Per the SCEMSA bylaws, all active members shall have the opportunity to cast a vote for all directors for a specified period.

The President-elect will only be voted on by the main contact of organizational members with each agency getting one vote.

The 2026 SCEMSA Board Elections will be open for voting for seven calendar days from February 25 through March 3, 2026.

Please read the biographical information below about the candidates and why they want to be on the board. Then login to the SCEMSA website and follow the voting instructions at the bottom of this page.

Nominees - board of directors Ballot

Large Private Ground Provider Representative

David Abrams, Priority Ambulance

My experiences allow me a unique perspective in the EMS industry, adding value as a board member or committee member to advance and evolve EMS in South Carolina and beyond.  I'm invested in South Carolina EMS, and have worked as a director or chief in small private, hospital based, county 3rd service, and large corporate roles. I also understand and appreciate many of our entrepeneurs in the state, as I too experienced a cold start private service in 2001, which I served as Director for seven years. Influencing the future of EMS in South Carolina is not just real for me, it's an imperative lively hood and life-saving need for the industry nation-wide.

Credential wise, I have a law license from Georgia, have a Associate Degree of Nursing with an active RN license in South Carolina, have been a paramedic since 1996 and hold a Bachelors Degree in English from The Citadel.

When I operated my own service from 2001 to 2008, I brought billing in-house and handled all claim submissions from 2005 onward. This was a result of my billing company not understanding CMS regulations. From this, I have years of following the life of a claim from dispatch to final close out, including claim submissions, appeals, postings, and droves of EOB interpretation. This is where my RCM knowledge finds its base - practical first hand experience.

Innovation is life. At Charleston, we resolved staffing issues by initiating an EMT Academy that has graduated 5 classes of 20+ EMTs and worked with the SCEMSA to pilot two cohorts of Austrailian Paramedics, two of whom remain with Charleston County EMS. We also were awarded the J Mitchell Graham award for innovation by launching our tele-psych program in partnership with Charleston-Dorchester Mental Health which is still in use today. Like the EMSA, innovation requires partnership and vision, and I hold this in common with the future of our Association.

I've served as an expert witness in defense of EMS agencies on several civil cases. I'm well versed in health care regulations including, but not limited to, claim submission regualtions from CMS, False Claims Act, Reverse False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statutes, HIPAA and privacy obligations. This gives me insight.

The SC EMS Association is the leader of innovation and is at the frontier of a new age for what is EMS. I can help in that mission.

David Cooley, Medshore/Guardian Ambulance Service

It is my pleasure to nominate David Thompson Cooley for the Large Private Ground Provider seat on the South Carolina Emergency Medical Services Association (SCEMSA) Board of Directors. David has dedicated more than 28 years to emergency services, including 26 years as a paramedic, building a career that spans 911 response, private ground transport, and specialized ground critical care transport. His depth of experience across multiple delivery models gives him a well-rounded and practical understanding of the challenges facing EMS providers in South Carolina today.

David is board certified as both a Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C) and a Flight Paramedic (FP-C), and he has consistently sought opportunities to advance clinical excellence, operational efficiency, and professional standards. Beyond his clinical work, he has held leadership and management roles overseeing ambulance operations, staffing, fleet maintenance, budgeting, quality assurance, and contract management for major healthcare systems. His involvement in accreditation processes, stroke system development, and interfacility transport agreements reflects his commitment to system-wide improvement rather than isolated success.

David’s commitment to the EMS profession extends well beyond his employer. He has served as a state delegate and as a member of the Board of Directors for the International College of Advanced Practice Paramedics, where he represented ground critical care providers and worked nationally to elevate the profession. He has also contributed as a subject matter expert for national critical care paramedic job analyses and remains actively engaged in SCEMSA through legislative advocacy, education, town halls, and participation in EMS economics initiatives.

Equally important is David’s longstanding service to his community. Over the years, he has volunteered as a firefighter, rescue squad paramedic, reserve deputy, and state constable. Today, he continues to give back through civic and charitable organizations, first responder support initiatives, and youth leadership as a Cub Scout den leader. David Cooley’s experience, integrity, and sustained commitment to EMS make him an exceptional candidate to represent large private ground providers on the SCEMSA Board of Directors.

Russell Garner, MedTrust

Russell Garner currently serves as Sr. Operations Manager for MedTrust/MMT in South Carolina.  He has been with the company for 5 years after spending time with Atrium and Piedmont as a provider and Supervisor.  Russell served as Shelter Manager in Buncombe County for their Medical Needs Shelter through a MedTrust deployment as well as having worked as a Community and Critical Care Paramedic for Atrium. 

He personifies the selfless commitment to the profession, even leaving his home with several trees through the roof, to go serve those affected by Hurricane Helene in Asheville.  He has oversight of more than 300 providers in SC and is a "lead from the front" member of our Leadership Team.  Russell's background in Public/Private/Hospital-Based and Fire make him uniquely qualified to add thoughtful perspective in Board discussions and he is respectful and has tremendous integrity, especially when times are challenging.

Russell also has a BBA in Healthcare Administration from Liberty University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  While I will detail more below, Russell has attended and participated on his own time and often at his own cost in multiple SCEMSA sponsored Events, Meetings and Opportunities.

