Del Norte Ambulance

29/10/2026

Working Together to Prepare Our Community

On October 28, 2026, Del Norte Ambulance’s Charles Tweed and Sebastian Trask joined Cal OES emergency services representatives from across California for a disaster preparedness exercise supporting Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties.

The exercise focused on a Cascadia earthquake and widespread tsunami. Participants explored “what if” scenarios, discussed ways to support our communities, and worked through the challenges of bringing in additional resources and moving toward recovery.

It was especially encouraging to see strong participation from Del Norte County leadership, including our Chief of Police, airport managers, Sutter Coast Hospital, County department heads, school Del Norte County Unified School District and representatives from the both Tribes.

A few special acknowledgments from our working group:

• Jessica Seamen, Del Norte County Office of Emergency Services: Thank you for spreading the word and encouraging strong local participation.
• Chief Griffin: Thank you for sharing valuable disaster planning information and encouraging creative approaches to difficult challenges.
• Basho Parks, Yurok Tribe Office of Emergency Services: Thank you for jumping in to help lead discussions and work toward practical solutions.

Exercises like these strengthen relationships before disaster strikes. It was reassuring to work alongside so many dedicated partners committed to helping our communities prepare, respond, and recover.

Del Norte Ambulance — Dedicated to Serving.

22/10/2026

A big thank you to Supervisor Valerie Starkey - District 2 for hosting the first annual Senior Summit here in Del Norte County!

The event brought together many members of our senior community and organizations from Del Norte and neighboring counties to share resources and services. It also gave providers a valuable opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and explore ways to work together to better serve our seniors.

Del Norte Ambulance was honored to spend the day sharing our services, answering questions, and hearing the many stories shared by those who stopped by.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this first Senior Summit such a success. What a wonderful new event supporting our senior community!

Del Norte Ambulance — Dedicated to Serving.

19/10/2026

A Day to Remember—and a Reunion to Celebrate
Shared with permission from Scott Lafollett.

June 23, 2026, began like a normal day for Scott Lafollett. He went to work feeling okay, but at about 9:30 that morning, he stepped into the parking lot, suffered a sudden cardiac event, and collapsed.
People nearby acted quickly and called 9-1-1. Del Norte Ambulance, Crescent City Police Department, and Crescent City Fire and Rescue responded. First responders determined that Scott was not breathing and had no pulse. They immediately began CPR, then applied the LUCAS device to continue chest compressions while crews performed other lifesaving procedures.
Scott was rapidly transported to Sutter Coast Hospital. During the trip, he began to show signs of consciousness and reacted to his breathing tube—a hopeful moment for FTO/Paramedic Sebastian Trask, Student Paramedic Eddie Hartwick, and EMT Maria Aleman as they saw their training put into action.
At 9:53, Scott’s care was transferred to the awaiting emergency department team. CPR was no longer needed, and his breathing tube was later removed when he began to breathe on his own.
At 12:16 p.m., Sutter Coast Hospital determined that further cardiac care was required, so Del Norte Ambulance transported Scott to Eureka with specialized medications to receive additional treatment.
Today, October 14, Scott and his wife Terry, met some of the ambulance staff who helped save his life.
Scott said he was, “very thankful.” Although unable to “remember anything” from the event, he described feeling “at peace.” Terry shared that she was “not ready to let go” and also is “very thankful.”
We are grateful to Scott and Terry for sharing their story. From the people who called 9-1-1, to the first responders and hospital teams who cared for Scott, every aspect of that response made a difference.
Seeing Scott and Terry together today is a powerful reminder of why we train, why we respond, and why we serve.
Del Norte Ambulance—Dedicated to Serving.

15/10/2026

12/10/2026

Del Norte Ambulance had a great weekend supporting our community, connecting with neighbors, and keeping our crews informed. Where do we start?

Friday morning: Del Norte County Public Health stopped by for our annual flu shots and shared updates with our on-duty crews about public health trends and happenings throughout California. Thank you Public Health for helping keep our team healthy and informed!

Friday night: We enjoyed some Friday night football while supporting the Del Norte High School Warriors. Congratulations on a 48–6 win over the Loggers!

