For 50 years, when someone in Johnson County has dialed 911, Med-Act has answered. Behind every call are neighbors — paramedics, EMTs and first responders — ready to bring calm, care, and skill in life’s most urgent moments.
As part of the Johnson County Department of Emergency Services, Med-Act has become a cornerstone of the community, working alongside fire departments, hospitals, and law enforcement to keep residents safe.
Partnering with eight fire departments and eight hospitals, Johnson County Med-Act ensures that anyone facing a medical crisis receives the best care possible. Over its half-century of service, the organization has earned national recognition, including the American Heart Association’s Mission Lifeline EMS Gold Achievement Award and the Kansas Association of EMS Services Community Award for its response to the Super Bowl Parade shootings.
But for the Med-Act team, awards are only a bonus.
“The mission really hasn’t changed … we are here to help the community,” said Scott Sare, deputy chief of emergency medical services, who oversees Med-Act. “If you have a medical emergency in Johnson County, we want you to have the best technology.”
With 195 employees — most of them in the field — Med-Act covers 479 square miles and responded to more than 55,000 calls last year, a number expected to rise in 2025. Each unit includes at least one paramedic, ready to handle emergencies around the clock.
The job is demanding, requiring 24-hour shifts and both physical and mental stamina. While the mission has remained steady for 50 years, treatment methods and technology have advanced to improve patient outcomes.
“We are still very patient-centered, but obviously, technology has changed and will continue to change,” Sare said. “We can carry more equipment, and there is more integration of health care.”
As call volume has grown, so have survival rates — particularly for cardiac arrest patients.
Med-Act has also expanded into proactive care. In 2024, it launched mobile integrated health services, with community paramedics responding to non-emergency calls to connect patients with the right care before situations escalate.
“Nationwide, there’s recognition that too many 911 calls don’t require an ER visit but still need health assistance,” Sare said. “It’s all about getting the right care to the patient at the right time.”
A legacy of leadership
The creation of Med-Act came as a result of Congress’ passage of the EMS Systems Act in 1973, according to Johnson County government. Shortly after that, the Kansas Legislature passed a bill requiring expansion of emergency medical services. Training for Med-Act’s first paramedics began the following year.
Med-Act’s 50 years of service started with an emergency call on March 23, 1975, for a girl with trouble breathing in Prairie Village.
Few people shaped Med-Act’s history more than Mike Press, who led the department from 1980 to 2000. Press trained in the 1970s as part of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s first paramedic program and became a Med-Act paramedic in 1976.
“Growing up, it was sort of destiny,” Press said. “I was the kid on the playground who ran over to help when someone got hurt.”
Within a few years, Press was a supervisor overseeing four stations, and by 1980, he was appointed director. His leadership came at a time of rapid growth and challenges. Just one year into his tenure, Press and his team responded to the 1981 Hyatt Skywalk collapse.
“I got home at six in the morning. It’s a night I will never forget,” he said.
During his 20 years at the helm, Press spearheaded major innovations: integrating dispatch into Emergency Services, expanding paramedic coverage into rural areas, and developing specialized units like hazardous materials and SWAT medical teams. Med-Act became a model for other EMS systems across the country, even earning the 1988 EMS National Service of the Year award.
Press later served as Johnson County manager before retiring in 2009, then went on to lead several area cities. Still, he looks back on his Med-Act years with pride.
“From day one, giving the highest level of patient care possible was our mission,” Press said. “I see that same drive today with the Med-Act staff.”
Memories and bonds
For Paul Nobrega, hired by Press in 1988, Med-Act was a defining experience.
“I was in college when a buddy suggested EMT school,” Nobrega said. “I loved it and started volunteering.”
Nobrega spent six years with Med-Act, learning lessons that stayed with him. He remembers a key piece of advice from mentor Ray Wright: “Don’t ever forget it’s their emergency, not yours.”
“To come face to face with mortality at 21, it prompted me to grow up quickly and see life differently,” Nobrega said.
Today, Nobrega is president of Central Solutions, a manufacturer of skin care and infection control products, but his Med-Act connection remains strong. He serves on the Med-Act Alumni Association, which hosted a reunion party on Sept. 27.
“There’s just this bonding,” Nobrega said. “I worked with some absolute legends at a pivotal time.”
The Med-Act family
For current paramedic Nicki Allen, who joined 30 years ago, Med-Act has always felt like home. Originally from Wamego, she came to Johnson County for paramedic training and stayed after her internship.
“I fell in love with the atmosphere and the family dynamic,” Allen said.
Allen balanced raising two sons with the demands of 24-hour shifts, taking time off before returning full-time. Over the years, she’s built deep connections with colleagues.
“I’m closer to some of these people than my own family,” she said. “We lean on each other, especially when tragedy strikes.”
That support is critical in a career that can be both dangerous and emotionally taxing. Allen cited the recent fatal stabbing of a Kansas City paramedic as a reminder of the risks they face.
“Even so, we want to be the best we can be,” she said.
Dedication through the decades
Tena Loats, who joined Med-Act in the mid-1980s and retired after 37 years, recalls how much changed — and how much stayed the same.
“We were so young in the ’80s, and things were so different,” Loats said. “Technology was the No. 1 change, but the teamwork with fire departments and the dedication of our people made the biggest difference.”
For her, as for many, Med-Act was a family.
“We worked hard every day to improve our save rates and how we did business,” Loats said.
50 years strong
Through growth, challenges, and technological change, one thing has never wavered: Med-Act’s commitment to caring for Johnson County residents.
“The work we do every day has a direct impact on people,” Sare said. “When we’re able to resuscitate someone, it affects not just that patient, but an entire family. It’s a privilege to serve.”
As Nobrega put it: “It was one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Allen agrees.
“I love being a paramedic,” she said. “I love the adrenaline, the variety, and most of all, my Med-Act family. They call me ‘Mama Nicki’—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
