS to mark it. Director Mark Peterson joins Phil Taul and recurring guest Brian Walker for a 38-minute look at the people, the equipment, and the everyday calls that keep this department running. Chapters 00:00 Pre-Show + Welcome + County Announcements 04:20 Meet Mark — Background & Path to EMS 05:27 Six Months In: The 9th Ambulance 07:09 Inside the Rig: People, Training, Operations 12:44 The Rolling ER: Equipment & Capabilities 17:47 Knowing When To Call & What To Expect 22:22 Community Tools & National EMS Week 35:08 Closing + Non-Emergency Contact + Sign-Off We check in on the 9th ambulance at the new West Hardin Fire & Rescue station in White Mills (six months in, response times cut from 45 minutes to 15–20 — and calls are up, not down, because people finally know help is close). Mark walks us through EMT vs. AEMT vs. paramedic training, the reality of a 24-hour shift, why Hardin runs an in-house ambulance repair garage most counties outsource, and the hazardous-duty retirement benefit that helps recruit and retain crews. Then we go inside the rig itself — a roughly $500,000 mobile ER stocked with cardiac monitors, IV lines, advanced airway, and the Stryker Lucas device that delivers uninterrupted mechanical CPR. Mark explains the West Point coverage handoff to Bullitt County, when to call 911 vs. drive yourself, refusal of care, and the small mailbox-visibility detail that can shave critical minutes off a rural response. Finally, the headline ask of the episode: National EMS Week. If you want to thank a crew with a card, donuts, or a pizza, the contact is Jennifer Kant — [email protected] / 270-599-2967 — and she'll help spread it across all five stations. Resources mentioned: PulsePoint (reconnecting after new CAD upgrade), RAVE Alerts (HardinCountyKY.gov), Stop the Bleed, Narcan leave-behind kits via QRT, file of life, the Yellow Dot program with UofL, and Teddy Bear Clinics with E-911. Non-emergency EMS: 270-769-3014.