Rescue is what we do!
Vehicle Extrication
When automobile crashes occur, unfortunately victims can become entrapped in the wreckage. Being an NC Certified Heavy Rescue agency, our members are trained on techniques and equipment to safely and efficiently free the victims.
High Angle / Rope Rescue
Alleghany is a rural mountain county. There is ample opportunity for a victim to fall down a ravine, fall ill in a tree stand, get injured while rock climbing at Stone Mountain, or even get trapped on a communications tower. Alleghany Rescue is an NC certified High Angle Rescue provider, with members trained in technical rope rescue and equipment necessary to perform a wide variety of high and low angle rope rescues or recoveries.
First Response
When medical calls happen in the outlaying areas of rural Alleghany, response times from Sparta can be extended. Our members respond as first responders from their homes and workplaces, along with fire department responders, to provide medical care until an ambulance arrives. Qualified members may provide advanced life support (ALS) care in the field.
ALS and BLS Ambulance Provider
Alleghany Rescue is a paramedic-level ambulance provider as well as BLS-level ambulance provider recognized by the State of NC. We provide back-up for Alleghany County EMS (paid county agency) when the county crews are busy on other calls and another call comes into dispatch. We also provide medical standby for athletic games and other events in the county and provide mutual aid for surrounding counties as requested.
Agricultural Rescue
As Alleghany County's seal portrays, farming has long been the backbone of our economy. Small farms as well as larger operations still thrive here. Unfortunately there are inherent dangers in farming. Large equipment with lots of moving parts that can crush or entrap, potentially dangerous chemicals, animal-related injuries, remote locations, and working long, hard hours out in the elements may all contribute to a need for a rescue in an agriculture setting. Alleghany Rescue is an NC certified Agricultural Rescue provider.
Wilderness Search and Rescue
With over 30 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway National Park running along our border, two recreation areas on the Parkway at Cumberland Knob and Doughton Park largely in our jurisdiction, Stone Mountain State Park shared with Wilkes County, as well as gamelands and large tracts of privately owned woodlands, Alleghany County has ample space for outdoor recreation. Unfortunately, victims can become injured and/or lost far from home. Many of Alleghany Rescue's members are certified in wilderness search and rescue and have assisted in successful searches in and around Alleghany.
Water Rescue
Alleghany is fortunate to have a portion of one of the oldest and most peaceful rivers in the world, the New River. Kayakers, canoers, "tubers", and anglers flock to the river in the summer. We also have Little River, multiple streams, Lake Louise in Roaring Gap, and many private and farm ponds. Flooding occurs during storms and can trap people in vehicles entering flooded roads throughout the county. Alleghany Rescue strives to be prepared for water rescues with water equipment and personnel certified in safe techniques as NC Technical Rescuer - Water Rescue.
Public Service
"The mission of the Alleghany Rescue Squad is to provide competent and caring aid to the victims of emergencies in our community, through prevention, public education, and emergency services. The mission of the Squad includes cooperating with other services and aggressively seeking ways to better protect and treat the public we serve." We strive to be true to our mission by providing CPR and first aid classes, assisting other agencies as needed, clearing roads of fallen trees, diving into public pools and ponds to clear drains, working with our youth through Boy Scouts and Special Olympics - to name a few ways.