Jefferson County Ambulance has new director

FAIRFIELD – Joshua Hemminger is the new director of Jefferson County Ambulance, and he was introduced during the board of supervisors’ meeting on Monday, Aug. 5.

In his first official meeting as ambulance director, Hemminger spoke about his background, his career in emergency medical services, his most recent job with Indian Hills Community College and his military service. Hemminger’s first day was Aug. 1, and he takes over the helm from Judy Heisel, who had been the interim ambulance director since former ambulance director Brian Thomas resigned in April.

Hemminger said he considers himself to be from Ottumwa and has lived there since the age of 8, though his family moved around a few times when he was young. Before moving to Iowa, his family lived in a small town in Pennsylvania where his parents worked as firefighters and first responders, and they were the inspiration for him to go into this line of work.

Before taking this job as Jefferson County Ambulance Director, Hemminger was most recently the EMS Training Program Director at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa. For the past nine years, Hemminger has been training emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and he’s well aware that there is a shortage of people in those occupations. Hemminger has worked in emergency medical services since 2001, and his first job was as an EMT for Ottumwa Regional Mobile Intensive Care Service.

Apart from his career in EMS, Hemminger also felt a calling to serve his country, which is why he spent 17 years in the U.S. Army National Guard as a combat engineer. This included deploying to Iraq in 2005 with the 224 th Engineer Battalion, and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 833 rd Engineer Company. Hemminger achieved the rank of sergeant first class.

He said some of the skills that translate from the National Guard to EMS include leadership and the ability to work under press.

When he’s off the clock, Hemminger likes to spend his free time traveling and seeing new things.

  Buy Photo

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com