In order to provide the citizens of central and western Loudoun County with first aid & transport services, 12 men from the communities of Hamilton, Leesburg, Purcellville, Lovettsville, and Hillsboro met in September of 1952 and decided to form the Loudoun County Rescue Squad.  The following year, armed with a basic first aid course and a donated 1953 Ford Sedan, the men changed the face of what is now known as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Loudoun County as the 1st permanent ambulance company in Loudoun County.

The Vehicles...

The first vehicle used by the Loudoun County Rescue Squad was a 1951 Ford Ranch Wagon, lent to the department by Hamilton resident Albert Laycock.  Mr. Laycock, a local grocer, would use the vehicle to deliver groceries and allowed the Squad to use the vehicle for emergency responses.  Two years later, a Ford Sedan was donated to the Squad for their use.

In 1957, radio and TV personality Arthur Godfrey helped the department to obtain a 1955 Cadillac Ambulance (shown below).  The vehicle was white, and a green stripe was added to the side of the vehicle -- a color scheme still used by the Hamilton Volunteer Rescue Squad to this day.

The barn shown in this picture was located on St. Paul Street in Hamilton, and was one of the original buildings used to house the vehicles.

Original Station Built...

In 1958, members went looking for a more permanent location to house their vehicles, and found that location on N. Laycock Street in Hamilton.  The land was purchased for $45, and the building was built by hand with the help and labor of the founding members.  Costing $5,000 to build, the station was completed in December of 1959. 

This building still stands today, and though there have been modifications and additions to the building, it remains the Hamilton Rescue Squad's station to this day.

Increasing Calls & The Inception of Hamilton Rescue...

Since the 50's, the Loudoun County Rescue Squad had operated from the building in Hamilton, responding to areas from Round Hill to Lucketts (Lucketts alone was a 30 minute response).  Based on a county recommendation following a response study, it was decided that there was a need for a 2nd Squad truck to be placed into service, and the location was to be Leesburg.

Members welcomed the creation of a 2nd Squad truck, but several members were angry that the new equipment was going to be placed in Leesburg, leaving the older equipment in Hamilton.  Five Loudoun Rescue members approached the Virginia Department of EMS & decided to start their own rescue squad.  Thus, the Hamilton Volunteer Rescue Squad was born.

Two Ambulances and Some Rope...

Changes Over the Years...

Since its inception, both the department and the squad building have changed.  The building, originally 3 bays, was redone to 2 bays (one for each ambulance), and an add-on was later added to accommodate the larger-sized Squad trucks.  The door originally located on the right side of the building has since been bricked-up, and entry is now made thru a glass door in the center of the building.  The station has gone thru 3 different Squad trucks and countless ambulances, and members have come & gone. 

Currently, the station houses 2 ambulances, a medium-duty Squad truck, 2 boats (1 aluminum "John" boat & 1 inflatable "Zodiac" boat), and 3 chase vehicles.  We long ago outgrew our existing facilities on N. Laycock Street, and are currently in the process of building a new state-of-the-art Safety Center building with plenty of room for existing & future equipment.