For the second time since Nov. 14, Marion County has named a new EMS director, this time one with local ties.
Travis Parmley comes to the position from Great Bend, but he is originally a resident of Florence.
“I’ve been impressed with what’s going on in Marion County,” he said. “I have a lot of friends and family there, so I still have a vested interest in the growth and sustainability of Marion County.”
An alumnus from Marion High School’s class of ’98, Parmley got his start as a cadet with the Florence Fire Department.
“That’s where I started,” he said. “Then I came out here and learned a lot, gained a lot of knowledge.”
While in Great Bend, he served with the fire department and won the department’s firefighter of the year in 2010. He was only allowed to win the award once, but he increased his standing again when he was promoted to captain in 2012.
Great Bend Fire/EMS logs 2,200 EMS calls per year, with each responder averaging 250.
Parmley’s highest total came when he logged 340 calls, earning the top call award for the department. He has five years experience as a paramedic, but knows there is room to grow.
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)