About Us

Fort Smith EMS’ History.

Fort Smith Emergency Medical Services was incorporated on December 27th, 1978 to deliver quality, professional pre-hospital care to the city of Fort Smith. The service initially served the cities of Fort Smith and Van Buren with two basic life support ambulances. Today, Fort Smith EMS provides exclusive paramedic services to the city of Fort Smith and 911 service to the city of Barling with eight advanced life support ambulances. Fort Smith EMS employees 65 personnel with a primary service area of 65 square miles and 84,632 people. In 2009, Fort Smith EMS responded to more than 11,000 calls for emergency assistance.

In 2009, Fort Smith EMS realized that providing “Best in Class” ambulance service was more than just providing a paramedic staffed ambulance for medical emergencies. The service undertook an aggressive service improvement project that would truly provide best in class service, which inevitably led to a “community first” philosophy.

A graduate of UAFS and Carl Albert, Tim began his career in EMS in 1981. Tim worked for twenty-four years at Mercy Hospital as an ER paramedic and a Critical Care Educator. He assumed the role of Executive Director of Fort Smith EMS in late 2008. Under his leadership Fort Smith EMS completed a total system wide upgrade of equipment and technology to include the most up-to-date medical equipment and treatments, a state of the art 911 center, and a new 18,000 square foot facility covering 2 acres located on Duke Ave., replacing the previous home of Fort Smith EMS on Greenwood Ave. of thirty-three years and culminating with the designation of Arkansas’ 2010 ALS Service of the Year by the Arkansas Ambulance Association.

Shawn Rogers began his career at Fort Smith EMS in 1991. Shawn has more than twenty years of experience as a paramedic with Fort Smith EMS and assumed the role of Operations Manager of Fort Smith EMS in October 2008. As the operations manager, Shawn is responsible for the day-to-day system level operations of Fort Smith EMS, ensuring that state of the art pre-hospital emergency care is delivered in an efficient and effective manner to effect the greatest possible outcomes for patients. Shawn attended the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Brian began his career at Fort Smith EMS in 1999. Brian has extensive experience in multiple disciplines of public safety and currently serves as the Director of Communications and Information Technology. Serving in his current role since June 2011, Brian is responsible for the overall management of the Fort Smith EMS 9-1-1 Communications Center, public safety data systems and networks, and grants administration. Brian coordinated the construction of the new 9-1-1 center, and since a remodel and enlargement, and several technology upgrades that has kept Fort Smith EMS at the forefront of emergency communications, garnering the prestigious APCO Horizon Award, APCO Technology Leadership Award, and the ZOLL Pulse Award.

Jennifer began her career with Fort Smith EMS in September 2013. As Office Manager, she is responsible for the daily office operations including billing, collections, conflict resolution and billing education. An alumna of the University of Central Arkansas, Jennifer brings an extensive knowledge of medical billing and coding to Fort Smith EMS that spans nearly a decade. She received her Ambulance Coder certification from the National Academy of Certified Ambulance Coding. By working closely with the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Jennifer has gained an in-depth knowledge of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). She ensures patients privacy rights are maintained in accordance with national guidelines and mandates.

Aaron’s career in EMS has brought him to Fort Smith EMS as the Quality Assurance Manager. A career paramedic, Aaron started EMS in 1986 as a graduate of the University of Iowa’s EMSLRC paramedic program. Aaron has leadership experience in Public Utility Model EMS System’s having served as the Director of Operations in Kansas City, Tulsa Oklahoma and Pinellas County Florida. A graduate of the University of Phoenix School of Business, Aaron holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Executive Leadership. He enjoys lifelong learning in business and economics, actively participates in EMS leadership forums and enjoys mentoring those who are new to EMS.

Allen began his career in EMS in 1983 and became a registered nurse in 2010. Allen spent 31 years at Mercy Fort Smith working in the emergency department as a paramedic/RN. During those years he developed a passion for teaching and became involved in critical care education. In 2016 he became the Director of Quality Improvement and Education at Fort Smith EMS. Allen is responsible for ensuring the paramedics at Fort Smith EMS deliver high quality patient care. Allen is also responsible for the onsite paramedic program which is affiliated with Arkansas Tech University and the high school internship program. Allen attended the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Carl Albert, and is a graduate of Excelsior College of Nursing.