Special Town Meeting, AED to Dewey Hall,
and Fireworks Safety

Special Town Meeting: June 29 at 6pm

Great Barrington Town Hall.

Just a quick note to thank the Great Barrington Select Board and Finance Committee for endorsing the Special Town Meeting warrant item to restore the proposed assessment funding. The Special Town Meeting was held Monday, June 29, at Monument Mountain Regional High School.

We would also like to thank Great Barrington Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove, who is working with us on a multi-year contract.

We are already off to a strong year in terms of fundraising. Thanks so much to all of you who responded to our mailer and other initiatives. If you haven’t had a chance to yet, please consider a donation to our spring appeal. You can donate online or send a check to Southern Berkshire Ambulance, 31 Lewis Ave., Great Barrington, MA 01230.

We feel blessed to be an integral part of so wonderful a community. Thank you.

Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad Donates AED to Dewey Hall

Dewey Hall, Sheffield, MA.

SHEFFIELD, MA — The Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad has donated an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Dewey Hall, providing the historic community center with an important life-saving resource in the event of a cardiac emergency.

The AED was presented by SBAS Chief Kevin Wall and Treasurer John Halbreich. An AED is a portable medical device used to treat sudden cardiac arrest by delivering an electric shock to help restore a normal heart rhythm.

“We at Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad are in the business of saving lives,” said Halbreich. “An AED gives first responders and medical personnel an additional window of crucial time in the event of a cardiac arrest, when every second counts.”

The donation continues SBAS’s commitment to public safety throughout the region. In recent years, the organization has donated AED devices to Camp Eisner, Camp Hi-Rock, and Black Bear Training.

“Dewey Hall is deeply grateful to Kevin, John, and all the staff and volunteers of Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad for this life-saving gift,” said Dewey Hall Co-Chair Brian Healey. “It is reassuring to know that this device will help protect the many people who gather here for performances, classes, and community events.”

The AED is now installed and available for use at Dewey Hall, further strengthening the hall’s ability to provide a safe and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.

Squad members enjoy some pancakes at Dewey Hall for Father’s Day.

Donor Pages on Our New Website

Thanks so much to the 2,000+ donors over the last three years who recognize the importance of emergency medical services and how critical SBAS is to our community. We’ve created donor recognition pages that list all of them.

You can review the 2024, 2025, and year-to-date 2026 donors by clicking the links.

Leave the Fireworks to the Pros!

Leave the fireworks to the professionals.

The Fourth of July is one of the best nights of the year in the Berkshires — cookouts, family, and the night sky lighting up over a professional display. It’s also one of the busiest stretches of the year for emergency responders. As your local ambulance service, we’d much rather see you at the parade than in the back of one of our ambulances.

Here’s something many people don’t realize: Massachusetts is the only state that bans all consumer fireworks for private citizens — including sparklers. It is illegal for private citizens to use, possess, or sell fireworks in Massachusetts, or to purchase them legally elsewhere and then bring them into the state.

The penalties are real — those who bring fireworks into the state or use them can face a fine of up to $100 or jail time — and any fireworks found are seized and destroyed.

Illegal fireworks contribute to over 100 fires and dozens of serious injuries in Massachusetts each year. Sparklers top the list: they burn at roughly 1,200 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit — hot enough to cause serious burns and ignite clothing. Beyond sparklers, hand and face injuries from firecrackers are the ones that send people to the hospital. If a firework fails to fire, walk away — never lean over it or attempt to relight it.

A safe holiday also means watching for the quieter risks: keep grills away from the house and never leave them unattended; drink water and find shade on hot days; never swim alone; and designate a sober driver before the first drink.

There are dozens of professional fireworks displays across Massachusetts on the Fourth of July. That’s the way to enjoy the show. Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad wishes you a happy and safe Independence Day.