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TAHLEQUAH, OK - Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma Emergency Medical Services (CNEMS) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony

A Cherokee Nation EMS employee demonstrates training techniques in one of the training rooms in the new CNEMS building south of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

at the new EMS building south of Tahlequah, OK on Highway 62 on Tuesday, February 6, 2001.

The new Cherokee Nation EMS building will serve as a training facility for the community, and will house ambulance and transportation services for area patients with no transportation to doctor’s appointments.

The Cherokee Nation EMS provides medical services to all of Cherokee county and surrounding areas.

"About one half of the Cherokee Nation ambulance services are provided to non-Indian users," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief. "This shows the commitment that the Cherokee Nation has made to the community."

"The expanded space the new facilities provide, allows the training program to offer more training classes in-house," said Janie Dibble, a Cherokee Nation EMS health administrator.

The new, larger CNEMS facility has four training rooms that are large enough to do hands on training in addition to holding large classroom training. The new building also features an indoor parking area large enough to stock and clean the program’s five ambulances and storage space for proper storing of medication and supplies.

With this new facility the Cherokee Nation EMS will be more community based, provide high quality services and increased training, including advanced courses like Swift Water Rescue, First Responder, Basic EMT and Intermediate EMT.

"The new Cherokee Nation EMS building will provide a positive step for the community and for the Cherokee Nation in providing advanced emergency medical training", said Gloria Teague, the Cherokee Nation’s medical director.

For more information about the program or the services that it provides, contact the EMS office, phone: 918-458-5403.