Burns Flat EMS shutting down after crews resign

BURNS FLAT, Okla. (KOKH) — In a matter of days, an Oklahoma community will likely lose the city’s EMS service that provides pre-hospital care to its citizens.

Burns Flat EMS announced that every medic is submitting their resignation, effective June 1, 2026.

“Unfortunately, EMS in small towns is often expected to do everything with almost nothing. Rural EMS agencies across the country continue to struggle with staffing shortages, burnout, low reimbursement rates, and wages that simply do not reflect the sacrifices made by emergency responders every day,” a message by the service read.

The agency says EMTs at Burns Flat were paid $4.58 an hour with additional compensation if a 911 call occurred during their shift.

“This post is not meant to place blame, but rather to give our community transparency about the realities EMS providers face every day especially in small towns where resources and funding is extremely limited and expectations remain high. To our community: this is not your fault, and it is not the fault of the medics. If love alone could have kept the doors open, Burns Flat EMS would have survived forever. Every siren, every late-night call, every missed holiday, every life saved, and every hand held in someone’s worst moment was done because we cared deeply about this community.”

Beginning June 1, Sinor EMS will cover the Burns Flat area from their Clinton and Hobart locations.

At this point, officials say they don’t know what the change will mean for response times, adding that this is a temporary solution until a more permanent solution is decided upon.