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South Dakota
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| 1970's | 1980's | 1990's | 2000's |
The forerunner of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Technicians Association was known as the South Dakota Emergency Services Association.
During the later months of 1973, it was brought to the attention of Montie Horn, Deputy Civil Defense Director of Minnehaha County, and Gerald Kisecker, Sergeant of the Sioux Falls Police Department, that volunteer ambulance services were complaining about reception and attitudes of other emergency services and hospitals towards them.
A general meeting was organized with invitations being sent to hospital emergency room personnel, police, sheriffs, highway patrol, wrecker/towing services, fire, rescue personnel, and ambulance services. The purpose of this meeting was to exchange thoughts, ideas, and to bring forward differences. Because of the success and goodwill created from the original meeting, it was decided a meeting of this nature should be held each month.
In 1974, this group decided to form an association and took the name of the South Dakota Emergency Services Association. A Constitution and By-Laws were drawn up, and on August 22, 1974, they received their final reading and were accepted.
During this time period, many ambulance services in the area became very active in the association. Persons from the Sioux Falls Ambulance Service, Vermillion/Clay County Service, Lennox Community Ambulance Service, Garretson Ambulance Service, and the State Health Department were becoming intrigued with accomplishments experienced by the meetings.
Acting officers were installed September 26, 1974 to hold office until the first annual meeting. They were: Gerald Kisecker, President; James Shields, Vice President; Montie Horn, Secretary; Norman Eide, Treasurer. Also at the meeting, it was decided membership dues would be 50¢ per month to handle the cost of mailings.
Because of the association’s success, it was suggested that expansion throughout the state would be considered. The statewide concept would be the same in that all persons connected with emergency services could belong. Regions could be formed; monthly meetings could be held in each region with one annual meeting held in Pierre each year. Each region would have members on the State Board. The State Board would then govern the regions.
On January 23, 1975, regular officers were elected to guide the South Dakota Emergency Services Association: President, Montie Horn; Vice President, Tom Sanborn; Secretary, Phyllis McMartin; Treasurer, Robert DeVries; one year board members, James Shields and Jerry Kisecker; two year board member, Harold Timmerman.
Ambulance rules and regulations were a hot and prime topic during this time period. Association members attended several of the regulatory hearings and Governor’s Medical Care Council meetings.
January of 1976 saw Tom Sanborn becoming President of the South Dakota Emergency Services Association. The association was registered with the South Dakota Secretary of State. Ambulance rules and regulations were being formulated to better services and training with ambulance service input.
In June of 1976, Tom Sanborn and Tom Morgan set out to establish a State Association. They had heard that there was interest in the West River region in getting that goal accomplished also and thought it would be advantageous to contact that group of people. At first, both groups were a little cool to the idea that there was another group interested in forming a state organization, but both agreed to meet on neutral turf. Mrs. LaCroix was chosen from the West River group to meet with Mr. Sanborn, Mr. Vic Steffen, and Mr. Frank Krogman in Mr. Krogman’s office on July 20, 1976.
In that meeting, Mrs. LaCroix and members of that committee set the date of August 13, 1976 to have a general assembly of both groups with Noble LaCroix as Chairman. In August 1976, some 190 EMT’s met with John Jones, Mr. Krogman, and Vic Steffen at the King’s Inn in Pierre to draw up a constitution and by-laws for the association with Tom Sanborn and Tom Morgan presiding over the meeting. Many hours of debate and discussion followed with each section, subsection, and article painstakingly hammered out. Upon completion of that document, areas that were designated as districts met to elect officers. Interim state officers were then selected. Steve Williams, Pierre, was elected Interim President; Noble LaCroix, Eagle Butte, Interim Vice President; T.J. Sanborn, Vermillion, Interim Secretary; and Geraldine Heck, Bison, Interim Treasurer. John Jones of the State Health Department was the liaison officer. Father Joseph Murphy was the association Chaplin. It was this year that Mr. Steffen was fatally injured in a forklift accident., and the Vic Steffen Memorial Award was established.
