It’s a milestone anniversary for an important sector of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Tuesday marked one year since the sheriff’s office launched its EMS division.

When NewsChannel 13 first reported on this last year, the EMS division had two full-time and 10 part-time paramedics. Now it has four full-time and 20 part-time paramedics.

In its first year of service, the EMTs have responded to more than 1,200 calls to provide critical care for people. It has also reduced the amount of time Montgomery County residents would have to wait for life-saving care.

Sheriff Jeffrey Smith says the EMS program fills a critical gap in providing emergency medical response.