Cade Webb is the Director of the Marshall County EMS. Hesaidthatheneverthought a career as an EMS would be a dream come true but it is. Webb was raised in the Willis/ Powell area and said that being a firefighter and EMT was not his dream job as a kid growing up. After graduating fromKingstonHighSchoolin 2009,WebbattendedMurray State for business.
It wasn’t until after a friend suggested he begin volunteering at the Willis/ Powell Volunteer Fire Department in 2010 that he found his true calling.
“I never intended to work in EMS, it was never a boyhood dream,” Webb said, “I thought yea, I’ll come try it out. But I told them I didn’t want to be an EMR.”
Webb explained he had no interest at the time in anything medical, then approximately a month into volunteering, he attended an EMR training class and decided he had found his calling.
“I just fell in love,' Webb said. 'Just from that class and learning about the body, I fell in love with it. It truly became something I am passionate about and felt like I could make a difference in the world everyday.”
From there, Webb began his firefighting training and worked as a firefighter while continuing to work in EMS. Webb said that from the first call that he went on as a volunteer he knew he had found his passion in life.
During his time as a firefighter, Webb worked for the Ardmore Fire Department for seven years before being asked to come to work at the Marshall County EMS about two years ago.
Webb said his work as Director of M.C. EMS and Chief of the W/PVFD keeps him very busy and he loves his work. He said he is proud of the changes that he has been able to make during the 13 months as director of M.C. EMS.
“I am thankful every single day for the opportunity to get to be the director here,” Webb said, “I truly feel like I get to make a difference.”
During the short time that Webb has been the director, he has made a difference. He increased the number of ambulances from two to five. He also increased the staff from four full time employees to 14 full time employees; and an additional 20 part time employees. This allows them to be able to accommodate four fully staffed ambulances during busy times like the most recent 4th of July holiday week, where EMS responded to over 60 calls.
“One of the biggest things I hang my hat on is that I have been able to hire local employees for the most part,” Webb stated “I actually turn people away now, I don’t even have any part time spots for people now and I don’t know if that has ever happened in the history here.”
He accredited his ability to adjust to his new role to getting help from his counterparts in nearby counties and the Oklahoma Department of Health, who oversees the Marshall County EMS.
“The State of Oklahoma, the Department of Health, who is over us and regulates our service,' Webb said. They have been so helpful in helping me get going and understanding my plight from inheriting a mess.”
“They have always done things from a viewpoint of trying to help and not trying to hurt,” Webb continued. “They are not trying to regulate us into the ground. They truly want us to succeed and it is truly fantastic when your governing body is in that mindset of wanting to help you succeed.”
Webb has been married to Mindy Webb, an E.R. nurse, since 2012. The two met in 2008 when they both worked at WalMart in Madill.
“I was a senior and she was a junior and we met at Walmart,' Webb said. 'We started working there on the same day. She walked in and I was like wow she is really pretty to be working at Walmart.Afewmonthslater, we started dating.” The two dated for about four years before getting married. However, before they tied the knot, Mindy joined the Navy Reserves.
“We were young, just out of high school and my (now) wife told me ‘I’m ready to get married’ but I was like I don’t know babe we are kinda young,” Webb said with a laugh. “She then said ‘if you don’t marry me I’m going to join the Navy’ and I was like I don’t know so, two months later, she was in boot camp.”
Webb and Mindy married after she returned from the Navy Reserves and he realized she was serious about getting married. Together, the Webbs have two children who attend Kingston Elementary School; Hayven who will be in the 4th grade and Hudson who will be in the 6th grade.
When Webb is not out saving lives and putting out fires around Marshall County, he said he he is spending time withhisfamily.Whetherthey are out on the lake on the family's boat or spending the day with loved ones, he tries to make time for everyone in his life.
Webb said he and his family also raise Black Spanish goats that they enjoy watching graze on their property out in Powell.
“We really enjoy it, it’s peaceful to sit on the back porch and watch them graze. I can’t think of much that I would rather do,' Webb said. 'They are very peaceful animals.”