08/18/2026
Who will respond?
Placement of AEDs will help with Niobrara’s EMT shortage but won’t solve the problem
By Valorie Zach
Tribune Editor
August 13, 2026 article
A shortage of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Niobrara has been an issue for quite some time. In fact, seeking volunteers to serve in this capacity, was on Niobrara’s yearly “Top Ten Priority List” every year from 2016 to 2023. Niobrara’s Number One Priority for 2021 was: “Volunteers are needed for the Rescue Squad. It will not be long before there will not be people to respond.”
With the number of EMTs becoming critically low, Niobrara EMT Captain Gina Johnson, reports that the local EMTs are turning to another lifesaving resource- automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
These portable devices can analyze a person’s heart rhythm, and if necessary, give an electrical shock to help restore a normal rhythm during certain cardiac emergencies. Having AEDs available in community locations could give residents access to lifesaving equipment while they wait for an ambulance or EMT crew to arrive.
This spring the Rural Fire Board purchased three more AEDs, that have been placed at Niobrara Valley Golf Course, The Current at Lazy River Acres and in one of the Niobrara fire trucks. Other AEDs already in place are at Jimmy Dean’s, the Sportsmen’s Bar, Niobrara Trading Post, the Ponca Tribal Headquarters, Ponca Wellness Center, Niobrara Public School, and the hardware store.
“It’s essential for the community to know where these are placed, due to the shortage of EMTs on the rescue squad. We currently have six EMTs, and one EMR (First Responder), and one student that is awaiting his state license,” she said,” out of which most of the calls are being covered by two EMTs.”
“Two EMTs are basically covering our coverage area due to schedules. That’s how imperative it is to know how to prepare for your own emergencies,” she explained. “We have Mutual Aid with Verdigre and Santee, and they are at least 15 minutes out, depending on where you live. The majority of our department are retired people, so our department is older and has put in 25-plus years of service on the department each.”
This shortage has affected almost every department in the state, if not the nation, and Niobrara is no different, Johnson explained.
“I think community members are aware of the shortage and are getting themselves to “emergency,” and are aware that it may take a while to respond,” Johnson said.
“I don’t know what the answer is. I don’t’ know how to encourage more people to become EMTs. The commitment is a two-semester college credit course that meets weekly and they have to pass a national registry test. It’s not easy and it costs the department about $2,000 to pay for students, with no guarantee that they will pass. I am not going to downplay the commitment and time it takes to go through this,” she said.
Johnson went on to say, “We are not the only department that feels this way. Santee has paid EMTs, and their call volume is much larger. Verdigre does transfers for Creighton hospital and gets called multiple times to do transfers, so utilizing either of those would pull their resources from their communities, which is what Mutual Aid is made for, but it’s not a permanent solution, and not a fix to the problem we have in Niobrara.”
“Without the fire department, we would have to utilize Mutual Aid much more than we do,” she pointed out. “ They are essential, but unfortunately all firemen don’t want to be EMTs. I don’t know what we’d do without our firemen. The fire department helps with responses with lifts, and drives and assists on calls due to our lack of coverage. The rescue department very much appreciates the firemen who help out.”
Johnson said she has had people reach out to her in the past and ask what they can do to support the EMTs. “Support is nice but we need EMTs. Saying you are going to become an EMT, is still one year out from being able to do anything. The EMT scope has advanced so much in recent years, she said. The continuing education to maintain those licenses is at least 30 continuing education hours every two years, she added.
There is a class coming up in a couple of weeks in Bloomfield, that will meet weekly and one Saturday a month to practice skills, she noted. “We want people to be aware that if anybody wants to take the class, to contact me as soon as possible and we can probably still get you in. These are in-person classes, and there are also hybrid classes mostly online that are an option as well and might be the right fit for the right person.” Her email address is: [email protected].
“So it’s imperative that people know the placement of these AEDs and they have a plan in mind and know what to plan for and not to plan for,” Johnson said. “Timing is essential. Have a contingency plan.”
Johnson said the Niobrara EMTs went on 39 runs thus far in the year. “What’s going to happen if you need EMS? Who will respond if your family needs it? You don’t realize it until it hits you at your place and that’s why it’s essential for everybody to have a plan.”
The situation at Niobrara serves as a reminder that emergency services depend not only on equipment, but on people willing to answer the call. AEDs can provide a measure of safety, but the future of the town’s emergency response will still depend on finding and keeping enough EMTs.
