Larsen brings experience to EMS position
He's pretty much seen it all serving as a paramedic in Wichita.
Now behind a desk and overseeing Marion County's emergency medical services department, Larry Larsen of Peabody has a new perspective on the profession.
"When I started serving as the director in January, it opened up a new area of hospital science," Larsen said. He found the work as enjoyable as caring for patients.
Larsen began working for the county in December when former EMS director Darryl Thiesen was terminated.
Marion County Commission solicited resumes in February to fill the position and chose Larsen.
The Marion County native and his family moved to California when he was a child. Larsen returned to the county and farmed from 1974-78. He returned to California but returned home in 1984 and stayed.
Everything changed for Larsen in 1987 when two of his daughter's friends were in an automobile accident. As a result, one of the friends died, the other was hospitalized for many months.
"Peabody EMS was looking for volunteers at the time," Larsen said. If volunteers didn't step up, the service would have been discontinued.
Larsen started with a defensive driving class to be an ambulance driver. The class was offered with an emergency medical technician class.
Former EMS director JoAnn Knak was teaching the class and before he knew it, he was taking an EMT class.
In 1992 he completed training to be state certified as a paramedic and that's when he met his wife, Karen.
Currently Karen is an education officer for Life Team and flies out of Hutchinson and Emporia as an RN and paramedic. She flies as a member of a three-person team and also teaches paramedic classes.
During the 1990s, he worked full-time as a paramedic with Sedgwick County. Larsen retired in June 2006, to be a stay-at-home dad and care for foster children.
"The commission asked me to bring my knowledge and experience and serve as interim director during the vacancy," Larsen said.
Marion County is unique, Larsen said, in that its ambulance service is based on volunteers. Other counties have full-time paid service or is a centralized area with paid people and some volunteers.
Within Marion County, there are nine communities with pre-hospital services.
There are five ambulances located throughout the county — Hillsboro, Marion, Peabody, Florence, and Tampa. There are four first responders in Burns, Durham, Goessel, and Lincolnville. There are a total of 85 volunteers that provide these services.
"All of the ambulances in Morris County run out of Council Grove," Larsen said.
While director, Larsen wants to unify the county ambulance crews with crew captains sharing knowledge and expertise. Combined meetings with the volunteers will be a part of that process.
"I'm looking to bring in several people from out-of-county to teach classes for continuing education," Larsen said, "which will bring a fresh perspective."
Larsen also is in the process of going through the standard policy orders and making sure the department is up to speed with policies.
Another goal for his department is to be more user-supported with less dependence on county funds.
Larsen also wants some uniformity of ambulance equipment and procedure so regardless of which ambulance an EMT may use, everything is basically the same.
The merging of the Florence ambulance service with the county was beneficial for both the county and Florence, Larsen said.
Public education and access to information and care continues to be a priority.
"We need to continue to move forward in making lives better," Larsen said.
To continue to provide the necessary medical care for residents and visitors, more volunteers are needed, particularly during the work day when most people are making a living.
One major difference between serving people in Marion County and Wichita is knowing everyone.
"In Wichita, I didn't know most people I was treating," Larsen said. "It's difficult here in Marion County because typically EMS personnel know the patients they're treating."
Aware of the stress associated with the profession, Larsen is trained to assist EMTs with dealing with tragedy. He also would include support and counseling from peers, the ministry, and others.
Another unique aspect of EMS personnel in Marion County that is helpful is families serving together.
"We have spouses and parents and children volunteering," Larsen said. "When they have to deal with the tragedies associated with the job, they are able to talk about it."
"One of the first things I learned in JoAnn's class was to recognize you give a person an opportunity to survive but it's up to God to determine the outcome," he said. "We know the action of daily life can cause a life-changing event."
Larsen takes his job seriously and knows where the focus is.
"My job is to keep everyone focused on patient care," he said. "That's our number one priority."
Larsen, like other EMT professionals, has seen the good and bad of their jobs. Throughout his career, Larsen has delivered six babies.
"We see people at the best of times and the worst of times," Larsen said, but the focus has to be on the patient and not the circumstance.
EMS personnel are paid for being on-call but basically are considered volunteers. To be a part of the EMS department, volunteers have to have the dedication and knowledge to provide these necessary services.
"I appreciate each and every one of them and the service they provide to this county," Larsen said.
