The Greene County Rescue Squad, Incorporated was organized in 1968 with 40 members. Initially, Ryan’s Funeral Home hearse facilitated transports. At a later date, Madison County Rescue Squad sold an ambulance to Greene County for the sum of $1.00 to facilitate transports of medical emergencies, which was garaged at Ryan’s Funeral Home. Squad members standing in front of the bank on Main Street raised operating expenses from the public by conducting bake sales, raffles, fund-raising cookouts, soliciting donations, and private donations. The first year the squad responded to two hundred and forty calls. During the second year of operation the county began to include operating funds for the single unit in its budget.

          The Greene County Rescue Squad building on Route 33 was built in 1971. Since the initial construction of the building, renovations and an addition have been added. In the 60’s, the 70’s and early 80’s the members did not stay at the building because of no accommodations such as those in the current living quarters. Everyone responded from their homes and the only communication with dispatch was via telephone unless in the transport vehicle. Communication devices such as hand held radios, cell phones and pagers were not available. The alert devices were receivers, otherwise referred to as “squawk boxes,” (the size of a small boom box) that had to be plugged into a circuit at all times. Technicians were Advanced First Aid and Emergency Medical Technician certified. In the late seventies the first Shock Trauma and Cardiac Technicians were trained.

          In 2003, our building garages four squad-transport vehicles, one “crash” truck, and two first-responder vehicles. Dispatched call volume has increased to approximately 1,800 calls/year and our classes of membership range from drivers to Paramedics with several certification levels in between.