Service has experienced growth in numbers, skill since 1976
On a crisp December day, a woman in Oglethorpe County had a sudden realization: her water had broken.
Miles from the nearest hospital, paramedic Kristin Gilliam was her only hope. Even with a million “what-ifs” racing through her mind, Gilliam successfully delivered the newborn.
It’s moments like these that give meaning to the 50th anniversary of Oglethorpe County EMS.
EMS director and Oglethorpe County native Josh Robinson said it feels great being able to represent EMS. Robinson took over the director role in March 2025.
“This is one way that I look at being able to give back to the community that poured so much into me as I was growing up,” Robinson said.
The organization is planning a gathering of past and present employees this fall to commemorate the anniversary. Posts about EMS’ history and accomplishments will be posted on its Facebook page throughout the year.
EMS began in the county in 1976 as a volunteer service. Soon after, workers started receiving pay.
Former EMS director and current county administrator Jason Lewis said he has seen EMS pay stubs from the 1980s that showed they were paid $4-5 an hour.
“I would imagine those medics in the ‘70s and ’80s would be amazed at what the medics today are capable of doing,” Lewis said.
One of those “medics in the ’70s” was Judith Paul, mother of Board of Commissioners Chairman Jay Paul. Lewis said most EMS staff have lived in the county throughout its history, speaking to the depth of its roots in the community.
Within the last several years, EMS has purchased its own fleet of four ambulances, relocated to its first purpose-built facility and advanced equipment and technology overall.
“It’s come a long ways,” said Robbie McCurley, an EMT who has worked for Oglethorpe County EMS since the 1990s.
McCurley said he has lived in Oglethorpe County his entire life. He also said people simply knowing who he is sometimes helps them stay calm when he is responding to emergencies.
He aided that December birth, which was one of two successful births by EMS in the county in less than a month.
“It’s always a good feeling when you can help somebody,” he said. “With that, you were there to help bring a new life in this world.”
McCurley also said CPR techniques have advanced significantly during his time in EMS.
“It’s a lot better now than it was,” he said. “I’ve seen more success with getting people back.”
That success has received statewide recognition. Lewis was selected as the EMS Director of the Year for the state by the Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association in 2024.
“It was truly an honor,” he said. “That was only attainable by the folks that you surround yourself with.”
Robinson took over as director after serving as deputy EMS director under Lewis for six years.
“It’s been a change, sometimes challenging, sometimes not,” he said. “But overall, I’ve enjoyed being the director so far.”
Now, EMS is working to bring in new whole blood products by the end of the year, as well as continuing to expand as the county’s population grows.
“The mission is largely the same over the decades, but the numbers are just bigger,” Lewis said.