Licensed Emergency Medical Physician

Dr. Robert (Bobby) Ridgeway, Clarendon County Fire & EMS (incumbent)

Medical Control physician for Clarendon County, Medical Control Physician for Pee Dee Regional EMS, Inc. Dr. Ridgeway is very active in all things EMS. He sits on the SC Medical Control committee. He has extensive experience in EMS and is a past representative for Clarendon County in the SC House of Representatives. He is known for his no nonsense approach to EMS and the support they need.

Pee Dee/Lowcountry At-Large Representative

Robert (Bobby) Hingst, Clarendon County EMS (incumbent)

Bobby has been in EMS for multiple years both as a service Director and actively involved in Patient care. He has worked for both County and combination based services. His leadership and teaching ability are unmatched in his dedication to serving his community.

Small 911 Ground Provider

Eric Harold, Union County EMS (incumbent)

Eric currently holds the seat of 911 Small Ground Provider on the SCEMSA board and has for the last 8 years. He continues to exhibit dedication to not only Union County EMS, but also to the EMS association. Eric has been in EMS for 37 years, with the last 10 of those leading Union County EMS as the director. Over the last year, Eric has participated in a variety of committee meetings as well as participating in strategic planning for the association at the board of directors retreat. He also served on the Beta test group in regards to OSHA changes. He continues to be active in projects through the board of directors.

Jacob Starnes, Saluda County

I, Jacob Starnes, am honored to submit my name as a candidate for the South Carolina EMS Association Board of Directors Small 911 Ground Provider Representative. I currently serve as EMS Director in a rural South Carolina county and was elected to serve on the SCEMSA Foundation Board in 2025. My passion for serving others not only includes emergency medicine as I have been an active volunteer fire fighter for 26 years. During my 25 years at Saluda County EMS, I have spent my career working in and leading a small EMS system that faces unique challenges such as limited funding, workforce shortages, extended response times, and increasing clinical expectations with few resources. Under my leadership as director, Saluda County EMS has been awarded 2016 Large Service of the Year, 2017 EMS Director of the Year, 2021 PEIR Award, and 2024 Small EMS System of the Year. While I am grateful for these honors, they ultimately reflect the strength of rural EMS when given a voice, support, and representation.

Throughout my tenure, I have focused on progressive, sustainable improvement. I have emphasized provider development, fiscal responsibility, and community trust while maintaining high clinical standards. Under my leadership, our agency has implemented a prehospital blood program, expanding access to lifesaving care that was once considered unrealistic for a small county service.

I am seeking this position as small EMS services need strong, experienced advocacy at the state level.

As the Small 911 Ground Provider Representative, I will:
● Advocate for practical, realistic solutions that work for rural and small agencies
● Serve as a direct voice for directors and providers who often feel overlooked
● Promote clinical advancement while respecting operational limitations
● Support recruitment, retention, and leadership development across small services
● Work collaboratively and not competitively to strengthen EMS statewide
I am deeply committed to the future of EMS in South Carolina and believe my experience, credibility, and passion for small, rural EMS services will be a great asset to the South Carolina EMS Association. 

Nominees - President-elect Ballot

The President-elect will only be voted on by the main contact of organizational members with each agency getting one vote.

President-Elect

Clayton Catoe, Lancaster County EMS

Clay Catoe has served the EMS field and fire service for over 30 years. He has been the Director of Lancaster County EMS for the last 14 year and currently serves on the SCEMSA Board of Directors as the Large 911 Provider Representative. Mr. Catoe brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication and experience to the Association. I am confident he will continue to contribute to the ongoing success of the SCEMSA. Therefore, it's my honor to nominate Mr. Clayton Catoe for the position of President-Elect.

Aaron Dix, Prisma Health

Aaron Dix, MBA, NRP, is the Administrator of Mobile Medicine and Patient Logistics at Prisma Health. Dix oversees a large EMS division, a consolidated communications center, a robust Mobile Integrated Health program, Patient Flow operations, emergency management, fleet for the largest health system in South Carolina.  In addition to his role at Prisma Health, he is a Clear Spring Fire Rescue commissioner, an executive board member of the SC EMS Association, and instructor of healthcare policy at Columbia College. He also serves on numerous advisory boards and is a frequent author and speaker. While serving as the senior leader of Prisma Health EMS, accreditations have been granted by CAAS, camts, and APCO as well as Mission LifeLine Gold and Peds ALS ready. Most recently, PHEMS was recognized as a Beacon Agency by the Resuscitation Academy Foundation.

Mark Self, Pee Dee Regional EMS

During my career I have served in both volunteer services as well as paid services in multiple types of services within South Carolina. Everything from rural services to large city services and everything in between. I have worked private EMS, Public (mostly county based) but I have also worked fire based systems as well as volunteer services. I have been and continue to be active, in all of the South Carolina based EMS Advisory Committees from the SC EMS Training Committee as well as the SC EMS Advisory Committee. I am vice Chair of the SC EMS Foundation currently which seeks to provide funding for EMS providers seeking to begin or continue to advance their careers in Emergency Medical Service.