Today, Wednesday, Dec. 31, marks the closing chapter of Riverside EMS, bringing to a close 50 years of dedicated emergency medical service to the local community.
For five decades, when the tones sounded, Riverside EMS answered. Dedicated providers responded with compassion, courage, and professionalism—standing beside neighbors during life’s hardest moments, bringing calm in times of fear, and offering hope when it was needed most. Through countless calls, long nights, and difficult scenes, they stood together not just as coworkers, but as family.
While operations end today, the service of Riverside EMS does not. Its legacy lives on in lives saved, hands held, and the many moments when help arrived just in time. Those moments—often unseen, often unspoken—form a lasting imprint on the community they served.
As Riverside EMS passes the torch, recognition is due to the many individuals and partners who worked to ensure emergency medical coverage remains strong and uninterrupted. Maintaining and strengthening local EMS service was always the mission, and that goal has been met through collaboration and commitment.
Emergency medical service moving forward has been arranged through a joint effort involving the local townships, Riverside EMS, and the Indian Lake Joint Ambulance District. The Village of DeGraff has contracted with ILEMS, which will continue to utilize the current EMS building—keeping emergency services based locally and accessible to area residents.
This page will be deactivated tomorrow, January 1, 2026. The department extends sincere thanks to the community for the follows, messages, and support, and for standing behind volunteer first responders everywhere.
A final, symbolic moment will take place at 11 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31. Logan County Dispatch will issue the last call for Riverside EMS at that time — a quiet but powerful closing to a half-century of service.
To every member who ever served, and to every family member and supporter who stood behind them: thank you for 50 years of unwavering commitment to this community.
