North Country Emergency Medical Service originated in 1976 as a public ambulance service operating from the Yacolt Fire Department. Thanks to the support of local citizens, North Country is able to utilize state-of-the-art prehospital equipment and provide a high level of care not enjoyed by many rural areas of the country.

All members of the agency must work hard to continuously provide a level of EMS to our service area equivalent or superior to that of a more urban environment.

​

​

• The service area covers approximately 1,000 square miles in north and northeast Clark County, southeast Cowlitz County, and west central Skamania County.

• Our ambulance transports may last for hours, covering distances from 30 to 100 miles.

• Stations located in Yacolt and Fargher Lake are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

• During the summer months, Cresap Bay is staffed on busy weekends and Pine Creek is staffed July to September.

• NCEMS serves the community by providing very affordable and high quality public safety education.

• Courses offered include CPR and basic first aid, family disaster preparedness and certification for those who would like to be on the Citizen Emergency Response Teams.

• NCEMS has an active resident program comprised of up to seven students who live at the Yacolt Fire Station and are enrolled in an EMS training program most with the desire to become paramedics. These EMT residents function as emergency vehicle operators and assistants on ambulances to gain experience in their career field.

 

​

​

NCEMS has always operated on the philosophy of treating all patients as friends and neighbors. As an example of how dedicated our personnel is to this motto, when both staffed ambulances are out on calls, department members, paid and volunteer, return to the station in Yacolt to staff third and fourth ambulances.