About the Delmar Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad

The Delmar Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad is made up of caring men and women who respond to approximently 2,000 calls for emergency medical assistance per year. The 80 member Fire Department's Rescue Squad has more than 25 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Advanced EMTs who provide ambulance service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. The firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) members use three ambulances to respond to calls for medical assistance in Delmar, Elsmere, and Slingerlands.

Responding to Emergencies

The Rescue Squad’s ambulances are dispatched to 911 emergency calls by The Bethlehem Police Communications Center. The Rescue Squad works in partnership with the Albany County Sheriffs Department to ensure that the highest level of Advanced Life Support is available in our community. An Albany County Paramedic and Delmar Fire Department ambulance respond to each medical emergency. We are also proud to work side-by-side with the officers of the Bethlehem Police Department.

Training

In addition to responding to calls and maintaining our equipment, our volunteers spend many hours honing their skills. During 2006, our volunteers dedicated more than 5,900 hours to emergency medical services training and continuing medical education.

Most of our Rescue Squad members are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or Advanced EMTs and have received more than 100 hours of training. Several are Paramedics (EMT-Ps) that have more than 1,000 hours of classroom and clinical education. Others are firefighters who have taken on the additional responsibility of driving the ambulances.

On-Call

Rescue squad members take turns being “on-call” for six or twelve hour shifts. When on-call, members keep themselves available to respond to the firehouse for ambulance calls. Members are given pagers that notify them when to respond.

Membership

The Rescue Squad is always seeking caring individuals to join our group of dedicated volunteers. No experience is necessary. New members are eligible to enroll in the EMT class at no cost. For information, please contact the Delmar Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad at 475-7310.

What To Do In A Medical Emergency

• Dial 911 For Emergency Medical Assistance.
  
• Give the exact address and location of the emergency (include crossroads, color of building, and landmarks).
  
• State the nature and extent of illness and injury.
  
• Do not hang up. Wait for the 911 operator to give you instructions or tell you to disconnect.
  
• At night, turn on outside lights.
  
• Have someone clear a path to the patient. Watch for and greet emergency workers.
  
• Write a list of the patient's medications and allergies. Consider keep a list prepared at all times. If you would like to participate in the "File of Life" program that details your medical history for emergency workers, contact the Delmar Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad at 475-7310.