Emergency Medical Services of Berkshire County - EMSCO

06/01/2025

🫀 National CPR and AED Awareness Week | June 1–7 🫀

This week, we’re joining the nation in recognizing the importance of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training. Every second counts in a cardiac emergency — and knowing how to respond can save a life.

🚑 Did you know? Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival during sudden cardiac arrest.

👉 Whether you’re a healthcare provider or a bystander, learning CPR is simple, powerful, and essential. Hands-only CPR takes just minutes to learn — and you could be someone’s hero.

💡 This week, take the time to:
✔️ Learn CPR
✔️ Locate your nearest AED
✔️ Encourage friends and family to get trained

Let’s build a stronger, safer community — one heartbeat at a time. ❤️

05/26/2025

Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage, dedication, and selfless commitment to defending our freedom will never be forgotten.

As we enjoy the freedoms they fought to protect, let us take a moment to reflect on their legacy and express our deepest gratitude. We owe them more than words can say.

To the families who bear the weight of their loss every day — we stand with you, today and always.

05/24/2025

🕯️ EMS REMEMBRANCE DAY – Honoring Our Fallen 🕯️

On this final day of EMS Week, we pause to reflect and remember the brave EMS providers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

These heroes answered the call to serve, risking their lives to save others. Today, we honor their memory, their courage, and their dedication to the communities they so selflessly protected.

To the families, friends, and colleagues who carry their legacy forward – you are not alone. We stand with you in remembrance, in gratitude, and in reverence.

Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

05/23/2025

🩸 STOP THE BLEED DAY – EMS WEEK THURSDAY 🩸

Today, on Stop the Bleed Day, we’re shining a light on the power of bystander intervention and the lifesaving skills that can help control severe bleeding in an emergency.

EMS professionals across Berkshire County are not only trained to respond quickly, but also to educate the public on how to save lives before help arrives. Bleeding control is simple, effective, and anyone can do it.

Did you know, uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma?

💡 Three steps to save a life:

Apply Pressure – With hands or a clean cloth
Use a Tourniquet – If available
Call 911 – Get EMS on the way

Join us in supporting public training programs, learning how to stop the bleed, and being part of the chain of survival. 🚑

Interested in taking a Stop the Bleed course? Follow this link to view a schedule of local training opportunities, or reach out to your communities EMS agency for help in receiving this life saving education! https://cms.bleedingcontrol.org/class/search

05/23/2025

🚑 EMS Recognition Day – Honoring Our Heroes 🚑

As EMS Week comes to a close, we proudly celebrate EMS Recognition Day by recognizing the incredible men and women who serve our Berkshire County communities with dedication, skill, and compassion every day.

To our EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and all prehospital professionals – thank you for your unwavering commitment to saving lives, providing critical care, and being there when our communities need you most.

Your long hours, quick thinking, and calm presence in times of crisis do not go unnoticed. Today, and every day, we salute your service.

05/21/2025

🚑👧 EMS for Children Day – EMS Week 2025 👶🚒
Today we spotlight EMS for Children Day, reminding us all how important it is to keep our kids safe and prepared in emergencies.

Here are a few simple ways to help protect the children in our community:

🪖 Always make sure your child wears a helmet when biking, skateboarding, or scootering.
🚗 Buckle up! Use age-appropriate car seats and seat belts every time.
☎️ Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.
🔥 Have a family fire escape plan—and practice it!
🩹 Keep a kid-friendly first aid kit at home and in the car.

Our EMS providers are trained and equipped to handle pediatric emergencies, but prevention and preparation can save lives before help arrives. Let’s work together to keep kids safe, healthy, and thriving!

Thank you to all the EMS professionals who go the extra mile for our youngest patients!

05/20/2025

🦺 Safety Tuesday | EMS Week 2025 🚑
Today we recognize Safety Tuesday, a day to emphasize the importance of safety for both EMS providers and the communities we serve.

Today is about promoting safety for everyone — the EMS professional, the patient, and the public. we’re encouraged to shift our focus from outcomes to prevention, awareness, and resilience.

