Yancey County EMS-Heritage

06/16/2026

‼️ Free Mental Health Clinic ‼️

If you or someone you know could benefit from this, please share! A wonderful opportunity from Mountain Strong - Yancey & Mitchell County Relief Team. They’ve been continuously helping our community since day 1 of Helene 🫶🏼

06/16/2026

Congratulations to Director Adrienne Rivera Jones!

We're excited for our neighbors at McDowell County as Adrienne steps into this new role while Director Will Kehler begins a well-earned retirement.

It has been a pleasure working alongside Director Kehler over the years, and we are grateful for his dedication and service to the citizens of McDowell County. We wish him nothing but the best in retirement.

Adrienne, congratulations on this next chapter! We look forward to continuing our strong partnership and working alongside you for many years to come. Best of luck as you take the helm!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2026

Adrienne Rivera Jones Named Next Director of McDowell County Emergency Services

MARION, N.C. — McDowell County today announced the selection of Adrienne Rivera Jones to serve as the next Director of McDowell County Emergency Services, following the retirement of current Director Will Kehler at the end of October.

A lifelong resident of McDowell County, Jones has dedicated her career to serving the community she calls home. She brings nearly two decades of emergency services experience, proven leadership, and a deep commitment to the employees, patients, and residents she serves.

Her career with McDowell County Emergency Services began in 2008 as a 911 Telecommunicator, where she gained firsthand experience assisting residents during their most difficult moments. Driven by a desire to continue serving others, Jones obtained her paramedic certification and transitioned into the Emergency Medical Services Division. Demonstrating her commitment to continued education and clinical excellence, she later earned her Critical Care Paramedic certification through the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Throughout her career, Jones served in multiple leadership roles including Sergeant, Lieutenant, Field Training Officer, and Captain before being promoted to Deputy Director of Emergency Services in 2017.

As Deputy Director, Jones has played a critical role in the continued growth and success of McDowell County Emergency Services, which includes Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, 911 Communications, Community Paramedicine, and the Fire Marshal’s Office. Since becoming Deputy Director, she has helped manage numerous state and federally declared disasters and large-scale emergency responses impacting McDowell County, including Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Helene, the COVID-19 pandemic response, and multiple winter storm events.

Her dedication, compassion, and leadership were especially evident during the response to Hurricane Helene, where she served as Deputy Incident Commander for the McDowell County Emergency Operations Center. During one of the most challenging disasters in the county’s history, Jones helped lead complex response operations while ensuring the needs of residents, responders, and community partners remained the top priority.

Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene impacted McDowell County, Jones continues to support disaster survivors by helping them navigate complex recovery programs, connecting families with available resources, and advocating on their behalf as they rebuild their lives. Her continued involvement demonstrates her unwavering commitment to serving others long after the immediate emergency has passed.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the next Director of McDowell County Emergency Services,” Jones said. “This organization has shaped both my life and my career, and I have a deep love for the people who walk through our doors every day and for the community we have the privilege of serving.

“My commitment is simple: to build upon the culture of service and excellence that makes this organization so special, to invest in our employees, foster strong partnerships, and ensure we remain worthy of the trust our citizens place in us every day. Serving others is both a responsibility and a privilege, and I am excited about what we will accomplish together.”

“This is a bittersweet moment for McDowell County,” said County Manager Ashley Wooten. “Will Kehler has served this organization and this community with great dedication, and his retirement is well-earned. Adrienne Jones has demonstrated throughout her career that she is ready for this role, and the Board of Commissioners and I fully support her appointment. We look forward to seeing what she will accomplish for McDowell County Emergency Services.”

Over the next four months, Director Kehler and incoming Director Jones will work closely together to ensure a smooth and successful transition. This planned transition will provide continued stability for employees, community partners, and the citizens who rely on McDowell County Emergency Services every day.

06/06/2026

🎓🚑 Celebrating Achievements!🚑🎓

Tonight, we are proud to celebrate the graduates recognized at the Mayland Community College EMS Pinning Ceremony. This accomplishment represents countless hours of studying, clinical rotations, ride time, skills practice, testing, and sacrifices made by both the students and their families.

What makes this photo especially meaningful is that it highlights something unique about rural EMS. While some of these graduates wear a Yancey EMS patch and others wear a Mitchell EMS patch, the reality is that we work side by side every day. As neighboring agencies, we routinely assist one another, train together, respond together, and share many of the dedicated EMS professionals pictured here.

This group photo is a reminder that serving our mountain communities isn't about county lines—it's about teamwork, partnerships, and a shared commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients.

Congratulations to each of tonight's graduates on reaching this milestone. Your hard work, perseverance, and dedication to the EMS profession have paid off, and we look forward to watching you continue to grow and serve the communities we are honored to call home.

