MEMS and Sheridan Fire Department Host Open House for MEMS Unit 90

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SHERIDAN, Ark. (May 27, 2026) — Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) and the Sheridan Fire Department hosted an open house on Wednesday, May 27, for MEMS Unit 90, a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance stationed at the Sheridan Fire Department as part of an ongoing pilot program.

The program allows qualified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certified members affiliated with the Sheridan Fire Department to apply to MEMS, complete onboarding, and staff Unit 90 from the fire station when available.

Designed to support local first responder agencies and strengthen coordination between fire and EMS, the program adds another layer of emergency medical response in the Sheridan area. Currently, MEMS provides Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support services to Sheridan and the greater Grant County communities staffed by MEMS personnel.

“Volunteer fire departments across the country are facing the same challenge—fewer available responders, especially during daytime hours, while call volume and service expectations continue to rise,” said Greg Thompson, Executive Director of Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services. “Programs like Sheridan Unit 90 help strengthen local response by allowing qualified providers to serve in a dual role, supporting both EMS and fire response depending on the immediate needs of the community.”

Unit 90 is not staffed 24/7 and is available only when qualified personnel are available. The program allows the crew to be on call. If Sheridan Fire Department receives a fire call while members are staffing the ambulance, Unit 90 is placed out of service, and those members return to fire response with their department.

In its first two months of operation, Unit 90 has responded to 23 basic life support calls and transported seven patients, allowing advanced life support resources to remain available for higher-acuity calls in the area.

“City and county leaders saw the benefit of this program from the beginning and asked, ‘How can we help?’” said Sheridan Fire Chief Ben Hammond. “We couldn’t have done this without their support, and we really appreciate everybody involved in making it work.”

The program does not reduce the Advanced Life Support coverage already provided by MEMS. Instead, it adds an additional layer of Basic Life Support response while supporting the local agencies already serving the Sheridan community.  

About MEMS

MEMS is a public, non-profit entity, and is governed by the Little Rock Ambulance Authority (LRAA). Serving Pulaski, Grant and Lonoke Counties. MEMS covers approximately 1,800 square miles and more than 400,000 people. Since 2001, MEMS has been accredited with the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS), which signifies a “Gold Standard” in emergency medical service providers. 

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