Thurston County facilities are now open to the public with restrictions, including maintaining physical distancing of at least six feet at all times and, per the Washington State Secretary of Health’s face covering order wearing a cloth face covering or mask. If you come to county facilities, please be prepared for potentially long wait times or lines due to distancing guidelines. We continue to encourage residents to access county services online, by phone, by email, or through the use of drop boxes located outside of county buildings.
The availability of remote services vary by office and department.

Click here for office and department contact information
Click here for information on COVID-19

Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thurston County Medic One "Tiered Response"?

​First Tier is Citizen Involvement:

  • Medic One trains citizens to recognize an emergency; to recognize signs of a heart attack, stroke or other serious emergency; how to activate the 911 system; and how to perform CPR.

Second Tier is Basic Life Support (BLS):

  • 12 Fire Agencies provide BLS, supplemented by Medic One.
  • BLS is the first EMS on scene and backbone of the system.
  • BLS average response is under 6 minutes.
  • BLS units are staffed with 2 - 4 EMTs.
  • EMT training is provided by Medic One to the agencies, without charge.
  • Medic One provides supplemental BLS funding for Fire Agencies.

Third Tier is Advanced Life Support (ALS):

  • Seven paramedic units are strategically located in the County to reduce response time.
  • ALS service is provided through contracts with Olympia Fire Department, Tumwater Fire Department, and Lacey Fire District 3.
  • ALS response average is under 6 minutes.
  • Medic Units are staffed with two paramedics.
  • Paramedics perform life saving treatments, and rapid transport while providing care.
     

 

How do we provide the most rapid response with only seven paramedic vehicles?
  • ​County-wide emergency help is provided as tiered response.
     
  • County-wide advanced paramedic care in 6.86 minutes is fast but, that may not be fast enough if you've stopped breathing, heart has stopped beating or are bleeding seriously.
     
  • Tiered response means that there is more than one level of EMS care.
     
  • The first level of EMS care is the informed citizen, the second is basic life support and the third level is paramedic advanced life support.
     
  • Tiered response helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Medic One/EMS System by matching the patient's emergency need with the right level of emergency response.
How can citizens get involved?

​The first tier is our citizens...

  • The Thurston County Medic One/EMS system trains citizens of the importance in accessing emergency medical help quickly through 9-1-1.
     
  • The EMS system also trains citizens how to perform Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the importance of recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack.
     
    • PLEASE LEARN CPR, YOU CAN HELP SAVE A LIFE!
       
  • The EMS System is also becoming active in prevention.
     
    • Education is providing information on bicycle safety, trauma prevention and seatbelt safety.
       
  • Contact Medic One for a convenient CPR Class for you and your family (see CPR Training on this website).
     
  • Click here for CPR Training schedule.