Photo By Warren Wright | FORT DRUM, N.Y. – Corey Dorchester (left), emergency medical technician, Justina...... read more read more
At Fort Drum, New York the mission of emergency medical services is defined by substantial distances and a unique integration with both military and civilian healthcare. While most Army installations rely on an on-post hospital, the EMS team operates as a mobile bridge, connecting the Guthrie Army Health Clinic with the 10th Mountain Division, the rest of Fort Drum, and the surrounding North Country community.
As EMS chief, Justina Burrows leads a section responsible for everything from 911 response in the vast remote training ranges to the technical upkeep of a dedicated ambulance fleet. It is a role that requires constant logistical adaptation while ensuring that patient transitions to local hospitals are seamless and professional, resulting in a blend of high-level readiness and community service.
“Ultimately, we have the capability of going pretty much anywhere in the Tri-County area that they might call upon us,” Burrows said. “It doesn't often happen to go super far out; generally, it's just the surrounding communities of the main cantonment. But every once in a while, if something big were to pop off, then they would probably call on us.”
Since Fort Drum does not have its own hospital on post, the EMS team relies on strong partnerships with nearby hospitals to ensure patients receive continuous care. The smooth handoff from a military ambulance to a civilian health agency is essential for quick, high-quality medical treatment.
“We're fortunate to have (these hospitals) so close to the installation, that they're already familiar with us and we see them all the time,” Burrows said. “Throughout the years, we’ve built different methods to make everything as seamless as possible, so that ultimately, whoever is taking care of our beneficiaries or our service members, nobody sees that uniform; they just see somebody in their time of need.”
James Swords, Guthrie AHC’s executive officer, explained that EMS is extensively involved in mutual aid, or assisting outside agencies in responding to emergencies off the installation, in addition to transporting Fort Drum patients to local hospitals, a practice only a couple of military installations share, and none at the frequency of Fort Drum.
“Collaboration is crucial because we need our community partners to assist us on the installation as well,” he said.
Burrows explained that Fort Drum and Jefferson County emergency dispatchers maintain real-time communication to coordinate resources. The continuous sharing of information ensures that if a civilian agency needs assistance or is unavailable, Fort Drum EMS can be dispatched seamlessly.
“So, if a civilian ambulance were in need of mutual aid, or they are already out on a call and they need our assistance and aren’t able to pick up that call, they can dispatch us through Fort Drum dispatch and we get the same information that would get as if it were a call on the cantonment,” Burrows said. “If we’re taking the call ourselves, it’s pretty much just business as usual as if it was an on-post call.”
This relationship also allows Fort Drum to provide specialized support. Because the section maintains a dedicated paramedic on duty 24/7, they can often offer a higher level of care than civilian agencies that may only have EMTs available at the time of a call.
“If we’re (dispatched) for our level of care, then we meet up with that civilian agency and their EMS personnel and we’ll usually just hop right in their ambulance, so our paramedic will get in with them and ride into the hospital to do what we need to do,” Burrows added.
Another major advantage of operating on Fort Drum is working alongside the aviation experts of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade and the medical evacuation element of the 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment.
“We work closely with the 10th CAB for air medical, which, even though we do in the civilian sector, the relationships are just a little bit more unique based on what we can do and the training opportunities that we have with the Black Hawk (helicopter),” Burrows explained.
At its core, the Fort Drum EMS section is essential to Guthrie AHC’s mission to keep the 10th Mountain Division medically ready for combat.
The EMS team ensures they respond promptly to any medical situation, so the 10th Mountain Division stays ready, said Burrows. If someone needs to go to the emergency room, the command team is notified and the chain of command is updated, especially if treatment will take longer or if hospital admission is required.
“If it's something more serious, then they're all immediately notified so that even the post commander is aware that something big has happened that might affect that specific unit's readiness,” she explained.
By responding to medical emergencies and critical situations across three counties, the EMS team ensures the medical safety net of Fort Drum remains intact. Whether coordinating a patient handoff to a local hospital, supporting a live-fire exercise, or providing medical training to the force, the section’s focus on providing essential care for the community embodies Guthrie’s motto of “Care for the climb.”
“The EMS Team is here 24/7, 365, rain, snow, or shine, they are ready at a moment’s notice to take care of our Soldiers and families,” Swords added.
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2026 14:19 |
| Story ID: | 559119 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ready for the Call: The Vital Role of Fort Drum EMS, by Warren Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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