By Machaela Ballard
Richmond Register
RICHMOND, Ky. — In December of 1977, now retired EMS Director Jimmy Cornelison could not foresee the career that lay ahead him when he asked go on an ambulance run shortly after becoming an emergency medical technician.
“I just wanted to ride with them. I asked, and they said to come on; so I did. We ran most of the night. The next morning, I was still asleep when they called and said there were (ambulance personnel) who couldn’t get to work because we had gotten a big snow. They asked me to come back, and I did. I wasn’t looking for a job yet, but I got one,” Cornelison said.
After working countless ambulance runs – Cornelison recounted one year with more than 16,000 calls – he eventually became director in 1991.
“I felt so privileged to be given the opportunity. I loved taking care of patients,” Cornelison said.
Some of his care methods on the job he attributes to serving with the Army in Vietnam, returning when he was just 19 years old. Others, he said, are related to the continuing training he received plus the high expectations he placed on himself.
“As a paramedic, I felt I had better than a 50/50 ratio to saving lives, even though we weren’t always supposed to expect that. Someone might tell me that I was cocky, but that wasn’t it,” Cornelison said. “I felt confident in my training and ability. We are there to intercept anything bad that might happen, and I took that seriously.”
Cornelison’s high expectations continued once he became EMS Director. Those who didn’t take quality care seriously didn’t last long under his direction, he said.
“I would tell them, ‘People of Madison County expect and deserve effort. Our time as EMS is a very short 30 minutes because that’s all it takes to stabilize someone. That’s our job. If you don’t have those minutes, you don’t need to be doing this job,’” he said. “‘If you don’t want to do that, then you don’t have to work here.’”
As director, Cornelison pushed for the construction of three new buildings as updates were needed or stations outgrew their locations.
He also oversaw many new equipment purchases and ambulance updates.
Although new purchases were often needed, Cornelison said he rarely suggested spending until enough money was set aside to pay for materials outright.
“We were very aggressive in purchasing the things we needed because good service includes good equipment. But when there was something we needed, we prepared financially so we weren’t a burden on anyone. There was always a big want list, but as far as getting what we need, we could always obtain that,” Cornelison said.
Currently, the retired EMS director continues in his job as Madison County Coroner, to which he was re-elected without opposition in November. He also continues to teach emergency medicine at Eastern Kentucky University, as he has for 30 years.
Although Cornelison said he “would go back and work today for nothing” if he could, he also knows the decision to retire was the right one for him and his family, he said. It also allows more time for him to devote to being coroner, he added.
“I didn’t leave on any adverse terms. It’s just that the retirement (plan) was set up on 20 years. Sometimes, it’s just time to go. Sometimes new blood is good,” he said.
Cornelison was replaced by Carlos Coyle, his assistant director for several years.
Although he misses the job, Cornelison said he couldn’t think of anyone who would have been a better replacement than Coyle.
“He is very competent for the job and a real good paramedic,” Cornelison said. “There is no doubt about his ability and that he will do what needs to be done.”
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©2015 the Richmond Register (Richmond, Ky.)