The first Interim Executive Council met in Mitchell at the Methodist Hospital Conference Room on October 9, 1976 with every district and all the state officers present. Many, many things were attacked and discussed at great length at that meeting. A date for the first annual meeting, to set a program and make preparations for a site was discussed. Huron was selected as the site, and they chose to meet in January of 1977 at the Marvin Hughitt Hotel. The first regular officers of the State EMT Association elected were Steve Williams, Pierre, President; Wayne Everson, Platte, Vice President; Essie Marie Kirk, Pine Ridge, Secretary; Geraldine Heck, Bison, Treasurer; Marilyn Eitemiller, Wagner, Training Officer; and Wayne Everson, Platte, Photographer and Historian. Ione Brown of Faulkton was the recipient of the Vic Steffen Memorial Award. A new State EMT patch was selected for EMT’s at this meeting but only after much discussion and voting. The final outcome was that it would be white with yellow-gold border, black and red print, with a blue star-of-life center, and the initials H.V.S. embroidered on the top right corner in memory of Mr. Steffens.
The second annual conference was selected by the membership to be held in Rapid City in January 1978. District VI officers were selected as the committee to coordinate the conference. It was at the Rapid City Conference, held at the Imperial 400 Motel Convention Center, that the EMT’s elected a new slate of officers to head the organization: T.J. (Tom) Sanborn, Vermillion, President; Montie Horn, Sioux Falls, Vice President; Sam Rhoadarmer, Fairfax, Secretary; and Sam Kirkpatrick, Treasurer. John Jones remained the liaison officer as did the trainer and historian positions remain the same. Douglas Kirkus was selected as the Vic Steffen Memorial Award recipient for that year for his outstanding performance, humane efforts, and contributions to the emergency medical services program. At the Rapid City meeting, for the first time, the EMT’s were challenged to support the State EMS program. It was recorded South Dakota EMT’s will support the State Department of Health in implementation and promulgation of the rules and regulations governing the state’s ambulance services. The association voted to design and sell belt buckles to make money at this conference.
The third annual conference was held in Mitchell in November of 1978. This, the second annual meeting of that year, was amidst the season’s first blizzard, but it was most befitting as hypothermia was introduced to the South Dakota EMT-A by Lt. Comm. David S. Smith. Dr. Hayes gave a presentation on blunt trauma and care of the injuries. Joan T. Hathaway, RN, explained the finer points in burn patient care with Lt. Comm. Smith of the U.S. Coast Guard highlighting the session in describing the best treatment for hypothermia and cold water drowning. Ron Jorgenson of Madison was selected as the recipient of the coveted Vic Steffen award. T.J. Sanborn, Pierre, was President; Chuck Bakker, Sioux Falls, Vice President; Sam Rhoadarmer, Fairfax, Secretary; and Sam Kirkpatrick was Treasurer.
Throughout the years of this struggling organization, there has been much discussion on ways of getting a newsletter printed and distributed. The first issue was published by Steve Williams and Wayne Everson and simply called the S.D.E.M.T. Association Newsletter. Later, it was suggested that we contract with another organization to have the information collected and printed. Mr. Darrell Loecker of Lewis and Clark Health Education Center in Yankton took on the task for a year, but the membership felt that not enough news was getting into the letter. It then was made the responsibility of the association. Montie Horn and Chuck Bakker took up the job and titled the publication EMT THOUGHTS.
In 1979, the EMT Association became politically involved. EMT’s were involved in a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on Rural Health of South Dakota Care Delivery to the Elderly sponsored by Representative Abdnor and Santini of Nevada. We were the unpopular voice for emergency medical services when we appeared before the District Committee on Health Affairs and expressed our support for the total 81 hour Dunlap course as a requirement for attendants and drivers in ambulances for the State of South Dakota. The EMT Association appeared before the State Sunset Health Rules Committee and testified in support of the State Health Department’s duty to promulgate rules and regulations.
The year 1979 was the beginning of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Technicians’ Association’s becoming the conscience of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services program. It was also the year of the association’s involvement with the National E.M.T. Association. John Jones resigned as liaison officer at this conference held in Spearfish, and Paul Marso was appointed to take over his duties. Officers elected were T.J. Sanborn, Vermillion, President; Montie Horn, Sioux Falls, Vice President; Dulia Moren, Hot Springs, Secretary; and Doug Kirkus, Mt. Vernon, Treasurer. Ed Vopat of Spearfish was the National Board Representative with Rod Reinke the National Delegate. Barb Jones received the Vic Steffen award and was also appointed association training officer. The historian was Betty Shaheen. The association ordered 1,000 more belt buckles.
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