In just two years the Lawrence County Emergency Medical Services has gone from nonexistent to the top of the proverbial mountain.

The county-run ambulance service was recently named the 2012 EMS Paid Agency of the Year. The award is presented by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of EMS, and the Ohio Chapter of Emergency College of Emergency Physicians.

This is a tremendous success story for the agency that was hurriedly created in 2011 after the partners in SEOEMS, an agency we long felt was being subsidized by Lawrence County taxpayers, abruptly pulled out.

Add to that accomplishment the fact that the agency has operated well under budget in its first two years combined.

By virtually any measurement, Lawrence County leaders and EMS administrators should be commended for a job well done.

We hope that the county and the LCEMS are pleased but not satisfied. The focus should be on continuing to improve efficiency, quality of care and shifting the full cost burden on to those who use the service.

One key to success is how an individual or agency handles it. The Lawrence County EMS has shown it has the ability to respond well.