TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation has a new fleet of ambulances to better serve tribal citizens during emergencies that was purchased with the $54 million investment into Cherokee Nation Emergency Services by Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner.
The 10 state-of-the-art ambulances will be on the street and in service later this month.
The new blue and gray ambulances with the Cherokee Nation Seal feature a Bluetooth radio system that allows paramedics to communicate from the front to the back of the ambulances, a sliding side door for better roadside safety, and all top-of-the-line equipment inside.
In 2022, Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner announced the $54 million investment after meeting with the Cherokee Nation EMS staff and soliciting feedback from the department while discussing plans to bolster facilities and fleet services.
The proposal was later approved by the Council of the Cherokee Nation as part of the tribe’s ARPA funded Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan, a framework of over a billion dollars of short term and long-term investments and economic support benefiting Cherokee Nation citizens and communities.
“We all have a stake in efficient and effective emergency services, so when we have the resources to assist, we will do what is needed for our most vulnerable citizens in their time of emergency needs,” Chief Hoskin said. “Under our Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan, the Cherokee Nation has committed millions to our own public safety programs, including a new ambulance fleet and EMS headquarters. This investment reflects the Cherokee Nation’s ongoing commitment to building a safer future for the Cherokee people.”
Along with the arrival of the new ambulance fleet, Cherokee Nation Emergency Medical Services is launching a new Paramedic Education Program accredited by Oklahoma State University to train new paramedic providers and helping address the shortages being experienced across the United States, including within some Cherokee communities.
“As the demand for paramedics continues to increase, we are also responsible for ensuring they have the necessary equipment to perform their duties that are most effective,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “This new fleet of ambulances will be instrumental in making a crucial difference in emergency situations."
To further public safety efforts, the Cherokee Nation also broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art, 61,500-square-foot public safety building that will be in Tahlequah near the tribe’s current EMS and Marshal Service facilities. The building is expected to be completed by early 2026.
For more information about Emergency Services or to apply to the Paramedic Education Program, contact Cherokee Nation EMS at 918-453-5200.