Copyright 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By DERRICK HENRY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pat Atkins dedicated his life to saving the lives of others.
While a firefighter for Cobb County Fire Services in the early 1970s, the Kennesaw native became an emergency medical technician.
He saw a need and discovered his calling. In 1976, he founded National EMS. The emergency medical services company started modestly in the basement of his Kennesaw home, with one ambulance and four employees, including himself and his wife. Today the Conyers-based company has 86 employees and a fleet of 15 ambulances.
“Pat believed in hard work,” said his high school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, Mary Ellen Hood Atkins of Conyers. “In the early days he drove the ambulances and did the payroll and marketing. He was up by 4 a.m. and did everything but the maintenance.”
James Patrick Atkins, 64, of Conyers died Friday of complications from coronary artery disease at his mountain home in Todd, N.C. The funeral is 2 p.m. today at Conyers First Baptist Church. Scot Ward Funeral Services, Harry White Chapel, Conyers, is in charge of arrangements.
The turning point in the history of National EMS came in 1983. Rockdale County awarded the company its ambulance service contract, and National EMS relocated to Conyers. Five years later it added Morgan County to its service area.
National EMS garnered many firsts in the state of Georgia, said the company’s director of training, paramedic David Briscoe of Covington. In 1993 it became the first ambulance service in the state to become nationally accredited. It was also the first to put ventilators on all on-duty ambulances and to install pulse oximeter devices and cellular phones on all the vehicles.
When the Olympics came to town in 1996, National EMS was tapped to provide ambulance services for all events at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers.
In May of 2004, after a chemical fire broke out at the BioLab warehouse in Conyers, “Pat was instrumental in helping National EMS evacuate one of the local nursing homes without compromising our care for the community, and two days later we brought the residents back,” Mr. Briscoe said.
“First and foremost, Dad wanted us to do what was best for the patients,” said his son James Benjamin “Benny” Atkins of Conyers, now the company’s chief operating officer.
Not only were Mr. Atkins’ sons and daughters involved with his business, but he strove to run his company like an extended family. “Pat was our daddy here,” said Mr. Briscoe. “He was always accessible to his employees. He tried to create an atmosphere which allowed people room to grow personally and professionally.”
In the Conyers community, the Rotarian was known for his civic service and generous donations to various charities. He would always carry around silver dollars, which he joyously gave out to people he encountered as random acts of kindness.
Every Monday Mr. Atkins took over the cooking duties at a family gathering. He’d prepare one of his specialties, such as chicken and dumplings or Lowcountry shrimp and crab boil. “He loved to cook and would try anything,” his wife said.
Survivors also include two daughters, Tina Gay Pritchett and Cynthia Joy Peppers, both of Conyers; another son, Robert Homes Atkins of Conyers; three brothers, Harry Atkins of Marietta, Don Atkins of Hinesville and Tommy Atkins of Kennesaw; and seven grandchildren.