Stories
Emergency Medical Response
In addition to the providing of fire protection, the Scranton Volunteer Fire Company is also responsible for providing emergency medical services, in a tiered response to the community.
The Scranton Volunteer Fire Company First Aid Squad was officially formed on June 6, 1959. This newly formed squad consisted of thirteen members who had undertaken specialized training in order to provide this “dual” service to the community. The training consisted of successful completion of an American Red Cross First Aid Course, which at the time was the highest level of training for ambulance personnel.
1954 Pontiac ambulance was purchased second hand which enabled Scranton to become the fifth volunteer Fire Company in Town of Hamburg to operate an ambulance. The original ambulance has since been replaced six times to date, the latest being purchased in 2015 at the cost of over $120,000.
In the first year of the newly formed first aid squad, they responded to approximately 96 calls. Each year to follow, the number of calls grew along with the community, and last year the total of medical emergency calls amounted to over 500.
In the years following the birth of the squad, many changes took place in order to keep up with the needs of the community.
Along with more sophisticated equipment and techniques being made available, came the need for a change in the level of training for squad members. In 1968, several of the members were among the first to successfully complete the New York State Emergency Medical Technicians course.
To date, the entire Scranton First Aid Squad consists of twenty certified Emergency Medical Technicians who are trained in the highest available level of basic life support skills of emergency medical care in the field. Recently several of these E.M.T.s have obtained training in advanced life support techniques.
At present, and in the future, it is the aim of the Scranton Volunteer Fire Company to continue to provide the best possible level in emergency medical care to the community, and we take pride in providing this additional lifesaving service.