The Ada-Liberty Township Joint EMS squad is familiar with busy years. The Icon reported in 2019 that the department received 527 calls. Fast forward to 2021: The department had calls for 626 runs, with 80 calls in December alone, the most 911 calls in a single month in the department's history.

Tom Miller, EMS chief, reported these stats at the January 17 meeting of the ambulance board, which is composed of Jeff Acheson, representing Liberty Township; Shelia Coressel, representing the Village of Ada, and Terry Keiser, member at large. The board meets on the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the station on Gilbert Street.

In a followup interview, Miller broke down the 911 calls by type, noting that crews sometimes find an incident involves issues not initially reported to dispatchers:

11.9% - Breathing issues

6.6% - Chest pain

9.3% - Traffic accidents

72.2% - Other (from mild to severe)

Call types as reported by EMS personnel:

72% - Illness

16% - Trauma

12% - Other

Of all 911 calls, 234 were made for persons 65 or older. The oldest person assisted was 105 years old.

The emergency service transfers patients to four hospitals: Bluffton Hospital, Lima Memorial Hospital, St. Rita’s-Mercy Health Medical Center and Hardin Memorial Hospital, Kenton. In 2021, transportation choices were:

6.5% - Bluffton Hospital-Blanchard Valley Health System

46.9% - Lima Memorial Health System

2.3% - OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital

42.7% - St. Rita’s-Mercy Health Medical Center

The balance of patients were not transported.

In 2021, the Ada-Liberty EMS provided assistance to other communities on 36 calls and received assistance on 14 calls.