Our Story
North Country Emergency Medical Service originated in 1976 as a public ambulance service operating from the Yacolt Fire Department. The vision was to provide high-quality and reliable service to the community while being responsible stewards of taxpayer money. ​
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In 1976, the Yacolt Volunteer Fireman's Association began to raise money to purchase an ambulance to serve North Clark county and parts of Cowlitz and Skamania Counties. The first NCEMS ambulance went into service at 12:00pm on October 16, 1976. A fee of $50 was set by the town council for an ambulance transport and NCEMS responded to 116 emergencies in its first year.
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Beginning in 1982, NCEMS entered into an agreement to provide ambulance and rescue service to the Mount St. Helens area.
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The Volcano Rescue Team was founded in 1987 as an all-volunteer search and rescue team sponsored by NCEMS.
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North Country EMS Station 2 was officially opened on April 1, 2002 in Fargher Lake. It was initially staffed on weekends only and became a full-time staffed station in May of 2003.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to protect life, educate and rescue North Country EMS residents and visitors while providing high quality, professional emergency medical service in a progressive, cost effective and community oriented system.
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Our Vision:
​North Country Emergency Medical Service will be an exemplary agency acclaimed for our attentiveness to our community, our regional strength, and our national reputation as we provide community oriented emergency medical services and education.
