Hardeman County Ambulance Service Expands Coverage with New South Station at Lone Oaks Farm

10/09/2026

*Pictured from left: EMS Director Rusty Thigpen, Lone Oaks Farm Director Jeremy Burnett, Commissioner Johnny Lanier, and Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse.*

Residents and visitors in southern Hardeman County may soon notice more ambulances and EMS vehicles in the area as Hardeman County Ambulance Service (HCAS) partners with the University of Tennessee’s Lone Oaks Farm to establish an ambulance station.

The ambulance will be housed at one of the farm’s residences at 9385 Lake Hardeman Road in Middleton, near the intersection of Lake Hardeman and Sain roads.

Since taking over as EMS Director in April, Rusty Thigpen has been exploring options to establish an “EMS South Station” to improve emergency medical coverage in that part of the county.

Thigpen said, “Residents on the south end of our county have faced extended EMS response times for nearly 30 years. After completing our initial risk assessment, an ambulance stationed down south was imperative for our strategic planning and future goals. There were several excellent offers from other municipalities in the county that we were interested in using. However, all of the offers presented to us were in need of significant repairs and/or upgrades, which takes substantial money and, more importantly, time.”

The partnership with Lone Oaks Farm comes at an important time following the unexpected closure of Sain Road for a bridge replacement. In addition to improving EMS coverage south of Bolivar, the location will help accommodate increasing activity at Lone Oaks Farm, including the 4-H Camp, “The Clays” target shooting facility, growing numbers of daily school visits, and the planned WET Center.

Although a permanent start date has not been established, residents can expect to see an increasing EMS presence in the area as preparations continue.

Director Thigpen added, “The quickness of how this all came together did not afford me the opportunity to schedule sufficient staffing, but with this firm confirmation, we can now begin organizing shift coverage. Our goal is to have an ambulance stationed here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, before the end of October.”

The temporary arrangement was made possible with the leadership and support of Hardeman County Mayor Todd Pulse, who credited the collaborative efforts of those involved.

“I want to thank Commissioner Johnny Lanier and Director Thigpen for identifying this opportunity and initiating the process to secure a more central location that better serves our citizens,” said Mayor Pulse. “Their groundwork allowed me to then collaborate with Lone Oaks Farm Director Jeremy Burnett to work out the final details.”

Mayor Pulse added, “To me, that’s what it’s all about — no one person taking credit. It’s about working together, finding solutions, and doing what’s best for our citizens. When you’ve got people willing to roll up their sleeves and work together toward a common goal, good things happen. At the end of the day, our citizens are the ones who benefit, and that’s what matters most.”

While the arrangement offers a short-term solution to improve emergency medical coverage, those involved remain hopeful that a more permanent location can be secured in the near future.

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