Deerfield Valley Rescue was founded in 1974 by a group of residents concerned about the delivery of emergency medical care to the residents and guests of the Deerfield Valley. These people were responsible for starting an organization that has seen dramatic changes from its inception until today. 

  In May of 1974, Deerfield Valley Rescue began its preparation. Approximately 25 people began volunteering their time to take advanced first-aid classes given by instructors from Whitingham Ambulance Service.  On July 8th, 1974, DVR was incorporated, and those volunteers began traveling to Bennington to attend classes to become Emergency Medical Technicians.  In November of 1974, the ambition of those volunteers became reality when ambulance coverage was provided 24 hours a day to the residents of Wilmington, Dover, Searsburg, and Marlboro.  The first ambulance was purchased from an organization in Brattleboro and was housed in a garage in what is now the True Value hardware store on East Main Street.  In 1976, plans were drawn up for what is now the present Squad house for DVR, located at 34 Rt. 100 South.  The first official meeting in the new DVR quarters was held on August 1st, 1977.  The initial notification of calls was managed by means of a red-phone system, where several members had phones in their houses, which received the incoming calls for assistance.  After receipt of the call, the member receiving the call would alert the other members of the squad via phone, giving them the details of what the call was. Communications improved when the squad purchased a radio system and pagers, allowing the members to be anywhere in the coverage area, rather than staying home near the phone waiting for the call.  From 1974 to today, DVR has seen a tremendous amount of growth.  The call volume has grown from 237 in 1976 to 610 in 2005. Along with the call growth, a lot of other pieces of DVR have grown as well.  Ambulances have grown from 1 to 3.  The demands on the ever-important volunteer work have grown to such a point that DVR instituted paid staff as a part of their organization.

  Deerfield Valley Rescue is now a combination service, having both volunteers and paid personnel.  The need for adequate daytime coverage and the need for the administration of the squad resulted in the hiring of the squad's first paid full-time staff in 1989, the Business Administrator.  Because of the resort area our valley is known for, the squad found that the number of calls during November to April presented a problem. With calls increasing year after year, the squad drew up plans for a part-time employee to work those months and take the burden off the volunteers.  A Seasonal Attendant was hired in November of 1989 for this purpose, to work five days a week for those five busy months.  Calls still increased from 250 in 1989 to 500 in 1998.  The squad again had some concern in relation to the ability to handle daytime calls the entire year. In September of 1998, DVR took another step towards efficiently handling the calls and hired the second paid full-time member, the Ambulance Attendant.  At present, DVR still has three paid-staff positions: two full-time year-round and one part-time seasonal.  mid-April through mid-November, the paid staff cover daytime calls Monday through Friday, with volunteers covering weekend days.  The remainder of the time, daytime calls are covered seven days a week by two paid staff members daily, resulting in a big burden taken off of the volunteers. 

  However, the volunteers are still the backbone of DVR, and the squad cannot function without them.  The remainder of coverage time is filled in by our ever-important volunteer ranks, of which we hope you become a member.   October 2005 turned over another stone for DVR.  We made the transition from a squad whose volunteers received no compensation to a plan that compensated the members for coverage house, as well as calls run.  The thought behind this plan was to give the members a little incentive to continue doing what they do.  It is hard to say whether the compensation has made a significant difference or not, but it is definitely a welcome incentive for the members.

  DVR is part of Vermont Ambulance District #12, which includes Whitingham Ambulance Service, Bennington Rescue, Arlington Rescue, Pownal Rescue, Manchester Rescue, and Southwestern VT. Regional Ambulance, East Dover First Response, Mt. Snow Ski Patrol, Village Ambulance in Williamstown, MA, and North Adams Ambulance in North Adams, MA.  Overseeing the ambulance district is a District Board, which is comprised of a representative from each organization.  This board facilitates training and some operational functions that may relate to each squad, as set forth by the Vermont Department of Health - EMS Division.  However, each squad is responsible for the administration of its own squad. Overseeing the squads is the District 12 Medical Director, a physician from a medical facility in the district, whose responsibility is to see that protocols and the delivery of emergency medical care are provided at an acceptable level.

  DVR now serves the towns of Wilmington, Dover (East and West), Searsburg, Somerset, Whitingham, Jacksonville, Halifax, and portions of Marlboro and Stratton.  We have 2 stations, the Wilmington station, housing two ambulances and the Business offices of DVR, and the Jacksonville station, housing one ambulance.  DVR works very closely with all Police, Fire, and EMS departments in the towns we serve, as well as the towns we assist via Mutual Aid.  DVR has been dispatched through the Southwestern New Hampshire District Fire Mutual Aid in Keene, NH, since 1991.  Between Mutual Aid and the implementation of the Enhanced 911 system in 1999, the receipt and dispatch of calls for help is done in a very timely and professional manner.

  On November 14, 2017, Deerfield Valley Rescue moved its operation to its new headquarters building at 22 Stowe Hill Rd in Wilmington. The new facility offers much-needed additional space to include offices, emergency vehicle bays, a training /meeting room, storage, and a staff area.  We have a wonderful group of members who dedicate time in their lives to be there when help is needed.

  The new headquarters building began its internal renovation on March 19, and progress has been ongoing, with a projected renovation completion timeframe within a two to three-week window. During the renovation process, DVR has based its staff members in the Wilmington Fire House, with the emergency vehicles responding from the new Stowe Hill building. The number of calls we have responded to this year so far is on track to surpass previous years.

  Many people wonder how financially DVR operates. We conduct a subscription drive in November of each year that is sent to all property owners and post office box holders in our coverage area.  The subscription program has 3 levels of "coverage" that a family or business can subscribe to.  The subscription drive is one of our biggest sources of income.  DVR also bills for services rendered to patients, some of which may be covered by insurance, federal programs, or may have to be paid by the patients themselves.  We also receive memorial donations in memory of deceased residents, friends, and even strangers!  All of this income enables us to operate Deerfield Valley Rescue.  Without the support of the subscribers and other individuals or businesses that contribute, we would be unable to provide the services that we do.

  The purpose of this description is to give you a little more understanding of who we are here at Deerfield Valley Rescue, why we operate, and how we operate.  The organization is much more than what was described here, as we have only touched the surface of Deerfield Valley Rescue.  You can learn even by becoming a member!   We hope that you continue your interest in Deerfield Valley Rescue and become a member of the team.

Thank you 

     The Board of Directors and members of Deerfield Valley Rescue