Whether it’s staying alert on the road, properly marking your home for EMS access, or supporting mental health, stress reduction, maintaining proper lifting techniques, and completing thorough truck checks each shift — safety starts with awareness and action.

We also remind the public that safety is a shared responsibility. Please remember to:
✅ Pull over for emergency vehicles
✅ Give crews space at emergency scenes
✅ Ensure your home address is properly marked
✅ Take basic first aid and CPR classes

To every EMT, paramedic, dispatcher, and responder — thank you for your commitment to safety!

05/20/2025

What an unforgettable night!

The 2025 EMS Awards Dinner was a tremendous success thanks to the incredible support from our sponsors, generous donors, and a record-breaking number of guests who joined us in celebrating our region’s finest.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of the award winners—your dedication, professionalism, and service truly inspire us all.

Together, we honored the lifesaving work happening every day in our communities.
Thank you for helping make this event such a meaningful tribute to our EMS heroes, we can’t wait to see you all again next year!

Attached is a some photos from the evening, Special thanks to Crystal, Heather and others!

05/19/2025

📚 Education Day | EMS Week 2025 – Monday 🚑
Today we celebrate the knowledge, training, and continuing education that form the foundation of great EMS care. From learning the basics of CPR to mastering advanced life support, education is what empowers EMS professionals to act quickly and confidently when lives are on the line.

Here in Berkshire County, our EMS providers are constantly learning — in classrooms, during simulations, on calls, and from one another. Their commitment to growth makes our entire community safer.

Thank you to the instructors, training officers, mentors, and agencies who make EMS education possible — and to every provider who keeps pushing themselves to learn more, do more, and be better.

Interested in becoming an EMT? Locate an accredited training institution near you: https://bit.ly/43qzGVv

or visit the Berkshire Community College Workforce and Community Education for upcoming opportunities! https://bit.ly/3Fe7mh3

05/19/2025

🚑 National EMS Week 2025 🚑
This week, we proudly honor and thank all the dedicated EMS providers across Berkshire County who answer the call day and night with compassion, skill, and unwavering commitment.

From the front lines of emergencies to the quiet moments of reassurance, your service saves lives, strengthens communities, and brings comfort in the toughest times.

👏 THANK YOU to our EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and all emergency medical professionals for your courage, professionalism, and dedication to the people of Berkshire County.

Sunday is recognized as Health, Wellness, and Resilience day.
Our EMTs, AEMTs, Paramedics, and Dispatchers face intense physical and emotional demands every day. Their strength doesn't just come from training—it comes from a deep commitment to their communities, and to one another.

Today, we encourage all EMS professionals to take a moment to reflect, recharge, and prioritize their well-being. Your mental and physical health matters — not just this week, but every day.

05/13/2025

Amazing job, Chris!

A great example of teamwork from bystanders immediately recognizing a victim in sudden cardiac arrest, activation of the emergency response system, immediate CPR, as well as the effective basic and advanced life support care provided ensured the survival of this patient to hospital discharge.

The Great Barrington Fire Department is proud to share that Firefighter/EMT Chris Laramee is being recognized by the Emergency Medical Services of Berkshire County - EMSCO for his heroic actions that helped save a life on January 4, 2025.

While on duty, Chris responded—alongside fellow EMS professionals—to an emergency at Ski Butternut, where an individual believed to be in their 40s collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. Chris took over CPR from bystanders and played a critical role in sustaining life until care could be transferred to the arriving ambulance team.

His calm, decisive actions in a life-threatening situation reflect the highest standards of emergency response. We are honored to have Chris on our team and commend him for his dedication to the community.

Please join us in congratulating Chris on this well-deserved recognition! 👏

05/13/2025

We are so excited to see everyone together!

We have had a record number of ticket sales. If you have not previously purchased individual or group tickets online we will unfortunately not be able to offer tickets at the door… however, crews on duty feel free to pop in and say hi!