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SAN ANTONIO
MEDICINE

together and contributed their time, energy
and expertise to establish a vital service that
has saved many lives in our community.

References:
1. “President’s Message,” June 1972 Bexar County
Medical Society The Medical News, page 4
2. “Emergency Medical Services Division,” Gene
Mireles, page 1
3. “Emergency Medical Services Committee Re-
port 1972,” September 1972 Bexar County
Medical Society The Medical News, page 6
4. “Emergency Medical Services Committee Work-
ing,” Bexar County Medical Society The Medical
ety. The EMS Council included dozens of offi- Center’s Emergency Medical Technology De-
News July 1972, page 8
cials from municipalities in Bexar County that partment has continued to provide to this 5. “Emergency Medical Services Committee Re-
12
would have to pay the expected cost of the sys- day. Charlie became the Medical Director for port 1972,” September 1972 Bexar County
tems of approximately $1 per citizen, per year. EMT Training. He trained the first class of 55 Medical Society The Medical News, page 6
6. Id
In July 1972, the EMS Council held its first EMTs in 1974, and hundreds more in the fol-
7. “Society Renews Call,” San Antonio Light, June
meeting at the Medical Society, and voted in lowing 15 years. He was assisted with the car- 1, 1972
8
favor of adopting an EMS system. Southwest diovascular module by Dr. Robert Schnitzler, 8. “Med Service System Ratified,” San Antonio
Research Institute developed a detailed plan who was a faculty member and director of the Light, July 26, 1972
9. “Emergency Medical Services Plan for San An-
to implement the system, which was delivered Intensive Care facility at the University.
tonio and Bexar County,” Southwest Research
9
to the EMS Council in January 1973. The Chief of the San Antonio Fire Depart- Institute, January 16, 1973, Appendix A
To implement the various elements of the ment, Bart Mulhern, was not initially enthu- 10. Id
11. “Emergency Care and Transportation of the
plan, the EMS Council formed six task forces, siastic about fire fighters serving as EMTs. I
Sick and Injured,” American Academy of Or-
four of which were chaired by members of the recall him saying, “My men fight fires, they thopaedic Surgeons, Committee on Injuries,
Medical Society: EMTs (Charlie Rockwood), don’t drive ambulances.” However, Captain 1971, cited in “History of Emergency Medical
Communications (Larry Higgins), Trans- Jim Miller was an early supporter of training Services in the United States,” Charles A. Rock-
wood, Jr., M.D., Colleen M. Mann, J.D. Farring-
portation (Larry Dotin), Hospital Emergency fire fighters as EMTs. In early 1973, he was
ton, M.D., Oscar P. Hampton, Jr., M.D., and
Facilities (John Knox), Grant Support and promoted to District Chief and began leading Robert E. Motley, The Journal of Trauma, Vol.
Funding, and Inter Government Coordina- the Fire Department’s implementation of the 16, No. 4, page 306
tion. Numerous other members of the Med- plan developed by Southwest Research Insti- 12. San Antonio Fire Department Emergency
Medical Services (EMS), https://www.sanan-
13
ical Society also served on the task forces for tute and ratified by the EMS Council.
tonio.gov/SAFD/About/Divisions/Emerency-
Transportation (George Pruett and Curtis Launching the system also required winning Medical-Services
Heinrich), Hospital Emergency Facilities approvals from all participating municipalities 13. “Emergency Medical Services Division,” Gene
Mireles, pages 1-2
(Wayne Crawford, David Root, Warren Hard- as the detailed costs of the system became

ing, Rodney Bobbitt, and my former partner clearer. The EMS Council and its task forces
John A. “Jack” Williamson, MD, is a
Milton Butler), and Grant Support Funding worked with many city and county officials to
BCMS Life Member and retired or-
10
(Charlie Rockwood and Larry Dotin). build and maintain broad support for a com-
thopaedist who practiced in San Anto-
Charlie Rockwood was the natural choice to prehensive EMS system that would serve the
nio for over 40 years. He was Chair of the San
chair the EMTs task force because of his recent entire San Antonio metropolitan area.
Antonio and Bexar County EMS Council 1972-
work on an American Academy of Or- In less than two years — from concept to
77, and Chief of Staff at Southwest Texas
11
thopaedic Surgeons manual to train EMTs. activation — well-equipped modulances
Methodist Hospital 1985-1986. Dr. Williamson
Charlie chaired the Orthopaedics Department staffed with trained EMTs started answering
is a graduate of Alamo Heights High School
at what was then called the University of Texas calls from San Antonio citizens at midnight,
(1946), Texas A&M University (1950) and
Medical School at San Antonio, and he en- March 1, 1974. The lasting success of EMS is
Baylor College of Medicine (1954), and served
listed its support in the training program, a tribute to the many citizens and organiza-
as an officer in the United States Air Force.
which the University of Texas Health Science tions in and around San Antonio who came
Visit us at www.bcms.org 33