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The Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad was established in 1948 as a joint venture between the Willmar American Legion and Kandiyohi County Civil Defense. The City of Willmar also became involved in its development as a city and county resource.
In its early development, responders were activated by a phone call. Many of the emergency calls were to extricate individuals from farm machinery. Most of the tools at the time included hand tools, pry bars, and hydraulic jacks. As the squad's knowledge, experience and utilization expanded, so did their training and equipment.
Today the squad is part of Kandiyohi County Emergency Management. The squad consists of 20 or more volunteer members, and averages more than 120 calls for service annually.
Members attend a variety of specialized training sessions including the following topics:
- Water Safety
- First Responder
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Hazardous Materials
- Technical Rescue
- National Incident Management Systems
- Cold Water Rescue
- Powered Extrication Equipment
- Severe Weather Identification
- Radio Communications
These training sessions, along with the professional experience of squad members, make it a very diversified and highly functional group that can provide support for most of the county's emergency services, including law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire, emergency management, and water safety.
Currently, the squad has four emergency response vehicles equipped with a variety of powered extrication equipment. Calls for service include motor vehicle crashes, fire department support, severe weather watch, cold water rescue, and off-road snowmobile/ATV crashes.
Squad members respond in durable gear designed to protect the rescuer from a variety of potentially hazardous environments including weather, sharps, and providing reflective protection for traffic safety.
A variety of techniques are used to protect the individual and responder during extrication. This may include cribbing, airbags, and stabilization rams.
Rescue Squad safety continues to be a high priority and ever changing. With the addition of airbags, various pressurized cylinders, side/curtain airbags, high-tempered steel, and hybrid vehicles, greater caution needs to be taken to keep today's emergency responder safe and free from potential injury.
Links to related organizations
Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program
Emergency Services Department at Rice Memorial Hospital
Hennepin County Medical Center
Minnesota Ambulance Association
Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Honor Guard
Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board
Links to Special Teams
Hazardous Emergency Assistance Team
