1“Nevada EMS: A History of Emergency Medical Services in Nevada” written by Dr. Elwood Schmidt, is an oral history of nearly 150 EMT’s from every Nevada county from the founding days through today.

Those who are familiar with Mineral County know that the Mineral County Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services would not be the same without the Moody-Nixon-Reuter families who have practiced and honed their techniques on many residents in the county.

The legacy began with Lowell Moody, a volunteer fire chief in the 1940’s. Three generations later, Kyle Reuter, a 2004 Mineral County High School graduate, is a certified first responder and ambulance driver. His younger sister, Lindsey Ives, also a graduate of MCHS with the class of 2008 is a certified EMT. She is joined by her husband, David, who too is a first responder and drives the ambulance.

The book recognizes those within the emergency medical service profession – both volunteer and professional – as Dr. Schmidt worded with many EMT’s throughout his career.

When he wondered why no one had written about the people who have treated the victims of car wrecks, fires and other emergencies, his wife, Nancy Cummings, told him, “You do it.” So Schmidt did.

The book details how many like the Moody-Nixon-Reuter’s have become EMT’s, recalling their most memorable calls, even those which didn’t have happy endings.

Also noted in the book, is longtime resident, Al Ferrell, who wanted to become a firefighter like his father. He joined the Mineral County Fire Department in 1977 and took EMT training. Along the way, he has delivered three babies and recalls that his most difficult calls were the seriously ill and abused or injured children.

Today, with volunteerism criticized, it should be noted that on their own time, volunteers spend over 160 hours preparing before even going on their first call. The training doesn’t continue afterward certifying. With new techniques and devices, training is ongoing.