By Joel Spears

CHURCH HILL - As the paint and plaster begin to dry, a tentative June completion date has been set for the new Church Hill Emergency Medical Services (CHEMS) administration building.
    According to CHEMS President Fred Arnold, a new headquarters located near the intersection of West Main Boulevard and U.S. Highway 11W will serve the ambulance service's needs more efficiently with room to grow.
    "Where we are now, there is no room for storage or filing, plus with the growth we've experienced in the company there is no room to grow in the office," Arnold said.
    CHEMS Board of Directors discussed building a new administrative office for some time, according to Arnold, but only once enough cash was in reserve to pay off the debt.
    "The economy was in a turndown and the building was reasonably priced for a cash deal," he said.  So CHEMS went for it last winter and purchased land for the project- the first such deal in the company's history.
    At an estimated cost of $200,000 to $250,000, the new office - a 40-foot by 80-foot brick and masonry structure - is situated on approximately one acre and will include a lobby, a dispatch center, a billing department, three fireproof file rooms, a kitchenette, a small conference room, and additional office spaces.  The design also matches CHEMS Station No. 2 in Mount Carmel.
    Arnold said the board of directors began a growth plan for CHEMS five years ago with the intent to replace stations in Kingsport and Mount Carmel, then build a new administration building in Church Hill.
    Since then the company has done all of the above and begun to provide EMS service to the Town of Surgoinsville.  Arnold said there are plans to build another new station there when funds become available.  He also noted another station will eventually be constructed in Church Hill beside the new headquarters.   
    "We don't go in debt," he said. "We won't build unless we have the money saved.  That's why we invest in these properties, to build our assets." 
    While Church Hill EMS receives $30,000 from Hawkins County, Arnold reiterated that none of it is used for general expenses or construction costs.  Instead, the county's contribution is placed into savings and used to pay for indigent care for those who qualify or who might not be able to afford ambulance transportation.
    Once the current office is vacated by CHEMS administration, Church Hill Rescue Squad will remain there along with a CHEMS truck.
    Church Hill EMS began operating from its present location on West Main Boulevard near Jefferson Avenue in the 1960s.