Black River Ambulance Squad, Inc.

We start school tomorrow! Please drive safe and keep an eye out for stopped school buses.

Meet our members!

Jonathan Gaines- AEMT, President, 2nd Assistant Director of Operations

I got my start in EMS as a young child. My father joined the Black River Ambulance Squad when I was two years old. At five years old I was walking the streets going door to door handing out our annual donation drive letter with my father and my sister. He always strived to teach us about being involved in the community, and serving others.
I spent the next decade spending the majority of my time at the ambulance station, begging my dad to take me with him at night when he went down to the squad for whatever reasons. I would help the organization in any way I could. I cleaned the building and the ambulances. I did checks on all the equipment and supplies, I volunteered my time at open houses, etc. I never asked for anything in return. My sister and I watched Rescue 911 every day, and I knew I wanted to be a firefighter/EMT more than anything.
When I was 11 years old, my mom had a seizure in our dining room. Unknowingly to us her cancer had spread to her spinal column, which caused her to seize. My dad lowered my mom to the floor, called 911, and sent us upstairs out of the way. I watched from my bedroom window, a scared child crying as the ambulance arrived with an ALS crew, and then watched several personal vehicles start flooding onto our lawn and in front of our house with green lights flashing. Everyone came because they knew it was our house, and we were not only part of the squad family, but part of the close knit community as a whole. My father made a vow to my mom that day that he would do everything in his power to make sure an ambulance got out for others in the community the same way it did for her from that day forward….. and he has….. for 25 years he has put his entire heart and soul into the squad, and I do what I can to do my part for the same reasons.
When I was 15 years old and a Sophomore in high school I learned that the squad was going to host a Certified First Responder Course, I just needed to be 16 years old before I tested out, which I would be, so my father signed me up. While taking the course I was able to ride on the ambulance for the first time to get hands on experience….. something I had waited my whole life for!
At age 17 I took the NYS EMT Basic course, next thing I knew I was in charge of actual patients by myself, No EMT above me holding my hand. It was a little scary, but I had been training my whole life for it, I can almost say it came naturally.
I am now a NYS Advanced EMT, and one of only three ALS providers in the agency. I have seen many changes in the agency and in EMS over the past 22 years, but one thing remains constant- my love to help my community members in their time of need….. and I will continue to do so until i’m physically unable.

We are always in need of volunteers. If you want to be a part of something bigger than yourself, there is no better way than volunteer EMS. Apply today!

Did you know, we are all volunteer, and strive for community involvement!?
Today we participated in the Felts Mills and Black River Memorial Day parades, and we also got a picture of the little league team we sponsored with our ambulance at the parade!