05/28/2026
In 1909, Julian Wise was walking along the banks of the Roanoke River in Roanoke, Virginia, when he witnessed two men capsize a canoe in deep, rough water. Though many onlookers saw the accident, none of them had the equipment or training to offer much in the way of help, and both men drowned. Wise later said of the incident, "I vowed that never again would I watch a man die when he could have been saved if only those around him knew how."
That incident stayed with Wise, and on May 28, 1928, Wise and nine coworkers at the Norfolk and Western Railway began the nation’s first volunteer rescue squad.
The concept of life saving first aid and rescue techniques served as a catalyst to begin ambulance services that were woefully inadequate.
That first squad spawned similar agencies in the South (Lynchburg, Salem, Bristol, Vinton, etc) with the first NC rescue squad starting in Winston Salem in 1937 followed by Elkin in 1941 (with common thread there being Roy Kane, who had been a member at RLSC).
Today we find it fitting to recognize the founder and start of the volunteer rescue squad concept.
Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads
NC Association of Rescue and EMS, Inc.
Alleghany County Rescue Squad
Ashe County Rescue Squad
Alamance County Rescue Unit
Alexander Rescue Squad & EMS, Inc.
Anson Rescue Squad
Davie County Rescue Squad
Davidson County Rescue Squad, Inc.
Dobson Rescue Squad
Elkin Emergency Rescue Squad
Henderson County Rescue Squad
Iredell County Rescue Squad, Inc
Jackson County Rescue Squad
Lumberton Rescue and EMS Inc.
Maiden Rescue Squad
Mountain Park Rescue Squad, Inc.
Mount Airy Rescue Squad
North Iredell Rescue Squad
Pembroke Rescue Squad
Pilot Mountain Rescue and EMS
Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad
Richmond County Rescue Squad
Rowan County Rescue Squad, Inc.
South Orange Rescue Squad
Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad
Haywood Rescue
Watauga County Rescue Squad
NC Association of Rescue and EMS, Inc.
Transylvania County Rescue Squad
Scotland-County Rescue-Squad
(And a host of other squads)