From all of us at Yancey EMS, congratulations and well done! 👏🚑💙

05/30/2026

Today we remember Corey Pitman — a dedicated provider, teammate, and friend who left a lasting impact on our community and everyone who had the honor of working alongside him.

We were truly fortunate to know Corey and serve beside him. His passion for helping others, commitment to patient care, and dedication to our rural community will never be forgotten.

As we continue serving the people of our county, we hope to honor Corey’s legacy by always striving to provide the very best care, compassion, and outcomes possible for those who depend on us.

He may be gone, but the impact he made continues on through the lives he touched and the providers he inspired every day. 💚🚁🚑

His legacy is present in so much of what we do and so much of who are. Thanks CSP.

05/29/2026

Tonight’s the night! Come out and join us for some family fun!

** Mark your Calendars ** Join us for some fun **

Family Night Out
Mountain Heritage High School
May 29th, 2026
6-9 pm
Lots of fun!

05/27/2026

Happy Birthday Justin! We hope you had the best day!

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage, selflessness, and dedication to protecting the freedoms we enjoy will never be forgotten.

As we spend time with family and friends this Memorial Day, we ask everyone to take a moment to reflect on those who gave everything in service to our nation.

From all of us at Yancey EMS, we extend our deepest gratitude to our fallen heroes and their families. May we always remember their sacrifice. 🇺🇸

Wishing everyone a safe Memorial Day weekend.

05/23/2026

Last night we had the honor of celebrating the graduating seniors of Yancey County, and we just want to say how proud we are of this group of students.

This class has been through more than most. They pushed through a pandemic, the challenges that came with it, and the impacts of Hurricane Helene — all while continuing to work toward graduation. That says a lot about their resilience and determination.

No matter where life takes you next, whether it’s college, trade school, the workforce, or somewhere in between, we hope you chase your goals and make the most of every opportunity ahead of you.

Most importantly, we pray for your safety and success as you start this next chapter of life.

Congratulations Class of 2026 — Yancey County EMS is proud of you.

05/23/2026

As we wrap up EMS Week, I just want to take a minute to personally thank every member of Yancey EMS for what you do day in and day out for this county.

People see the ambulance when it’s going down the road with lights and sirens, but they don’t always see the sacrifices behind it. The missed holidays, birthdays, ballgames, family dinners, sleepless nights, long shifts, and the emotional toll that comes with constantly seeing people on some of the worst days of their lives. Yet somehow, every shift, our crews continue to show up and continue to care for complete strangers like their family.

Because of the dedication, education, and commitment from our crews, Yancey EMS continues to grow and expand the level of care we’re able to provide to this community. Whether it’s our K9 ALS Team, Wilderness ALS Response Team, expanded cardiac care, blood program development, ultrasound implementation, or continued protocol advancements — none of that happens without providers willing to put in the work behind the scenes.

A lot of hours go into training, preparation, and maintaining these specialties outside of normal call volume, and our crews continue to do it because they genuinely care about serving this county and improving patient care.

EMS is not an easy profession. It never has been. The reality is our providers are expected to make critical decisions in high stress situations, often in environments and conditions most people couldn’t imagine working in. They do it professionally, compassionately, and without hesitation. I know there will always be opinions from people who only see a small portion of what this job actually entails, but I can say without question that Yancey EMS is filled with some of the most dedicated public servants around.

Thank you all for your sacrifices, your professionalism, and your commitment to this community. I couldn’t be more proud of this team and what we continue to accomplish together.

Proud to serve alongside you all,

Kristy Bryant
Yancey County EMS Director

05/21/2026

Today’s EMS Week theme is “Save A Life Day,” and we’re proud to highlight another advancement coming to Yancey EMS that will help us do exactly that.

As part of our continued protocol updates and commitment to bringing higher levels of care to our community, Yancey EMS will now be carrying Heparin on our ambulances for patients experiencing a STEMI — a severe type of heart attack caused by a blocked coronary artery.

Heparin is an anticoagulant, or “blood thinner,” that helps prevent existing clots from getting larger and reduces the formation of new clots. By administering Heparin earlier in the prehospital setting, we can begin critical treatment before the patient even arrives at the hospital.

For our patients, this means:
✅Faster initiation of evidence-based STEMI care
✅Reduced delays to definitive treatment once arriving at the ER or cath lab
✅Improved continuity of care between EMS and hospital teams
✅Another step forward in bringing advanced cardiac care to our rural community

This update is another example of Yancey EMS continuing to evolve and expand the care we provide in the field. We are incredibly proud of our crews for their dedication to training, education, and delivering the highest level of patient care possible.

Saving lives starts long before the hospital doors — and we’re committed to bringing that care directly to our community. 💪🏼🚑💚