Cooke County — Cooke County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Administrator Kevin Grant seems to be a ‘we’ kind of guy, meaning, he isn't about to just take all the credit for something himself, but continually recognizes he is part of a team: the work team, the marriage team, the church team.

He continually speaks highly of his work team at the EMS department.

“We have a very good professional team,” Grant said, as he gives recognition to the 14 EMS employees who received the First Great Responder Awards through CareFlite last week. He is proud to tell that the employees were recognized for their assistance in the serious Sept. 29 2009 accident on Highway 82 involving an 18-wheeler transporting heavy pipes.

Grant stepped into the shoes of EMS administrator on March 29 and now oversees all areas of Cooke County when it comes to providing medical care and emergency transportation for patients who are ill or injured at sites that include residences and accidents.

He pointed out that EMS is not part of the fire department, as most people seem to think, but noted the two departments often work together to get their job responsibilities accomplished.

When a 9-1-1 call comes in, Grant said it goes to the Gainesville Police Department or the Cooke County Sheriff's Office, and they dispatch an EMS ambulance to the site when the situation calls for it.

“In some areas the local fire department is the 'first responder' as they are often the first to arrive, especially in outlying areas,” he noted. “When EMS arrives, it is their job to take over the medical care of the person(s).”

Grant’s leadership style seems to be progressive, meaning he allows input from others and actually wants to hear what they have to say. It is important to him that everyone on the team is a solution provider, that they can think out-of-the box and that they take pride in what they do and how they work.

Goals and an action plan are always on the chart and in his mind and he keeps customer service at the top of the list for the EMS department.

“I want to make sure that the citizens we serve are getting best service possible,” he said.

His management strategy is to evaluate, to find out if and where there are weakness as far as job duties, individual work and system processes. The next step is to determine what needs to be done to turn weaknesses into strengths, and then to help make that happen.

Grant has been in some aspect of EMS for 31 years and said he “fell in love with it” when he started out as a volunteer firefighter. His career moves include emergency medical technician, chief information officer, general manager and director.

He spent 30 years in the private sector of EMS in ambulance service and was widely-trained and involved in areas including the dispatch center and billing department before moving to Cooke County.

Regarding Texas, Grant said, “I love it.” He has family in Lake Dallas and through the years has visited the state once or twice each year. In fact, about eight years ago, he and his wife, Carol, considered moving here.

“But, that door didn't open at that time,” he noted.

Before their venture to Cooke County, they lived in a small town of about 200 people near Sacramento, Calif.

“We're used to the rural life,” he noted, and said the residents and county personnel here have welcomed them with open arms.

“My wife is excited about the new move.” he said. “We couldn't pick a better place to live...God had a place for us.”

They have two grown daughters and three grandkids.

Grant was born in Oakland, Calif., raised in the San Francisco Bay area and spent his whole career in Sacramento before moving here.

He earned a doctorate degree in public health with Columbia State University in Louisiana and completed his thesis on “High Performance EMS Systems.” He tried to talk down his degree, but said it has helped him in his career.

For fun, he and Carol love to go “RVing” and he loves to fish for fish of any kind, but especially bass. They also love animals and have two dogs. He is a licensed minister and served as a college pastor before his relocation to a home near Lake Kiowa.

“My passion is God, family and friends, and my marriage,” he noted.

Grant said he and Carol plan to retire here in Cooke County, when the time comes, because they like it here and feel at home.