About Us
Our first ambulance, a used 1939 LaSalle
History of the Squad
In 1951 a group of concerned citizens met to discuss the need for ambulance transportation and first aid care for the community. The group consisted of members of the Ballston Lake Fire Department and the auxiliary. In July of 1951 they organized the Ballston Lake Emergency Squad, Inc. A second-hand 1939 LaSalle (pictured above) was the Squad's first vehicle. They answered two calls that year.
In 1953 the squad found the need for service growing, so they extended membership to cover the fire districts of Burnt Hills, Jonesville, and Charlton. In 1956 the squad moved up to a 1948 Packard and in 1958 they were able to buy their first new ambulance, an S&S Cadillac. In 1970 an ultra-modern Cadillac was purchased and in 1972 the first van-type ambulance went into service. As the number of calls increased, the need for a second ambulance became apparent. In 1975 another van-type ambulance was purchased. At present, the Squad runs three modular ambulances on van chassis', and one first response vehicle. To see a pictorial history of our ambulance fleet, click here.
In 1954 the Squad built its own garage on land donated by Baxter's Funeral Home. In 1972 an addition was added and land adjacent on each side of the building was purchased. In 1995 a new 6500 square foot building was built adjacent to the Ballston Lake Fire Department. The upstairs of the building was completed in 1996 and converted to squad bunkrooms. An Open House program in April, 1996 to show off the new station and thank the community featured a CPR demonstration, child fingerprinting sponsored by the New York State Police, a blood pressure clinic, and even a demonstration landing by the Albany Medical Center helicopter.
The Squad, in its history of service to the community, has maintained cutting edge equipment and training equal to or exceeding regional, state, and federal standards. We are proud to be an all volunteer agency providing paramedic service, the highest level of pre-hospital care available anywhere.
What We're Doing Now
Ballston Lake Emergency Squad is part of the Saratoga County 911 system. We respond to emergency requests for medical aid in all of the town of Ballston, and parts of the towns of Charlton and Clifton Park. On the average, our services are requested 2 to 3 times per day. Most of the requests for help are medical in nature, with about 10% of our calls being for motor vehicle accidents, and then an assortment of other problems. About a third of our calls require a paramedic or advanced life support level of care. We have a scheduled all-volunteer duty crew on call around the clock, 365 days per year. All members carry pagers, and in the event of multiple calls in our ambulance district, any available members respond to the station and respond with an ambulance. Some of our volunteers are also equipped with life-saving emergency supplies (including defibrillators) and two way radios in their own cars, to get trained people on scene as soon as possible.
We also work closely with members of many local fire departments and neighboring ambulance squads. Law enforcement is provided by the New York State Police and the Saratoga County Sheriffs Department. They can often be found responding with us to many of our calls, and we are proud to work closely with all of them.
How You Can Help
Ballston Lake Emergency Squad is always in need of volunteers who are willing to help their community. NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY!!! In fact, most of our new members join with no experience or training, only the desire to help.
Some new members are allowed to take "Driver Only" positions, once they have successfully completed a Red Cross First Aid and CPR course. All new members are strongly encouraged to take the New York State Emergency Medical Technician course, and participate in in-house training with their peers and colleagues. Crews often schedule special time to train together and review articles in medical literature. The Squad also schedules at least one training session for all members once a month.
Want to find out more? Visit our "How You Can Help" page to get the details and download an application. Or, send your questions and comments to ballstonlakeems@yahoo.com.