Bennington, VT News
LIFELINE OF THE VALLEY: A Deep Dive into the Bennington Rescue Squad
The Bennington Rescue Squad plays a crucial role in public safety in Southwestern Vermont, providing 24/7 emergency medical services and community education programs, while also addressing local health challenges through collaboration and outreach efforts.
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BENNINGTON, Vt. NewsWK — By Randy Breland, Editor | Bennington.newswk.com
BENNINGTON, VT — Whether responding to a midnight medical emergency on Route 9, assisting a fallen neighbor in Shaftsbury, or transporting a critical care patient across state lines, the Bennington Rescue Squad (BRS) stands as an indispensable pillar of public safety in Southwestern Vermont.
With local emergency call volumes climbing past historical averages, understanding who answers the call—and the rich history behind them—is vital for every resident in our footprint.
Who They Are & What They Do
The Bennington Rescue Squad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit emergency medical and specialty care organization headquartered at 120 McKinley Street in Bennington.
While many residents associate BRS strictly with local 911 dispatch, their operational scope extends far beyond basic ambulance rides:
- Primary 911 Response: BRS provides 24/7/365 emergency medical response, advanced life support (ALS), and paramedic care to its primary service area: Bennington, Woodford, and the majority of Shaftsbury. They also provide mutual aid support to neighboring communities across Southern Vermont and Eastern New York.
- Interfacility & Critical Care Transport: The squad handles medical transfers between regional healthcare facilities, ensuring patients requiring specialized treatment reach regional trauma and specialty centers safely.
- Community Medical Education: BRS serves as an accredited regional training hub, offering community classes in CPR, First Aid, Bleeding Control (Stop the Bleed), and Naloxone (Narcan) administration, alongside full career-track initial education for EMTs and Advanced EMTs.
- Community Risk Reduction: Through collaborative partnerships like the regional “Situation Table” and local harm-reduction networks, BRS actively works to connect high-utilization patients and individuals struggling with substance use disorders to targeted social services.
Born Out of Tragedy: The Founding Story
The Bennington Rescue Squad was born in April 1963 following a tragic local tipping point.
Prior to 1963, emergency medical transit in Southwestern Vermont was fragmented. Private ambulance companies had proven financially unsustainable, the regional hospital could not afford to run a dedicated service, and local funeral directors—who historically operated hearses equipped to transport stretchers—no longer had the equipment or manpower to keep up.
The turning point came when five fatal accidents occurred in the Bennington area over a single weekend. Realizing that lives were being lost for lack of dedicated, immediate pre-hospital care, community leaders, local service clubs, the Vermont State Police, and the neighboring Hoosick Falls Rescue Squad rallied together to create a dedicated local squad.
Key Historical Milestones:
- June 23, 1963: BRS stood up for its very first official detail—providing standby medical coverage for the Bennington Catholic High School Horse Show.
- June 29, 1963: The squad answered its first official emergency dispatch for a motor vehicle accident in Woodford.
- The Gas Station Base: In its earliest days, the squad’s sole ambulance was housed inside the Tri-Mont Texaco Station on South Street, owned by founding member André Betit. Betit dispatched calls by day, while the Bennington Police Department handled radio dispatch at night.
- Safford Street & Lowering the Floors: Later in 1963, BRS purchased a dedicated station on Safford Street. As ambulance technology evolved, the squad famously had to jackhammer and lower the garage floor of the Safford Street building so their new, taller crash rescue truck could clear the door frame.
- The Transition to Professional Staff: Originally an all-volunteer organization, soaring regional call volumes in the late 1990s outstripped the capacity of a purely volunteer roster. On March 9, 1999, BRS officially hired its first four full-time career staff members, transitioning into the combination professional/combination agency it is today.
By the Numbers: A Look at Recent Call Volumes
BRS handles a vast majority of the region’s emergency calls.
A breakdown of recent dispatch logs highlights the steady operational pace required to keep Southwestern Vermont safe:
BRS Week in Review
| Metric | Total / Breakdown |
|---|---|
| Total Calls Dispatched | 109 Emergencies + Scheduled Transfers |
| Busiest Day | Monday (24 calls — 9 above daily average) |
| Primary Dispatch Reasons | Patient Falls, General Illness, Breathing Problems |
| Geographic Coverage | Bennington: 99 calls (91%) Shaftsbury: 10 calls (9%) |
Operational Insight: BRS’s average daily call volume hovers around 15 to 17 calls per 24-hour shift. With regional demand tracking upwards by roughly 10% year-over-year, the squad continues to expand its workforce recruitment, apprenticeship, and equipment replacement strategies to keep up with community needs.
Supporting Our First Responders
As a non-profit entity supported by municipal appropriations, insurance billings, and private donations, BRS offers an annual Subscription Program for local residents and businesses. The program helps offset out-of-pocket copays and deductibles associated with emergency ambulance transports.
Whether you see their rigs navigating Main Street or spot their paramedics at local civic gatherings, the Bennington Rescue Squad remains a vital, life-saving constant in our valley—built by the community, for the community, since 1963.
Check back at Bennington.newswk.com for ongoing public safety spotlights, municipal updates, and daily regional news.
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