VALENTINE, Neb. - Whether it’s a car crash or a child choking on a small toy, if you’re ever in the middle of an emergency, you need an ambulance to arrive quickly. Unfortunately, the nation is experiencing a shortage of emergency medical service employees.

On National EMS Week, News Channel Nebraska takes a look at the shortage, along with some new ways area first responders are coming up with solutions.

Duane Lamb has worked in emergency medical services, or EMS, for more than two decades. Currently, he helps those with life-threatening conditions on the Rosebud Reservation and in Cherry County. He’s not only seen new, more efficient technology over the past 20 years but has also noticed the growing shortage of EMS.

“We're short staffed," Lamb said. "It’s a nationwide thing."

EMTs and paramedics face a yearly turnover rate of 20 to 30%, according to the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. More than 86% of departments have also experienced staffing shortages in the past three years.

“It’s vital for rural EMS to be in existence,” Cherry County EMT Basic Christine Lousias said. "If there’s anything  that we can do to keep this steady and growing, we need to think of a way to do that."

Lousias has already personally responded to 110 calls this year in Cherry County. The mostly volunteer service, which teams up with area law enforcement and the fire department, averages around 550 calls per year.

“There have been times when we have had more than one van needed, especially in the summer,” Lousias said.

EMS in Cherry County has a new tool called Avel. The telemedicine platform can be used to talk with doctors and nurses in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“As short-staffed as we are, a lot of times there’s only one person back here," Lamb said. "If you’re busy with the patient or have a pretty busy patient, you don’t have to worry about writing things down, things like that."

New technology that will hopefully lead to more people falling in love with the EMS profession.

“One of my kids choked when they were a baby, so I figured somebody was leading me down another path in my life,” Lamb said.

“This gives me purpose in life,” Lousias said. "It helped me to be a better person."