Shawano Ambulance Service

Shawano Ambulance Service Shawano Ambulance Service proudly serves the residents of and visitors to central Shawano County, WI with Paramedic Critical Care Service

Shawano Ambulance was organized in 1966 to meet the need for a local emergency medical transport service. Previously, the funeral homes were called upon to provide transport primarily due to the fact that they had a vehicle suited to transporting a person in a supine position. However, they understandably had no responsibility to respond to accidents or medical emergencies, and at times of need mi

ght be unavailable or would require a rather long time to arrive. Interestingly, the first ambulance vehicle in Shawano was a used hearse retrofitted to serve in a medical transport capacity. The first ambulance ‘crews’ consisted mainly of persons who had the fortitude to respond to what could sometimes be considered very unpleasant situations. Training was non-existent or minimal at best, and early on, both crewmembers would ride in the front seat as they drove pell-mell to the hospital with the unattended patient lying in the rear of the car. It wasn’t until 1969 that formalized training was even available for what were referred to as “ambulance attendants.” That very first year several individuals from Shawano completed the 81 hour course. As subtle as it sounds, their willingness to learn the latest methods and use the best information available would set the stage for an organization that has been very progressive ever since. Fast forward to 1985, when the State of Wisconsin recognized the need for advanced levels of care in areas other than the metropolitan centers. Since the gravity of the paramedic level of care necessitated full time personnel, it was more-or-less only available in the big cities. The State created a hybrid curriculum called the Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate that introduced advanced skills which could be performed by personnel that were still predominantly volunteer or part time. Shawano Ambulance Service (SAS) was a test site for that program, successfully piloting it for the State. For the next thirteen years, it was the standard many rural areas strived to attain. Once again, in 1997-98, SAS was a test-bed for yet another Wisconsin pilot program which gleaned the most frequently used skills and medications from the paramedic program and delivered them to the newly created EMT-Enhanced program. In January of 2003, SAS upgraded to the paramedic level. Special exceptions to the standard scope of practice took over a year to get State approval and were written into the original protocols to allow SAS paramedics to do additional skills. By 2005, the number of special exceptions had grown, and all paramedics completed the Critical Care Transport training curriculum to give them the knowledge and tools to manage very acutely ill or critically injured patients for extended periods of time. Today, SAS is the only 911 ambulance service in the State of Wisconsin that requires all of its paramedics to be full time employees and maintain Critical Care Transport credentials. “The responsibility of the critical care paramedic role is tremendous. We want our personnel to have the knowledge and experience to care for our patients in the best way possible. It is no secret, that when you do something as your career, you are much better at it” commented Pat Trinko, Director of Operations at SAS. Ironically, 911 Ambulance providers in the large cities like Green Bay, Appleton, Wausau and even Milwaukee do not provide this level of advanced care.

∙The Service maintains five ambulances in its Shawano station, located on Fifth Street.
∙The station is staffed with either two or three crews, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. When things get busy, off duty personnel are called in to provide additional coverage.
∙SAS will respond to approximately 2,700 requests for service this year.
∙Primary response area includes nine townships, three villages (Bonduel, Cecil and Gresham) and the City of Shawano.
∙In addition to 911 requests, SAS performs paramedic intercepts for outlying ambulances and inter-hospital transports throughout the state.
∙Free CPR training is provided to the public several times each year, as well as free child passenger seat inspections by certified inspectors.
∙The Service is currently piloting a “community paramedic” program which involves field providers personnel more in impacting the ongoing health and wellness of the local population.

Well, before the rain came we had a ton of visitors who came to check us out at the Shawano Airport Fly-In and Car Show....
08/16/2025

Well, before the rain came we had a ton of visitors who came to check us out at the Shawano Airport Fly-In and Car Show. It was great seeing everyone out there this morning!

08/07/2025
07/11/2025

Representatives from the Shawano Specialty Papers division of Little Rapids Corporation visited today to deliver stuffed animals for our young patients. They recently collected over 200 toys and donated them for local agencies to use when we have youngsters who are frightened or upset in stressful situations. Thank you to everyone at Shawano Specialty Papers for your support!
Linda Meidam-Thomas

As we close out EMS Week there are three individuals we'd like to recognize for their accomplishments over the last year...
05/25/2025

As we close out EMS Week there are three individuals we'd like to recognize for their accomplishments over the last year. Matthew Bluhm has been awarded the "Quality, Service, Excellence" award. recognizing exceptional dedication to the quality and thoroughness of care provided to patients, the reputation and standing of our service in the community and the EMS profession in general. Braden Palmer has earned the "Advancement Award," in recognition of his developing patient assessment skills, procedure and intervention performance and logical understanding of managing EMS resources in emergency situations. Once again, Kevin King is being recognized for his willingness to sacrifice personal time and effort to ensure the needs of our community have been met when the demands placed upon the Service outstrip the resources we have readily available. Kevin continues to be a huge off-duty contributor who steps forward when these critical times of need arise.
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2025 award winners!

National EMS Week, May 18-24During EMS Week we'd like to recognize our partners who all work together to make sure we ar...
05/20/2025

National EMS Week, May 18-24
During EMS Week we'd like to recognize our partners who all work together to make sure we are able to provide a continuum of care and treatment to those in need. Emergency Medical Responders, Fire personnel, Law Enforcement, Dispatch and Emergency Department staff all contribute to the end goal of creating the best possible outcome for those involved in emergency medical situations.

