Floyd County Emergency & Rescue Squad, Inc.

 

In the early morning hours of Friday, February 28, 1958 the eyes of the nation turned to the small town of Prestonsburg in eastern Kentucky.  At approximately 8:15 a.m., a school bus with 48 high school and grade school students and one bus driver plunged into the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River.   Surviving children told of their frantic efforts to save themselves, a brother, a sister, and/or a friend.  Twenty-six children, ranging in age from 8 to 17, and the 27 year old bus driver, died in this horrific accident, the deadliest accident involving children in the history of the nation.

 

As parents, relatives and community members stood on the banks of the river, Kentucky National Guardsmen, activated because there was no emergency and rescue squad at that time, began the search.  The volunteers tried unsuccessfully to find Bus 27.  Nearly fifty three hours later, the bus was found 250 yards downstream where the heavy currents of the muddy, cold river had swept it.   The community mourned as volunteer efforts continued to find all children….the last child’s body was found 69 days later.

 

Lives were changed forever by a tragedy that touched not only the hearts of grieving families and friends but the nation as all mourned the loss of these young children.

 

It was at this time, with a sense of helplessness and a vision, two men, who aided in the search for victims, saw the need for an emergency and rescue team.  On April 27, 1958, the Floyd County Emergency and Rescue Squad was formed and became the first rescue squad established in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  

 

Prestonsburg, a small, rural town in Eastern Kentucky, is the county seat of Floyd County.  Floyd County has a population of 48,000 and covers approximately 400 square miles of mostly mountainous terrain.   One square mile of this land area is water including the Levisa Fork and other Big Sandy River tributaries and the lake at Jenny Wiley State Park, which is a very popular boating, fishing and water skiing site.

 

Floyd County has 8 police departments and 9 fire departments.  The police and fire departments call upon the Floyd County Emergency and Rescue Squad to fulfill emergency and rescue functions involving highway accidents, extrication, search and rescue, dive rescue and recovery and communications. 

 

Because the Floyd County Emergency and Rescue Squad was the first emergency and response team east of the Mississippi to have the Jaws of Life, the only team in the area to have air bags, and the only certified Swift Water Team in Kentucky, the Squad is called to accident sites in counties throughout the Commonwealth and surrounding states.  The Squad’s high performance is so well known, it is not surprising to hear someone at an accident site say, “Floyd County is here now.  They will do it!”

 

The twenty-nine volunteers believe in what they are doing and when funds have not been available, they have made the difference.  One volunteer team member purchased a $10,000 boat needed for swift water rescue.  This is commonly the one used for quick rescue on Dewey Lake at night. It is also the boat utilized the most for safety monitoring.

 

This particular rescue squad received a national award in December of 2007 making us the number 3 Rescue Squad in the Nation for 2007 – 2008.  This was issued by the National Secure Communities of Congress in Washington, DC at which I was present to receive.

 

We ask for your support in our endeavors in aiding our wonderful Commonwealth and Community and helping us to build our new facility after 56 years of serving our community and Commonwealth!

 

Thank you for your support!

 

Captain Timothy C. Cooley

Floyd County Emergency and Rescue Squad, Inc.