The History & Future
of
Greene Emergency Squad

Greene Fire Department Emergency Squad’s First Ambulance and Equipment. 1948.

Left to Right:
Wilson Harrison; Harold (Doc) Elliott; Ivan Scheuerman; Eugene Fosgate; Ray Mayo; Frank Lawton;
Joe Gross; Ernest Badger; Jim Hunter; Willard Knickerbocker; Elmer Eddy
The founding members of the Greene Emergency Squad. 1940
Front Row:
J. Gross; H. Rhodes; H. Hart; H. Frazier; G Deyo-Inet; R. Mayo
Back Row:
S. Miller; R. Stiles; R. Harder; R Laraway; H. Craik; F. McLean
The first meeting minutes of the “The First Aid Club of Greene.” February 1st, 1940
An old hearse purchased for $225 to be used as a First Aid Vehicle prior to the purchase of the first ambulance. A common idea for the time. April 1940.

On December 2nd, 1947, the Greene Fire Department Emergency Squad was officially formed with twelve charter members. These founding members, together with two interested Firemen, signed their names to individual notes to finance the first ambulance. It was a second hand beauty and served faithfully until 1954. Starting in 1963, the squad was able to maintain two ambulances to assist with the increase in calls they were receiving. For perspective, in 1947, the squad answered 23 emergency calls for the year. By 1987, that number was up to almost 500. Since the founding of the squad, until 1988, more than 10,494 calls were answered.

A second ambulance, purchased in 1963, to help cover the nearly 500 calls per year.

Squad members attended seminars, lectures and other courses, including First Aid, CPR, EMT, I.V./E.O.A Technician, and eventually when it was available, Paramedic classes. In 1981, the squad placed it’s first Advanced Life Support Ambulance in service, allowing us to provide critical, life saving pre-hospital treatments to our community. Though we are no longer a part of the Greene Fire Department, the growth hasn’t slowed down. Last year we ran over 1500 emergency calls, and this year we are on track to be close to 2000. With this ever expanding volume of emergencies, education has been and remains an important element of the Emergency Squad and has allowed members to keep pace with the rapidly changing field of Emergency Medicine.

Through the years, equipment, techniques and training has changed, but education has always remained paramount for Greene Emergency Squad. All of our providers attend continuing educational courses to maintain and improve their skills and knowledge. Additionally, our equipment has continued to improve. From basic bandage kits to hemostatic gauze, combat tourniquets and chest seals, AEDs to advanced cardiac monitors, Greene Emergency Squad is dedicated to making sure the patients we serve have the best trained, best equipped professionals responding to any emergency.

We currently have four ambulances ranging from a smaller van, all the way up to a “Type-3” Freightliner. We use this vehicle to provide Advanced Life Support Mutual Aid to EMT staffed ambulances with other agencies that are transporting a patient that needs advanced medical care. Through the generous donations we’ve received and through grants, we’ve been able to secure additional critical pieces of equipment including an automatic CPR device that performs high quality CPR and allows the crew member that would have been doing chest compressions to perform other critical interventions instead. Some other additions have been new Stryker power stretchers with an autoload feature that reduces provider injury and increases the safety of patients who ride in our ambulances. A very recent addition we’re particularly proud of is our Zoll “Z” Vent transport ventilator, which allows us to provide advanced respiratory care to patients on both 911 calls and transfers.

As we medicine moves forward and becomes even more advanced, you can count on Greene Emergency Squad and its professionals to be there for you, with the best training and equipment, ready for whatever emergency presents itself.