Rescue squads are emergency services that train and are equipped to handle emergencies such as; vehicle extrication, water surface rescue, ice rescue, high/low angle rope rescue, search for lost persons, trench rescue, confined space, water recover/dive operations, medical emergencies and fire operations. The term may also refer to such an organization's vehicles (rescue squads, rescue engines, rescue trucks, rescue companies, rescue pumpers, etc).

Example: History of the New York City, NY Fire Department FDNY

1915 - Rescue 1 to the rescue

Incidents like a subway fire January 8, 1915 that injured hundreds when the tunnel filled with smoke - resulted in the creation of Rescue Company 1 on January 18, 1915. The country's first heavy rescue unit, FDNY Rescue 1 was outfitted with the most advanced equipment available, like Draeger Smoke Helmets and tools to release victims trapped beneath heavy debris. The unit was instrumental in controlling such disasters as a 1916 ammonia fire in the cellar of the Park and Tilford Company, a 1917 explosion of hydrogen gas aboard a submarine in the Brooklyn Naval yard that threatened to destroy the entire fleet, and the 1932 explosion in a Ritz Tower Hotel basement paint room that left eight firemen dead and another eight seriously injured.

See also

• Heavy rescue vehicle
• Ambulance

A heavy rescue vehicle, often referred to as a rescue company, rescue squad, or simply heavy rescue, is a type of specialty firefighting apparatus. ... An ambulance is a vehicle designated for the transport of sick or injured people. ...

Examples on the net