It is the purpose of Dorchester County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to provide exemplary emergency medical services to the citizens, visitors and neighbors of Dorchester County.

The department is a county operated EMS agency with 98 employees that respond to approximately 24,000 calls annually. The department operates ten ambulances each staffed with a paramedic and an EMT, working 12 hour shifts, from seven EMS stations strategically located throughout the county. 

Our Commitment

• Create and maintain a nurturing environment that recognizes the unique contributions of its employees;
• Pursue excellence in our profession through state of the art training, technology and leadership;
• Recognize human rights, dignity and diversity;
• Be responsive to the needs of a growing and changing community;
• Advocate health and safety through education and involvement in the community;
• Support the mission of Dorchester County. 

Equipment

Dorchester County EMS uses modern technology to provide the best clinical care for our patients. We utilize Zoll X Series Cardiac monitors and Zoll Eagle II Ventilator for non-invasive and invasive ventilator support. We use Airtraq recorded video laryngoscopy for orotracheal intubation and EZ-IO for interosseous infusions. IV infused medications are controlled by Nimbus infusion pumps and the pediatric patient population are cared for using the Handtevy Pediatric System.

All front line ambulances at Dorchester County EMS are Type I extended or crew cab chassis and all are equipped with Stryker Power Pro XT cots and Stryker Power Load Systems. There is a dedicated bariatric support vehicle that utilizes the Trans-Safe ramp system for management of these patients.

Protocols and Clinical Care

Forward thinking medical direction and partnerships with local hospitals allow us to provide the best clinical care to our patients. We use the South Carolina State EMS protocols to include team based cardiac arrest care, rapid sequence intubation, and prehospital administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Protocols are updated on an annual basis using a committee of field paramedics and EMT’s. Additionally, field providers serve on regional and state level patient care committees making our paramedics and EMT’s the outward face of our agency. Dorchester County EMS was awarded the South Carolina Large EMS System of the Year in 2019 and has been recognized by the American Heart Association Mission Lifeline as Gold Plus since 2014.