Prior to organizing the District, Kirksville and area funeral homes provided ambulance service until the passage of the Missouri Ambulance District Law. When the law took effect, the licensing standards and regulations were too costly for the funeral homes to continue providing ambulance service. Initially the City of Kirksville attempted to operate an ambulance service with volunteers, however, it soon became apparent there were a number of unforeseen problems. Eventually an agreement between the City of Kirksville and the County of Adair with the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) and it teaching hospital, Kirksville Osteopathic Hospital (then KOH, now Northeast Regional Medical Center, NRMC) to provide ambulance service for all of Adair County. The County of Adair and the City of Kirksville provided an annual subsidy of $50,000.
Several years later, KCOM requested a $50,000 increase in the annual subsidy to offset lost revenue and increased expenses. The County of Adair and the City of Kirksville rejected the request, prompting KCOM to give notice that ambulance service would be discontinued effective January 1, 1985. The Adair County Commission decided to place the creation of an ambulance district and impose a fifteen cent property tax levy for operations on the 1984 August Primary. The citizens of Adair county voted in favor of the ambulance district and tax levy. In November, voters elected six ambulance district directors in the General Election.
In 1996 construction began for the current District base at 606 W Potter Avenue. The new headquarters included a 50’x50’ four bay garage and a 40’x50’ building with a full basement for offices and crew quarters. In 2002 the need for adequate space to conduct classes for first responders, EMTs, Paramedics, and the community, the Board and staff began planning a new training center to be built on the East of the current headquarters. As planning of the training center began, Air Evac Life Team of West Plains, MO and the Staff for Life base at University of Missouri Hospitals in Columbia, MO expressed interest in setting up operations in the Kirksville area. A partnership was reached with Air Evac Life Team. The training center plans included a hangar, heliport, and crew quarters for the Air Evac Team to rent and utilize.
The District continues to grow. In 2008, the District acquired the property located at 508 W Potter. The Air Evac crew remodeled the West portion of the building and currently has their quarters there. The District uses the remainder of the building for storage and mechanical work. In 2011, the District purchased 706 W Potter and this is now the Administrative Offices. Property located at 708 W Potter was purchased in 2013 and is now the ACADemy.
