The Polk County Rescue Squad will be holding an open house on Saturday, May 8 from 12 to 5 p.m. to commemorate their 50 year anniversary. The Regional One helicopter will land behind the rescue squad on Saturday at 12 p.m. Everyone in the community is invited and urged to come see how their donations have benefited Polk County and this department.

Through the generosity of private citizens, local businesses, grants and support from the county the squad now has three rescue trucks, two ambulances, three boats, one camper, four ATVs, one Ranger, two heavy-duty pickups and one van. These vehicles transport personnel and equipment such as Hurst Tools (jaws of life), climbing and rappelling gear, scuba gear, breathing apparatus and turnout gear and stokes baskets for transporting victims from a variety of scenes.

With a current roster of 27 members, these dedicated volunteers conduct land searches, water rescue/recovery, vehicle extrication (including automobiles, farm equipment and busses), ambulance backup for Polk EMS, high and low angle rescue, and standby medical response at local sporting events and community activities. Their membership includes eight Emergency Medical Technicians, four Rescue Technicians, nine dual certified EMT/RT. Their most recent accomplishment is a seven-member scuba diving team.

The beginnings of the squad were much more humble, however. During a severe snowstorm during the winter of 1959, residents of the Green River Cove area were stranded without food or fuel. A handful of concerned men organized and through a real grassroots effort, found the supplies and means to transport aid to their cold and hungry neighbors. Following that effort, it was agreed that a more formal, organized team could be useful in future emergency situations. So, on February 22, 1960, the Polk County Rescue Squad was chartered.

Today, the Polk County Rescue Squad is one of the most highly recognized in the state, having been certified as a Heavy Rescue Provider. But one thing hasnt changed. It is still an all-volunteer department of dedicated citizens who care about their neighbors. This justifies their motto, Neighbors helping neighbors.