Red STAR Wilderness EMS

Red STAR Wilderness EMS RedSTAR was formerly the volunteer Wilderness EMS unit of Powell County Ambulance Service in Kentucky's Red River Gorge.

Today, we offer world class wilderness medical training. As the wilderness special operations unit of Kentucky's Powell County Ambulance Service, RedSTAR provides specially trained and highly capable medical providers to Powell County's Search and Rescue team. We are the only purpose-built, specialized, wilderness-capable Advanced Life Support team in the Red River Gorge. Our roster consists of ha

nd-picked Paramedics, RN's, and Physicians who have demonstrated clinical excellence and backcountry fitness, and receive specialized training in wilderness medicine, rope rescue skills, and search and rescue tactics. Our EMT's, who must demonstrate the same skill level and receive the same training, specialize in assisting our advanced providers with critical wilderness care.

Join us in congratulating RedSTAR member Dr. Eric Fuchs, who was inducted today into the Kentucky Society of Athletic Tr...
06/04/2026

Join us in congratulating RedSTAR member Dr. Eric Fuchs, who was inducted today into the Kentucky Society of Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame!

Dr. Fuchs is a professor of Exercise and Sports Science at EKU, an Advanced EMT, and a veteran Athletic Trainer who is nationally renowned for his expertise in sports medicine. With a lengthy resume in search and rescue and EMS in several states, Dr. Fuchs’ skills have been particularly valuable at the numerous wilderness athletic events that we staffed when we were clinically operational. These days, he continues to be a crucial member of our instructor cadre, helping to teach WMSO, HAMR, and several of the specialized skills that are shared between the Athletic Training and Advanced Practice Paramedic scopes of practice.

Reviews like this- from fellow EMS professionals- mean a lot to us! As professional instructors, our primary goal is tha...
05/29/2026

Reviews like this- from fellow EMS professionals- mean a lot to us! As professional instructors, our primary goal is that students leave our courses having learned things that are useful, through structured curricula that challenges them in positive ways.

05/24/2026

“This was one of the most challenging courses I’ve attended. The whole crew from Red River Rescue and RedSTAR do a phenomenal job.”

And that’s a wrap on HAMR 2026! After a final morning of competition lanes that stressed decision making under time cons...
05/22/2026

And that’s a wrap on HAMR 2026! After a final morning of competition lanes that stressed decision making under time constraints, 17 new High Angle Medical Rescue graduates head back to their home agencies with the knowledge and confidence to provide full-scope patient care in a variety of high angle situations.

Thanks to our partners at Red River Rescue, to all of the instructors who make this knowledge sharing possible, and to our students.

“Better that we raise our skill than lower the climb.” -Royal Robbins

Day 4 of High Angle Medical Rescue brought the students an arborist with a chain saw injury, suspension syndrome pickoff...
05/22/2026

Day 4 of High Angle Medical Rescue brought the students an arborist with a chain saw injury, suspension syndrome pickoffs, an overdose on an overlook, manual calculations of MAP and SI, even more rain and mud. With temperatures hovering around 60F and a steady downpour throughout the scenarios, teams had a real world imperative to keep their patient role players warm and dry- using several different purpose-built products and improvisational techniques.

Huge thanks to Mother Nature for keeping it real, and to Kristin “Mother Goose” Gousse for keeping us fed!

HAMR Day 3 featured ventilators, compact traction splints, EJ’s, cross hauls and a torrential rain storm. Despite being ...
05/20/2026

HAMR Day 3 featured ventilators, compact traction splints, EJ’s, cross hauls and a torrential rain storm. Despite being soaked to the bone, our students kept a great attitude through it all! Tomorrow brings three more scenarios, few more skill stations, and more rain!

Delivering courses like High Angle Medical Rescue isn’t possible without world class instructors, who live and breathe m...
05/20/2026

Delivering courses like High Angle Medical Rescue isn’t possible without world class instructors, who live and breathe medical rope rescue. These individuals also put in significant time on course prep, logistics, moulage, equipment rehab, and more. Here are just some of the instructors from our cadre and from Red River Rescue who make it all happen. Our thanks to them and those not pictured!

The slide projector is packed up for Day 2 of High Angle Medical Rescue, which covers suspension syndrome, patient packa...
05/19/2026

The slide projector is packed up for Day 2 of High Angle Medical Rescue, which covers suspension syndrome, patient packaging, various types of lightweight litters, and how to construct different types of anchors and rope systems. It’s 86F in the shade, but the coolers are icy, the Middlefork Fire/Rescue bay is a respite from the heat, and the students are dialed in!

We kicked off this year’s High Angle Medical Rescue course today with 17 students from places as far flung as Arkansas, ...
05/18/2026

We kicked off this year’s High Angle Medical Rescue course today with 17 students from places as far flung as Arkansas, North Dakota, and British Columbia- as well as a several from right up the road.

Day 1 covers foundational lectures, and some hands-on practice with high acuity airway skills. By the end of the week, students will have demonstrated a dozen different categories of rope rescue skills and completed six different multi-hour patient care scenarios.

Thanks to Middlefork Fire/Rescue for hosting us!

Our members were back in the air last month, honing their hoist rescue skills on KSP’s brand new Bell 429 as part of KY ...
05/05/2026

Our members were back in the air last month, honing their hoist rescue skills on KSP’s brand new Bell 429 as part of KY HART (Heloaquatic Rescue Team). In total, eight of our members participate in KY USAR TF-1, TF-2, and HART through their various affiliations.

Address

140 North Madison Avenue PO Box 160
Richmond, KY
40476

Telephone

+16066630376

Website

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