Seconds Save Lives

Gunnison Valley Health (GVH) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are vital to Gunnison County’s healthcare and public safety systems, and GVH Paramedics operate from a building that risks their health and safety, compromising their ability to meet the needs of the patients in our rural community. Unlike police and fire departments, EMS is considered a “non-essential service” at the state and federal levels. As a non-essential service, our paramedic team receive no tax base and is fully subsidized by the Gunnison Valley Health System. 

Every day, GVH Paramedics respond to calls for help involving injuries and acute illnesses - including heart attacks, difficulty breathing, falls, drownings, strokes and overdoses. GVH Paramedics are a 24/7, fully professional team, highly trained in all-hazard and critical care level response. They are the only EMS in the state cleared to transport and administer blood in the field and many personnel are flight paramedic certified, equivalent to an ICU nurse in the field. GVH Paramedics are considered a leader in the EMS industry, often setting the precedent of how other EMS agencies train and operate.

Seconds Save Lives is a $12 million capital campaign to address a critical need for a new EMS station. $10.2 million has been raised to date including $2M committed from Gunnison County, $3M from GVH, $500,000 from GVH Foundation, and over $4,000,000 from over 450 donors.    

The goals and objectives for Seconds Saves Lives campaign and the new EMS station include:

• Improve response time to 911 calls - saving lives
• Improve patient safety, satisfaction rates and outcomes
• Expand services, including community training
• Support the safety and health of the emergency responders
• Help our rural community recruit and retain health professionals

The station will incorporate improved functionality with a building design from an architect firm that specializes in EMS stations. A new station with sleeping quarters where all ambulances and apparatus can be properly garaged and stored will greatly and positively impact response time. A realistic estimate is that the new station will reduce 911 response time by about four minutes. New research links this quicker response to a projected 107% improvement in cardiac arrest survival rates in Gunnison County. Improved response time will improve patient safety, satisfaction, and save lives.

The new location will promote enhanced accessibility and visibility from Hwy 135. GVH Paramedics serve the largest response zone in the State of Colorado, 4,400 square miles. (A typical Fire or Emergency Medical Services District is 100 - 400 square miles.) The district is massive, remote, and encompasses multiple mountain ranges. The service area includes Gunnison County, a large portion of Saguache County, and small sections of Montrose and Hinsdale Counties. Additionally, a formal Mutual Aid Agreement partners GVH Paramedics closely with the Crested Butte Fire Protection District Paramedics on mutual aid emergencies, a regular occurrence during peak summer and winter seasons.

It is crucial for EMS teams to have time and space for bonding. When working in high-pressure environments, it is easy for individuals to become overwhelmed and stressed. However, by having the opportunity to connect with their colleagues on a personal level, EMS workers can build trust and support systems that can be relied upon in times of crisis. With a cooperative effort between our architectural firm, builder and EMS personnel, a primary function of this space is to ensure the building design addresses the mental health, rest and recovery of this team. National research is clear that EMS personnel have one of the highest professional burnout rates from lack of decompression and personal rehabilitation after 911 calls.