LifeNet appoints new director of operations
Klay Hall, a firefighter, paramedic and teacher with a combined 29 years of experience, was named the new director of operations for LifeNet in Hot Springs July 1 and plans to use the position to invest in the future of local paramedics and EMTs.
Hall has worked at National Park College for the last five years teaching people how to be paramedics, but he said his new position will allow him to teach paramedics how to grow in their position.
“My job is obviously to oversee operations, but a part of that is to guide them (paramedics) down a positive path that not only helps their career grow in a positive direction, but it also helps continue our company down a positive direction.”
He said he plans to implement mentor programs and management training for entry-level paramedics and EMTs.
“Mentoring is a great way to help that person go from the school setting to the work setting and still continue their growth,” Hall said. “I’d also like to see management training. We’ve got a lot of young paramedics out there who are looking at their future and their career, so if they’re thinking ‘someday I want to be a supervisor and a manager and climb that ladder,’ let’s start now. Don’t wait until they’re eligible. Let’s start now while they’re young, they’re excited, and let’s start some training, gearing up for our next generation of
leaders. I think that’s also great for morale.”
He said he would also like to implement special operations training to prepare paramedics for mass casualty situations.
“Since we’re a tourist area … I feel like we need to provide the best possible EMS service to our city and community during special events. … Obviously, things that everyone in the country faces as the world changes is (an) active shooter. We’ve begun to actively step into those roles and start thinking about how are we going to handle those in our community. We don’t want it to happen, but we have to face the world we live in.”
Hall said he is entering his new position with an open mind to the new areas of expertise it will expose him to, while also bringing the expertise he already has.
“I’m a servant leader, which means my job is to knock down the hurdles in front of all the folks that work here in Hot Springs so that they can succeed. If they succeed, then I succeed and the company succeeds. I’ve found that that style of leadership not only suits me well, but people respond to it very well. … It actually builds closeness and unity among a group of people.”
He said helping both his colleagues and the public serves as his motivation.
“As I said, I’m a servant leader. So when there is someone on our team who is trying to reach a goal, and I’m able to do something in my position to help them succeed, that motivates me. I’m also a very driven and motivated person, constantly pushing myself to be better … but the ultimate motivator is helping people. We’re in a servant-driven business.”
Having worked in both areas of firefighting and EMS, Hall said he is more prepared for his new position.
“I was very blessed and fortunate to have worked in EMS on both the fire department side and the ambulance side. I’ve also worked in metro areas and I’ve worked in rural Arkansas, so I’ve been able to see all of the different facets in EMS from rural to metro. On top of that, just years of experience on emergency scenes brings you to a point where you manage the stress and the chaos. You learn how to handle it better … I think my many years of experience on both sides, fire and EMS, led me to not only understand both fire and EMS, which is advantageous, but also just to be a good scene commander.”
Hall describes his newly appointed position as a goal reached.
“To be director at this level, if you will, is something I’ve had my mindset on. … It’s definitely someplace I enjoy and I plan on being here for a long time. Our LifeNet mission is to provide our customers and communities with quality out of hospital care and transportation. And for us, the patient comes first, no exception … and I believe in that,” he said.
“So I use my long-term goals to become a leader, to be trained as such, and now that I’m here I want to make sure that mission is fulfilled for Hot Spring and Garland counties. Our community, when they’re in chaos they’re asking us to bring the calm to their lives at that moment, and that’s our job, and to do a great job at it. So I’m excited about that opportunity.”