| Rescue Squad |
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With the advent of the 1960’s, a new awareness of the importance of advanced emergency care was sweeping the
nation. Babylon Village had an ambulance service run by various organizations for many years, but it was little more than a
transportation service to the local hospitals. It was determined that a trained Rescue Squad was definitely needed. The Fire
Department with its sophisticated alerting system and abundant manpower was the logical choice to establish and operate
such a squad.
On December 5, 1960, the first organizational meeting was held and Oliver Davison, Ex-Captain of the Sumpwams
Hose Company, was elected the first Squad leader. The Squad went into service on September 15, 1961, manning a new
Superior Rescue Rig built on a Cadillac chassis. In its first full year of operation, the Squad responded to 162 calls. Today,
however, the Rescue Squad is by far the busiest unit of the Department responding to nearly 1200 calls annually.
Since its inception, the Squad has operated six different Rescue Rigs.
In 1976 a modular Horton ambulance on a Chevrolet chassis was put into service.
In 1984, the Squad put into service a modular Horton 500 Rig which was fully equipped with the most advanced life
support and extrication equipment.
A state of the art Blue Star Rescue Rig which was put into service in 1991.
In 1996 a modular Horton ambulance on a GMC 3500 chassis was put into service. The Squad is continually updating
its equipment and training to keep abreast of the ever changing emergency medical field. It was one of the first Squads in
Suffolk to receive permission to administer Nitrous Oxide to its patients.
In 2006, the current rig, a modular Horton ambulance on a Ford E-350 chassis was put into service.
In early 2010, the Rescue Squad was honored by the Babylon Rotary Club with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award at its
annual Recognition Luncheon for outstanding service to the residents of the Village of Babylon.
In June 2010, Babylon's first-ever First Responder Vehicle was placed into service as unit 1-2-80. The vehicle is a
2002 Dodge Durango, which had previously served as a chief's vehicle from 2002 to 2010.
The Rescue Squad is manned around the clock by its membership. Each member of the Squad is assigned to a
specific crew which rotates assignments on an established schedule and is trained in first-aid and CPR. Many members are
Emergency Medical Technicians and Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians.
In addition to providing Rescue coverage to the Village and Beach Protection Districts, the Squad also has been
involved with several other activities. It supplies standby coverage for all home High School football games and several
other events such as the Village Fair, Snapper Derby, Greek Epiphany, and Marathons. Several drills also have been held
with the U.S. Coast Guard, Suffolk County Police Department, and neighboring fire departments.
Over the years the Squad has responded to thousands of calls that have encompassed just about every type of
medical emergency. Fourteen Infants have been brought into this world by the caring members of the squad.
The Rescue Squad is the only unit of the Fire Department that responds to every type of alarm handled by the
department. It has been recognized over the years for the fine service it provides by generous donations by the Babylon
Lions Club of a porta-power, Mast suit, and two mountain bikes used by field EMT's for public events.
The Babylon Fire Department Rescue Squad takes great pride in the fine record it has had over the last 40 years and
looks forward to providing the best emergency service possible to the community for many years to come.
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