Fully Staffed

President’s Letter: Fully Staffed

I am pleased to report that Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad is fully staffed. After a period of recruitment and onboarding, we now have the team in place to provide reliable 24/7 paramedic coverage across South County. This is a significant milestone and a testament to the hard work of our operations team.

Being fully staffed doesn’t mean we’re done building. We continue to invest in training, retention, and the systems that allow our crews to do their best work. But it does mean that when you call 9-1-1, a fully trained paramedic crew will respond.

— Jim Santos, 50-Year Volunteer & President

A Conversation with Dr. Eleanor Ragone

Dr. Eleanor Ragone is an emergency room physician and a paramedic — a rare combination that gives her unique insight into the interface between pre-hospital and in-hospital care. We sat down with her to talk about what she’s learned from working on both sides of that interface.

“What paramedics do in the field in those first minutes sets the stage for everything that happens in the emergency department,” she told us. “The clinical decisions made before the patient arrives — airway management, medication administration, cardiac monitoring — those decisions matter enormously. Having paramedic-level care in a rural community like South County is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline.”

Benefit Concert — April 11 at Taggart House

Join us for a benefit concert on April 11, 2026 at Taggart House in Stockbridge.

We are excited to announce a benefit concert on April 11, 2026 at 6pm at Taggart House, 18 Main Street, Stockbridge. The event will feature Jordan Weller & The Feathers and will support our ambulance capital campaign.

Tickets are $100 per person. Space is limited. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite →

Black Bear Training Gets an AED

SBAS Board Member John Halbreich, SBAS COO Kevin Wall, and Black Bear Training staff at the AED presentation.

We are pleased to have donated an Automated External Defibrillator to Black Bear Training in Great Barrington. Black Bear’s facility hosts a large number of community members for fitness training, and having an AED on-site significantly improves outcomes in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Staff received training on proper use.

If your business or organization would like information about obtaining an AED and training, please contact us.

Last Thoughts: Think Before You Refuse

Our paramedics occasionally respond to calls where a patient who has experienced a medical emergency declines transport to the hospital. We understand — hospital trips are disruptive, expensive, and sometimes frightening. But we want to share something important: the decision to refuse transport should never be made lightly.

Many serious conditions — heart attacks, strokes, internal bleeding — can appear to stabilize briefly before rapidly worsening. Our assessment in the field is good, but it is not a substitute for the diagnostic capabilities of an emergency department. If our crew recommends transport, please take that recommendation seriously. We are asking because we believe it matters.