Adrian gives Constantine a tour of the ambulance.
Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad provides comprehensive mobile integrated healthcare and emergency medical services in Southern Berkshire County, for both 911 calls and inter-facility transports from Fairview Hospital, an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems.
Our History
Before the inception of the Ambulance Squad in 1968, Fairview Hospital was responsible for ambulance service in Southern Berkshire. On November 12, 1967, a serious automobile accident occurred in the town of Egremont. Due to the dispatch system in use at that time, the ambulance didn’t arrive for 40 minutes. This situation cast Fairview and its ambulance service into the public spotlight. Since the fire department couldn’t provide ambulance service, the organization of a separate emergency medical service was begun.
The Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad was officially organized on March 15, 1968 and incorporated in April of that same year. The first ambulance was donated by the American Legion Posts 127 and 298, radios were donated by the Lions Club, and Fairview provided a $10,000 grant to start construction of a garage and meeting room.
In 1973, several of the 46 members had completed the 81-hour EMT Course, and by the end of 1975, 85% of the Squad were Nationally Registered EMTs. During the late 1970s, emergency equipment and training were offered to police and fire departments in our service area. In 1980, SBAS became an Advanced Life Support service when several EMTs gained certification as EMT-Intermediates.
Throughout the 1980s, skills were enhanced, equipment upgraded, and services extended. Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) were introduced during this period and squad members became certified. In 1987, the first helicopter intercept protocols were developed. Today there are three such services available, with response times generally under 20 minutes.
The 1990s were marked by dramatic growth. With the help of community donations, the squad expanded from a garage with a single room attached to the larger facility you see today. The Memorial Day Tornado of 1995, which left 3 dead and 23 injured, demonstrated the value of mass casualty training. The decade also saw SBAS respond to five plane crashes.
In August 2014, SBAS successfully licensed at the Paramedic level and hired its initial paramedic staff. A third ambulance was added at that time, and staffing increased from one 24/7 crew to two. Today, Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad operates with 32 career and part-time EMS professionals providing coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.