The Martha s Vineyard Times
At the ready 24/7
West Tisbury’s rescue squad members routinely risk themselves to save others.
West Tisbury s rescue squad responds to the scene of a crash. - Rich Saltzberg
Within the ranks of West Tisbury’s volunteer Fire Department, a rescue squad remains at the ready for the express purpose of extracting people from perilous environments. At any hour of the day, its members will respond to any situation where a person is trapped in a plane fuselage, in a hole in ice, in a collapsed building, or, most commonly, in a wrecked vehicle.
Squad members leave work, family, their beds, in exchange for a stipend that may or may not cover what they burn in fuel to get to the station, an emergency scene, or to the regular drills and training necessary to keep their skills sharp. This volunteer rescue duty is on top of being on call to fight fires.