By Carla Slavey
Commonwealth Journal
It is true that EMS Chief Steven Eubank is a man of few words. Because of that, he tries to make them count.
For example: A Commonwealth Journal reporter was asking him questions about his upcoming retirement, and ended with a catch-all 鈥渋s there anything you want the public to know?鈥�
Instead of talking about himself, Eubank stated, 鈥淧ull to the right. Pay attention. Put your cell phones down.鈥�
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In other words, instead of being concerned about himself, his final thoughts were about how to make the job safer when his fellow EMTs and Paramedics were on the call with lights and sirens on.
Eubank officially retired from Somerset-Pulaski County EMS on July 31 after 24 years of service.
The last seven of those have been as chief. Before that, from 2013 to 2018, he served as assistant chief.
With so many emergency responders, 鈥渞etirement鈥� is not always the end of their service career. So is Eubank鈥檚 announcement of his retirement going to be a final farewell?
鈥淭he answer I鈥檝e been giving to that is, I鈥檓 going to retire, and then make decisions from the space of (having) no pressure,鈥� he said.
There is the possibility of still being involved in Kentucky EMS, he said, but there are 鈥渘o promises and no solid plans.鈥�
Other than that, Eubank said his plans were to work on his farm and do some projects around the house that he has been putting off.
Eubank announced his retirement back in May, with July 31 being given as his last day.
Since then, the City of Somerset has hired Tracy Sizemore to replace him. Not only do the two share a love of helping others, they share a hometown in the northern Pulaski city of Eubank.
In fact, Sizemore said she had been friends with Chief Eubank鈥檚 sister growing up, a fact that Eubank confirmed.
Eubank said that he feels like Sizemore will do a good job at leading the department. 鈥淪he鈥檚 got some experience in leadership and education. I think she鈥檒l do great,鈥� he said.
Throughout Eubank鈥檚 tenure, the department saw both trials and triumphs. Somerset Mayor Alan Keck noted during the July 14 City Council meeting that Eubank 鈥渨as in charge during some of the most trying times in the history of Somerset -Pulaski County EMS. Obviously during Covid, our professionals across emergency services, but in that instance in particular, those men and women (in EMS) were treating Covid patients in the back of a box, essentially, with no vaccine, uncertain on how it was going to affect them, for nearly a year.鈥�
The Covid pandemic set off a staffing shortage across medical services, Keck pointed out.
Then last year, the department was hit with an immense tragedy with the on-duty death of Chastian McWhorter.
鈥淚ts been a really hard four or five years,鈥� Keck said. 鈥溾�� I want to publicly say thank you to chief Eubank. He鈥檚 been a steady hand, a compassionate hand, through that time.鈥�
But through all that, the department has seen many positives as well. In September 2022, Somerset Pulaski EMS was recognized by the American Heart Association for earning the Mission: Lifeline EMS Performance Bronze-Plus Achievement Award, making it the fourth year in a row they received the award.
That award is given to any department that goes above and beyond the basic care for patients who require STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) system care.
The department has also been the recipient of the Pediatric Emergency Care Award of Excellence for at least six years in a row.
This past May, Eubank was also presented with a service award at the Connect Community Village Salute to Valor dinner.
Among the good memories of serving as Chief of the department, Eubank said he was proud of the way his people have worked on improving coordination with other emergency departments in the county, such as the Somerset-Pulaski Special Response Team, the Somerset-Pulaski Rescue Squad, the Somerset Fire Department and the numerous volunteer fire departments around the county.
鈥淚 feel like we鈥檝e grown and worked on interoperability with other departments,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� We really rely on each other quite a bit for the things that we do.鈥�
漏 2025 the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.).
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