Saturday: Jay and Alex joined the Fire Prevention Month event in the Home Depot parking lot, offering ambulance tours and a little early Halloween candy. Thanks, Dana, for the invitation!

Sunday: We spent the day at Mike Whalen Field providing medical standby for Del Norte Youth Football. We’re always glad to support our local youth—and especially glad no medical care was needed! We could have done without the wind, though!

Another fabulous weekend serving the community we call home.

Del Norte Ambulance – Dedicated to Serving.

07/10/2026

Del Norte Ambulance is proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our Klamath station!

Expanding coverage in the remote areas of Del Norte County is part of our mission, and placing crews closer to Klamath helps us reach residents sooner.
We are grateful to the Yurok Housing Authority for its support and generosity, Supervisor Dean Wilson for his leadership, and Klamath Fire for helping improve radio communications and shorten response times. This is truly a community effort, and we are proud to be part of the Klamath community.

Our presence in Klamath has also allowed us to provide additional services, including:
• Free CPR training
• Free medical standby services for the Salmon Festival
• Narcan distribution

Thank you to everyone who has supported our first year. We look forward to another year of serving the Klamath community.

Del Norte Ambulance—Dedicated to Serving.

07/10/2026

We are happy to be an active part of California EMS and that Ron Sandler continues to bring rural community issues to the forefront.

The California Ambulance Association Board of Directors and Committee Chairs met this week in Sacramento for our 2027 strategic planning session. CAA members considering running for 2027 Board seats were also attended.

Led by CAA President Steve Grau, the session provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made, build on our successes and focus firmly on what comes next. With clear and achievable goals, we set our priorities for 2027, including our legislative agenda, programs, events and broader strategic direction.

Our thanks to Medic Ambulance Service for generously hosting us and providing the use of their boardroom and facilities.

We head into 2027 prepared, focused and ready to deliver — and look forward to working with California’s new Governor, the Legislature, our partners and stakeholders to continue advancing the interests of California’s ambulance providers, professionals and the communities we serve.

24/09/2026

Ron and Teri Sandler are in Anaheim for the California Ambulance Association’s annual conference and trade show, joining ambulance owners and operators from across the state to share ideas and learn best practices.

A highlight of the conference was Ron accepting the 2026 CAASE Award for Community Engagement on behalf of Del Norte Ambulance. The award was presented by CAA President and Royal Ambulance CEO Steve Grau.

Ron stated- We are honored to receive this recognition for our work in Del Norte County.

Ron and Teri also enjoyed catching up with longtime friend and insurance provider Cindy Elbert of Cindy Elbert Insurance, who has served ambulance providers since 1982.

When they return, Ron and Teri will meet with Del Norte Ambulance leadership to share what they learned and explore how new ideas and technology can improve rural EMS.

Del Norte Ambulance — Dedicated to Serving.

24/09/2026

Advanced Learning: AMLS

Del Norte Ambulance EMTs and paramedics are spending two days and more than 16 hours strengthening their medical assessment and decision-making skills. Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) takes participants beyond their standard training, using realistic patient scenarios to help them recognize and manage medical emergencies.

Forty years ago, Ron Sandler wrote in our mission statement: “Del Norte Ambulance will provide patients with the highest quality care within our scope of practice.” That commitment continues today as we bring advanced training to our staff for the benefit of our community.

“This is a really great course. It’s fun to teach, and I’ve enjoyed the deep dive into caring for sick and injured patients. The discussion it brings to the group is priceless,” said Erica Blockman, Del Norte Ambulance Clinical Supervisor.

Del Norte Ambulance — Dedicated to Serving.

18/09/2026

Who needs CPR and First Aid training? CHANGE LOCATION

As part of Del Norte Ambulance’s ongoing commitment to community preparedness and resilience, we are hosting a FREE CPR and First Aid training course!

November 14
Dat-naa-svt Community Center 300 Dat-naa-svt Loop Smith River
0900-1500

Space is limited, and you must RSVP to attend.

We hope to see you there!

Del Norte Ambulance- Dedicated to Serving!