Valor ceases ambulance service; Pafford resumes 911 services

Valor Emergency Medical Services ceased operations on Monday morning, April 6, 2026. The Arkadelphia-based company provided ambulance services in two counties.

The company’s CEO, J.D. Windham, posted the news to Facebook.

“Due to financial hardships beyond our control, Valor EMS ceased operations at 0900 this morning. Pafford Medical Services has agreed to assume 911 services and non-emergent transports for Clark and Dallas Counties,” Windham said.

Valor also held a contract to provide ambulance services in neighboring Dallas County. Responding to a text message from The Arkadelphian that was sent prior to the Facebook announcement, Windham said he was on his way to a meeting in Fordyce and would be available for an interview later Monday.

Valor had been in heated competition with Pafford since the latter company purchased Baptist Health’s ambulance fleet in early 2025, prompting a months-long battle for an exclusive contract to provide ambulance services in Clark County. The Clark County Quorum Court in September gave its unanimous support for Valor to respond to 911 emergencies in the county.

“I want to be very clear that Pafford did not pressure this decision in any way but did offer options to ensure that there was zero lapse in coverage of ambulance services,” Windham said.

Despite the initial understanding that Pafford would continue providing hospital-to-hospital transfers for Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia, Valor’s attorney, Clint Mathis, addressed the quorum court last month in a plea to award the inner-facility transfers to Valor, claiming the company had lost half a million dollars without them. Such a move, county Attorney Todd Turner argued, would not be legal as a public entity cannot dictate private business dealings.

Still, Valor had not hinted of financial shortcomings until it publicized its dire straits in March. Two months prior, in January, Windham reported to the quorum court that Valor had outgrown its North 10th Street headquarters and was expanding the operation to another office space on Pine Street. 

Windham was set to again report to the quorum court during its upcoming meeting on April 13. Monday’s news came as a shock to officials who were vocal in their support for Valor. Justice of the Peace Jenna Scott, who was sponsoring the agenda item, said she and Windham had talked about his company’s financial woes on March 26. “I understood from J.D. that Valor had to make some financial cuts but that they were going to be fine and could make it without the transfers,” Scott said in a phone interview.

In a press release sent Monday afternoon, Pafford Medical Services said the transition follows conversations between Windham and Pafford CEO Jamie Pafford-Gresham that were “centered on maintaining consistent, dependable emergency care across both counties. With a shared approach to patient care and community service, the transition allows for continuity while strengthening operational support in the region.”

“I want to thank each one of our team members as well as those out in the communities we serve for your support,” Windham said. “I have chosen to accept a leadership position with Pafford to continue to provide care for the communities we love and have encouraged our team members to do the same.” Pafford’s statement noted that Windham would join the company in a “regional management role.”

The company added: “Pafford Medical Services is grateful for the opportunity to serve Clark and Dallas counties and remains focused on delivering dependable emergency care with professionalism and accountability.”