CNSTC: October 14, 2020

Photos courtesy St. Charles County Ambulance District

St. Charles County Ambulance District opens two new EMS stations to better serve the growing population of St. Charles County

By Brett Auten

As the county grows and expands, so does its need for emergency services of all varieties.

In 2019, St. Charles County Ambulance District responded to nearly 45,000 calls for service. That figure is a growth of over 50 percent in the last decade.

Kelly Cope is the Assistant Chief of Operations who has been at the district for 25 years, 20 of which spent as a road paramedic.

“We have gone from a small, rural district to much more of a suburb of St. Louis,” Cope

said. “We have to be ready for what that growth provides.”

According to Cope, rapid residential and commercial development, coupled with an aging population, have been the driving factors behind the upward trajectory in call volume. Last month, the district opened new EMS stations in St. Peters and Wentzville to better reach these swelling communities.

The stations are located on East Pearce Blvd. in Wentzville and Old Mill Parkway in St. Peters. They are positioned in two of the SCCAD’s busiest response zones. The new facilities are larger than the ones they

are replacing, allowing for the ability to increase paramedic staffing at these locations as needed.

The stations are the first infrastructure projects in SCAAD’s 10-year capital improvement plan, which residents of St. Charles County put into motion in 2018 by the passing of Prop. Ambulance, a bond issue.

In 2021, the district will take the next steps outlined in the 10-year plan that includes a reconfiguration of assets along Rt. 364 in St.

Peters and in the Harvester area. Currently, this area is served by a single ambulance. Next year, two new stations will be constructed to spread the coverage more evenly throughout this highly populated area.

The forthcoming EMS stations will be located at the corner of Woodstone Dr. and Queens Brooke Blvd. in St. Peters, and at the intersection of Caulks Hill Rd. and Towers Rd. in Harvester. The district aims to begin construction in the spring, and targets fall 2021 for their completion.

“When performing our community needs analysis, this area of the community was and continues to be a high priority,” SCCAD Chief Taz Meyer said. “The Queens Brooke and Towers stations, coupled with support from existing facilities, will enable us to enhance coverage and provide better response times to 911 emergencies.”

Also part of the capital improvement plan is a consolidated campus facility that brings together the district’s training, administration, logistics and supply center, vehicle maintenance and non-emergency transfer division. These areas of the operation are currently spread between five buildings in three municipalities. The 147,000-squarefoot campus is under construction on Salt River Rd. in St. Peters, and is set to open next year.

“There will not be many in the nation that is of this caliber,” Cope said of the campus. “This building will carry us for 30 years. Currently, we have all different departments stretch to the limits. This year, with COVID, the medics have really struggled through that. These new stations and with what is happening in 2021, it’s a nice bright spot.”