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National Emergency Medical Services Week is always celebrated the third full week of May. This year the week-long event falls on May 19th through May 25th. This year marks the 50th anniversary of EMS week and this year’s theme being “Honoring Our Past”. National EMS Week is a time to celebrate and recognize those that serve the community while educating the public about EMS and the services that they provide.

The Wagner-Lake Andes Ambulance District was formed in 2000 in order to help alleviate the financial burdens and staffing issues that both the Wagner and Lake Andes Ambulance Departments were facing. Prior to 2000, Wagner and Lake Andes each had their own ambulance services. The Wagner-Lake Andes Ambulance District is governed by nine board members that include Joel Kotab, Tammy Johannsen, Courtney Hanson, Audrey Petrik, Jasmine Kreeger, Mike Johnson, Jenna Leibel, Ray Parker and Kathy Fuchs. Wagner has three Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) s and five drivers. Lake Andes has four EMTs and three drivers. The staff members do not work with a set partner as it is important for all staff members to be able to work together so that things flow smoothly in any situation. Each EMT must be recertified every two years and need 48s hours of training. Ambulance drivers are required to have a valid driver’s license and be current in their CPR training.

Members of the Wagner Ambulance team are the three EMTs Lisa Lightenberg, Kristina Ymker and Tanner Hento, and the five drivers are Gina Woods Carda, David Lane, Adam Mora, Allison Red Buffalo and Dave Hewitt. Members of the Lake Andes Ambulance team include the four EMTs Alan Tronvold, Rudolph Ulrich, and Will Bennett and the three drivers are Dallas Tronvold, Cody Svatos, and Josh Kaczor.

Bev Steinmark

The heart of the Wagner-Lake Andes Ambulance District has to be their office manager, Bev Steinmark. Bev worked as an EMT for 38 years and 16 years as the office manager for the Wagner-Lake Andes Ambulance District before retiring two years ago. After only two years into her retirement, Bev decided that it was time to return to the office. Bev has been back working for the ambulance district for the past three and a half months. Bev’s lifelong dedication to the Emergency Medical Services is incredible and definitely deserves to be recognized.

Lisa Lightenberg

Lisa Lightenberg has been an EMT since 2010. She first learned basic EMT skills when she was a lifeguard. After being talked into becoming an EMT by a relative, Lisa then worked for Med-Star in Brandon before taking a position with the Wagner Ambulance Department. Lisa’s specific job when she is on duty is patient care, but she is also trained to drive an ambulance. What motivates Lisa to be an EMT is helping others, saving lives and the fact that she loves the medical field. Her motivation also coincides with the best parts of her job which are saving lives, meeting people and making people smile. One of the most challenging aspects of the job, especially as an ambulance driver would be not getting stuck in the snow or the mud or backing into a pole during an emergency. Lisa has five children and three grandchildren. She is also very active in her church, the Lighthouse Church, and is a part of the restoration ministry team through spirit move. In her free time, Lisa enjoys traveling and raising Pomeranians.

Kristina Ymker

Kristina Ymker has been a member of the Wagner Ambulance Department for the past five of the nine years that she has been an EMT. Before joining the ambulance crew, she had worked at Ymker Greenhouse and Landscaping and Bechen & Company. She volunteered with the Douglas County Armour Ambulance since 2014 when she first took the Emergency Vehicle Operation Course (EVOC). Kristina is currently studying at Southeast Tech to get a degree in Paramedic Science. Kristina’s oldest sister was an EMT and talked Kristina into taking the EVOC. After going on her first call with the Armour Ambulance Department she was hooked and began taking EMT classes a month later. Even though Kristina is qualified to both drive the ambulance and as an EMT, it is most often that her duty requires her to provide patient care. She is motivated by the challenge of keeping up with the ever-changing EMS/healthcare world to provide the best possible patient care in any type of situation. Kristina finds it very rewarding knowing that she has helped someone on their worst day or has possibly saved their life. The best part of the job for Kristina is when everyone lives, and she gets to go home safe at the end of her shift. Some of the challenges include making sure to remember that she did her best for the patient even if the outcome was not as she had hoped. Kristina has 12 siblings and 23 nieces and nephews. She also volunteers as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and as an EMT for Douglas County Armour Ambulance. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, landscaping, gardening kayaking, biking and spending time with her nieces and nephews.

Tanner Hento

Tanner Hento has been a part of the Wagner Ambulance Department for the past 11 years. This was the first and only department that he has served since he passed his examination. Tanner has double bachelor’s degrees in biology and English and he farms full time with his brother outside of Avon. He first pursued becoming an EMT as he wanted to become a physician and wanted some experience to further his knowledge in the medical field. Tanner is qualified as both an ambulance driver as well as an EMT but finds that he is most often providing patient care. Tanner’s motivation for this line of work is that he likes having a connection to the community around him and he finds that being an EMT provides him with that opportunity. The best part of the job for Tanner is knowing that Wagner is a high need area for emergency services and knowing that he can help fill that critical need for the community. One of the biggest challenges for Tanner is the drive home from late night transfers; keeping himself awake at 4 a.m. is not always the easiest task. Tanner has a brother, Scott, and two nephews, Klase and Kallen. He also serves on the South Dakota Soybean Association as the Secretary as a Big Friend/Little Friend in Mitchell. In his free time, he enjoys fitness, spending time on the river and traveling.

Gina Woods Carda

Gina has been a member of the Wagner Ambulance Department since September of 2022. In high school, Gina worked as a CNA and then attended nursing school until she graduated in 2003. She currently works as a nurse at the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. Gina first became interested in becoming an ambulance driver because she wanted to help the Wagner community. Her specific job while on duty is to drive the ambulance, but she is always willing to grab the cot and other supplies that her EMT needs to help provide the best patient care possible. What motivates Gina to be a part of the EMS team is that good feeling to know that she gets to help out her community. Since she is already a member of the health care community, driving for the ambulance department helps keep her busy on her days off from the prison. The best part of the job for Gina is she has witnessed seeing EMT’s bring a life back and then later getting to hear about the person that was saved and how they are doing. She also loves how members of the community are always willing to help guide them to the scene or jump in if needed. Gina loves seeing the Wagner community come together to help others and save lives. One of the more challenging aspects of the job for Gina as a driver is when people do not pull over to get out of the way of the ambulance, it is frustrating. Gina is the proud mom to four sons, Brayden 22; Nolan 21; Corbin 19; and Leighton 16. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and watching her boys’ baseball and softball games.

David Lane

David Lane has been an ambulance driver for the Wagner Ambulance Department for the past year and a half. David is not a newbie to the sights and challenges of being a first responder. David is an Army Veteran, has taken multiple first aid courses and has been a member of the Avon Fire Department for the past six years. He wanted to become a part of the EMS team because he wanted to be able to help the surrounding area and people in need. David is motivated to do this work because he wants to be able to help people in their time of need on a day that could potentially be the worst day of their life. For David, the best part of his job is knowing that he actually made a good positive difference in a bad situation. The most challenging part would be the unknown. It is the what ifs or what could he have done better on those tough calls that are the most difficult for David. David is married with five children. In his free time, he enjoys hunting and fishing.

Thank you to the incredible team of EMTs, ambulance drivers and office personnel that take amazing careof theresidentsof Wagnerwhen they are called to. Your dedication and service does not go unnoticed.