About the District
A public promise, made in 1974.
South Barry County voters created a dedicated ambulance district so emergency medical care would remain available close to home.
How it began
Community action shaped the district.
In 1974, voters in southern Barry County approved the creation of a public ambulance district. Board members were selected in that August’s election, and by September the Cassville Democrat was reporting on the “newly voted and formed South Barry County Ambulance district.”
The timing was not accidental. Missouri was in the middle of a sweeping change in what an ambulance was expected to be, and new state requirements for training, equipment, and patient care were arriving quickly. A hearse with a driver was no longer an ambulance.
Meeting that standard across a rural county called for an organization with a single durable focus and a public source of funding. So the community built one.
Local voters did more than create an ambulance service. They created a lasting framework for public accountability and dependable care.
Five decades on the record
One district. Several operators.
The district has never run ambulances itself. It holds the service in public trust and contracts for its operation—an arrangement that has outlasted every individual provider.
The district is created by vote
Southern Barry County voters approve the formation of the South Barry County Ambulance District, and board members are selected in the August election.
Naugle’s Ambulance under contract
By the mid-1980s, ambulance service for the district is being provided by Naugle’s Ambulance under contract.
Eighteen years with CoxHealth EMS
CoxHealth EMS operates the district’s ambulance service for nearly two decades, the longest single partnership in the district’s history.
Mercy EMS takes over operations
On March 9, 2016, Mercy began operating the district’s ambulance service under a five-year contract.
Modern emergency response
Professional crews, advanced equipment, and regional coordination support care across southern Barry County.
District map
See the district on a map.
Enter an address to find it within the district service area.
Service area from the Barry County E9-1-1 PSAP EMS boundary map (August 2026). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. For general reference only; not a legal boundary description.
Governance
Local oversight, accountable to voters.
The district is a public body governed by an elected board. It does not employ the ambulance crews—care is delivered by professionals under contract, while the district provides local oversight and public accountability for the service.
Because board members are elected, the residents who fund the district are the same people who decide who oversees it. That has been true since 1974.
Contact & Stations
Where to reach us.
Cassville, Missouri 65625
For district business and written correspondence. Anything time-sensitive and medical belongs with dispatch.
Billing & patient records
Mercy EMS provides the crews and manages day-to-day ambulance operations under contract with the district.
Questions about a bill, an account, or a patient’s medical records are handled by Mercy rather than the district office. The contact information on your statement or patient paperwork is the best place to start.
Our role today
Prepared for the realities of rural emergency care.
Distance is the defining challenge of rural EMS. Serving this district means stations spread across a wide area, well-equipped ambulances, trained crews, and working relationships with regional hospitals and air-medical services.
The district’s role is to maintain that public foundation and oversee the partnership that turns those resources into a coordinated response.