Members of the Rhea County Rescue Squad accept the proclamation from the Rhea County Commission. From left, Commissioners Tommy Ballard, Mark Cashman, Nick Welch, Commission Chairman Jim Reed, Bill Thedford, Emily Fugate, County Executive Jim Vincent, Sandy Francisco, Rescue Squad Member Dawn Marie Harris, Vice Chairman Leo Stephens, Rescue Squad member Susan Miles, Commissioner Phillip Dunn, Rescue Squad members Mike Miles, Donnie Jewett, and Brenda Bolen.
The Rhea County Commission declared the week of May 19-25 as Rhea County Rescue Squad Appreciation Week and in specific, Saturday May 18 as Rhea County Rescue Squad Day.
In a proclamation that was passed Tuesday night, the Commission showed recognition of the Rhea County Rescue Squad that will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
In the proclamation read by Commissioner Emily Fugate, it stated that back in March of 1964, a group of concerned citizens began the process of organizing what would become the Rhea County Rescue Squad.
County Executive Jim Vincent praised the members of the Rescue Squad saying, “While we are sleeping, these people are on call 24/7. They will respond out anytime of night or day to an event. We so much appreciate them and what they do for the county.”
Operations are conducted from two stations at 260 McGoffin Ave. in Spring City and at 2403 Railroad St. in Dayton.
The Rescue Squad is trained in vehicle extrication, search and rescue, and water search and recovery. They also have specially trained teams in swift water rescue and high angle rope rescue operations. In addition, they serve as back up districts with the Rhea County Volunteer Fire Department.
The story of the Rescue Squad started on March 15, 1964, when two Spring City High School students, looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon, decided to take a small boat out and shoot the rapids in the rain-swollen waters of Piney River. What began as fun quickly turned into tragedy. The boys had underestimated the river's current and when their small craft capsized, only one, Charles Reed, emerged and made it safely to shore. On Monday, March 16, after working throughout the night, rescue workers from neighboring McMinn, Roane and Cumberland counties, assisted by area residents, pulled the body of 19-year-old Charles Edwards from the river.
Four months later, in July1964, Rhea County received a charter from the state to operate the non-profit Rhea County Rescue Squad, which was headquartered in Spring City and made up of volunteers from throughout the county.
Charter Members of the Rescue Squad included Ted Boles, Olan Jewett, Eugene Shearman, J.R. Looney, Charles Phillips, John Crosby, Howard Pitman and Fred Trew.
In 1974, the squad purchased its first set of Hurst Jaws of Life at a cost of $3,825. A second set was purchased in 1980 and placed at the Dayton unit which had been formed to speed up response times in the south end of the county. Bake sales were a staple of early fundraising efforts, with the proceeds going to help purchase equipment and gear. They also have an annual BBQ Boston Butt roast as well as periodical yard sales. The Crewettes, an auxiliary unit made up of mostly the wives, mothers, daughters and girlfriends of squad members-provided the baked goods and hosted the events.
Not only do the Crewettes do this, but during a call out they come and bring food and coffee, and other refreshments when they are out all night either dragging Watts Bar Lake, Tennessee River or Chickamauga Lake or any of the many trails in the county.
Volunteers receive specialized training to become certified in a variety of rescue operations including rope and rappelling rescues, water rescues and vehicle extrications involving everything from automobiles to big rigs to farm equipment.
Some of the families that make up the Rescue Squad have had their children grow up in it. Donnie Jewett, who is pictured accepting the proclamation is the son of one of the founders Olan Jewett. Mike and Susan Miles, who are also pictured have worked as husband and wife on several call outs alongside their family members. Mike Miles just recently finished serving 41 years as a member of and later Chief of the Graysville Fire Department.
Some of the members of the Rescue Squad are trained EMT’s, paramedics and firefighters. The ones that are not work closely with them and the police and fire departments. The volunteer rescue squad spends thousands of hours each year responding to calls involving lost and injured hikers, auto accident victims, drownings, fires rescues and all manner of emergencies.
The Rhea County Rescue Squad, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization and is a member of the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads also known as TARS. The State is divided up into four regions with East Tennessee being in Region 1 and 2. Kingsport was the first squad in Tennessee to organize in 1948, leading the way for other counties to join. TARS provides training for its members in vehicle extrication, trench rescue, swift water rescue and farm and machinery rescue. They also provide instructor classes as well. On top of all of this, per the Vanessa K. Free Emergency Services Training Act of 2005 passed by the Tennessee General Assembly, they provide training to rescue squad members of not only driving their emergency vehicles, but also their personal vehicles while responding to callouts. They take at least two hours of training annually, and each emergency vehicle driver shall take and pass a comprehensive examination pertaining to the training every year.
Vanessa Free was a UTC student that was hit by a Chattanooga Police cruiser as it responded to backup another officer on a disturbance call. Ms. Free was a front seat passenger being driven by another student when they were hit at Douglas Street and MLK Boulevard in Chattanooga.