Grandson of John, Shelmerdene Folsom follows MedStar ambulance to Flomaton
Folsom proud to be 'home' to provide service to Flomaton
On May 14, 2018, Ken Folsom had a homecoming of sorts when he arrived with the MedStar ambulance at the Flomaton Fire Station.
Folsom, 27, never actually lived in Flomaton, but his grandparents John and Shelmerdene Folsom did. He also had other relatives in Flomaton and spent a lot of time in the town.
When he got the opportunity to move to Flomaton with MedStar, he jumped all over it.
"My boss knew of my personal ties to Flomaton and knew my work ethic, so when he asked me to come to Flomaton I jumped on it," Folsom said. "I knew the need for an ambulance in Flomaton. It hit not only on a professional level, but a personal level as well."
The son of Kenny and Sharon Folsom, Ken grew up in Loxley and graduated from Robertsdale High School. He said his love for emergency responders developed at an early age.
"I joined the Loxley Fire Department in 2005 as an explorer when I was 14-years old," he said. "My dad had been in the fire department in Loxley for a few years."
He said he and his sisters Kristen and Sherilyn also joined the Loxley Fire Department as volunteers.
"Through the fire department I ran medical calls," Folsom said. "I fell in love. I rode my first shift on an ambulance when I was 15 and I never left it."
He said he received his basic Emergency Medical Technician certificate while he was still in high school. While at Troy University he received his Advanced EMT degree and graduated as a paramedic in May, 2012. He's also certified as a Field Training Officer.
He began working with MedStar in Baldwin County in March, 2012.
He said what attracted him to EMS was the intensity and the adrenaline and the ability to help people.
"I realized it was my calling," he said.
He currently drives from Loxley to Flomaton when he's on duty and said the volume of calls since arriving in Flomaton has been steady.
"You run some sick people and you run some very sick people," he said. "I'm glad I can help."
He said getting an ambulance stationed in Flomaton was a big accomplishment, but said Flomaton deserves an ambulance.
He said while living in Loxley, he has built-in babysitters with his parents, who live four doors down. Folsom's wife Selena is an emergency room nurse for Infirmary Health Systems and he helps her raise his 8-year old stepson Jake.
Folsom said he recently received his critical care flight certification that allows him to administer more aid on the ground during a medical call or a traffic accident.
"It's been great," Folsom said. "Flomaton is like my second home. I've been coming up here for years to see my grandparents and other relatives, so it's like coming home."