During National EMS Week, please join us in honoring the men and women who dedicate themselves to helping others in thei...
05/19/2025

During National EMS Week, please join us in honoring the men and women who dedicate themselves to helping others in their times of greatest need. We are fortunate to have people who are able and willing to respond to emergency situations at the drop of a hat. Along with these individuals, their families often feel the impacts of the fact that traumatic events and medical emergencies do not occur on a schedule, causing them to be pulled away at all hours of the day and night.
If you know an EMS provider, take a moment to thank him or her for their dedication to the health and well-being of our communities.

Our billing and administrative phones are back on line!  Please do not use the temporary number posted last Friday any l...
05/19/2025

Our billing and administrative phones are back on line! Please do not use the temporary number posted last Friday any longer.
Thank you!

Great turnout and lots of excited youngsters at Shawano Park & Recreation Department's Touch-A-Truck event.
05/15/2025

Great turnout and lots of excited youngsters at Shawano Park & Recreation Department's Touch-A-Truck event.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15jXEZSNx5/
04/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15jXEZSNx5/

Wisconsin's Severe Weather Awareness Week is underway. Follow along for tips on how to plan ahead and stay safe during severe weather. Plus, put your plans into action with Thursday’s statewide tornado drills at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.!

Visit wem.wi.gov/severe-weather-week for more information.

Hillcrest 4k classes braved the cold today to learn what to do in a medical emergency and tour the inside of an ambulanc...
01/14/2025

Hillcrest 4k classes braved the cold today to learn what to do in a medical emergency and tour the inside of an ambulance. Our hats' off to these troopers for their curiosity and attentiveness!!
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220 N Main St
Shawano, WI
54166

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Our Story

Shawano Ambulance was organized in 1966 to meet the need for a local emergency medical transport service. Previously, the funeral homes were called upon to provide transport primarily due to the fact that they had a vehicle suited to transporting a person in a supine position. However, they understandably had no responsibility to respond to accidents or medical emergencies, and at times of need might be unavailable or would require a rather long time to arrive. Interestingly, the first ambulance vehicle in Shawano was a used hearse retrofitted to serve in a medical transport capacity. The first ambulance ‘crews’ consisted mainly of persons who had the fortitude to respond to what could sometimes be considered very unpleasant situations. Training was non-existent or minimal at best, and early on, both crewmembers would ride in the front seat as they drove pell-mell to the hospital with the unattended patient lying in the rear of the car. It wasn’t until 1969 that formalized training was even available for what were referred to as “ambulance attendants.” That very first year several individuals from Shawano completed the 81 hour course. As subtle as it sounds, their willingness to learn the latest methods and use the best information available would set the stage for an organization that has been very progressive ever since. Fast forward to 1985, when the State of Wisconsin recognized the need for advanced levels of care in areas other than the metropolitan centers. Since the gravity of the paramedic level of care necessitated full time personnel, it was more-or-less only available in the big cities. The State created a hybrid curriculum called the Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate that introduced advanced skills which could be performed by personnel that were still predominantly volunteer or part time. Shawano Ambulance Service (SAS) was a test site for that program, successfully piloting it for the State. For the next thirteen years, it was the standard many rural areas strived to attain. Once again, in 1997-98, SAS was a test-bed for yet another Wisconsin pilot program which gleaned the most frequently used skills and medications from the paramedic program and delivered them to the newly created EMT-Enhanced program. In January of 2003, SAS upgraded to the paramedic level. Special exceptions to the standard scope of practice took over a year to get State approval and were written into the original protocols to allow SAS paramedics to do additional skills. By 2005, the number of special exceptions had grown, and all paramedics completed the Critical Care Transport training curriculum to give them the knowledge and tools to manage very acutely ill or critically injured patients for extended periods of time. Today, SAS is the only 911 ambulance service in the State of Wisconsin that requires all of its paramedics to be full time employees and maintain Critical Care Transport credentials. “The responsibility of the critical care paramedic role is tremendous. We want our personnel to have the knowledge and experience to care for our patients in the best way possible. It is no secret, that when you do something as your career, you are much better at it” commented Pat Trinko, Director of Operations at SAS. Ironically, 911 Ambulance providers in the large cities like Green Bay, Appleton, Wausau and even Milwaukee do not provide this level of advanced care. ∙The Service maintains five ambulances in its Shawano station, located on Fifth Street. ∙The station is staffed with either two or three crews, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. When things get busy, off duty personnel are called in to provide additional coverage. ∙SAS will respond to approximately 2,700 requests for service this year. ∙Primary response area includes nine townships, three villages (Bonduel, Cecil and Gresham) and the City of Shawano. ∙In addition to 911 requests, SAS performs paramedic intercepts for outlying ambulances and inter-hospital transports throughout the state. ∙Free CPR training is provided to the public several times each year, as well as free child passenger seat inspections by certified inspectors. ∙The Service is currently piloting a “community paramedic” program which involves field providers personnel more in impacting the ongoing health and wellness of the local population.