Assistant Chief Rhonda Ritchey, EMT-P, joined Austin County EMS as the new EMS Assistant Chief / Director in January 2023. Chief Ritchey had been with Montgomery County EMS for the last 19 years, 14 years as a Captain. She is a veteran of the United States Air Force (1991-1997), where she served as an airborne Arabic Linguist, with her last duty station in Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson (AZ).

Chief Ritchey has held various other positions during her career. These include being a Lieutenant for the Civil Air Patrol at Fort Campbell, KY, and as a TCFP firefighter with South Montgomery County FD. She spent time as the Grimes County First Responder Administrator and served on the Grimes County EMS Committee. Rhonda also worked as a Flight Paramedic for PHI Air Medical on Med 1 out of Conroe.

Chief Ritchey has worked among and with many rural EMS services over the past several years and is prepared to lead Austin County in future endeavors and progressing our protocols to meet the growing needs of our county. Chief Ritchey moved to Bellville in 2021 and is excited to call this home.