James Gregory Is New EMS Director

With more than 33 years experience as an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) director, much of that time serving a combined fire/EMS/rescue service, James Gregory should have no problem leading the Jasper County EMS to an elevated level, and possibly following the recommendation of a recent EMS committee that says to combine fire and EMS.

Mr. Gregory comes to Jasper County after retiring from neighboring Putnam County “because of politics.”

He said his number one goal is to serve the citizens of his county; they deserve the best, he said, rich or poor, they will all be treated the same. “They’re who we are here for,” he said.

Mr. Gregory graduated from Putnam County High School in 1972, and went into the dairy business with his dad. A short time after graduation, he and some other volunteers started the rescue service in Putnam County.

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In 1977, the county picked up the rescue service, and placed them under the direction of the sheriff’s office as the EMTs weren’t interested in cutting people out of cars or searching for lost people, or doing other duties required of rescue.

Mr. Gregory completed the requirements to be an emergency medical technician (EMT) in 1978, and became director of the Putnam EMS in 1980. He said Putnam combined EMS/fire/rescue around 2005.

After the politics got going, Mr. Gregory chose to resign. So, he did, and immediately began work for a friend who runs a private service. He was working there when he learned of the opening in Jasper County.

He began work here last month. “You have some great people here,” he said. “We’ve got to improve equipment, add some part time help.”

The pay is way low, he said, when asked, but that is another challenge for him. The fire and EMS here may combine, which would create one way to raise hourly medic salaries without affecting the bottom line much.

The EMS committee formed by the commissioners recommended that be done, and Mr. Gregory said he would have no problem with it. He worked with a combined service before, and sees benefits to it.

Mr. Gregory said he is a working director, and it will not be unusual to see him on a truck or at a scene. He told a time in his short tenure here when a medic was running late to work, so he filled in. The medic who he went on the all with said he’d never had a director ride with him, said Mr. Gregory.

He said he has begun work on the protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP)s. He said Fire Chief Jarrett Slocumb is doing a good job, and the two of them will start hydrant testing soon. In addition, he said he met with the volunteers last week, and they are a great group of people.

Mr. Gregory described himself as an “in the field man.” He said he enjoys this business, this work…he enjoys helping people.

He acknowledges that the people pay his salary and he wants to be worthy of it.

Mr. Gregory and his wife, the former Sherry Pound, live in Putnam County. They have five daughters, six granddaughters and three grandsons. He said he loves to hunt and fish, but he really loves his tractors, and last year spent his spare time cutting hay.