The Sandisfield Times
Two Ambulances, One Town
A Major Milestone in Emergency Care
by Mike Grillo, Fire Chief
Published January 15, 2026

image of the Sandisfield ambulance.
Photo: The Sandisfield Fire Department.

Since placing our recently purchased ambulance into service, the Sandisfield Fire Department temporarily removed the older unit to complete much-needed repairs and maintenance. Just after Christmas, the repairs and refurbishing were finished and both ambulances were fully in service. Both are now actively responding to 911 calls for the Town of Sandisfield.

This means that either ambulance may be dispatched to a 911 emergency, and on multiple occasions, the Sandisfield Fire Department has simultaneously operated both ambulances on separate 911 calls within town at the same time. Over the past 14 days alone, we have handled multiple incidents where each ambulance was committed to a different emergency call-a significant operational milestone for our department.

When one ambulance is already on a call, the second ambulance is staffed and immediately available through a combination of volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and per-diem personnel. This ensures that 911 coverage is maintained even during overlapping emergencies, dramatically reducing response times and improving patient care. This capability allows us to provide the highest level of emergency medical service possible to our residents. Sandisfield is now one of only two municipalities in South County with two ambulances fully staffed and responding to 911 calls.

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This initiative has been in development for several months, requiring extensive planning to ensure we could safely and reliably staff both ambulances for emergency response. Today, we are proud to officially share this achievement with the community.

We also want to thank the town for its support. While this effort required additional staffing resources and innovative policy decisions, that investment has directly resulted in improved emergency services for Sandisfield residents.

We are equally proud of our members and their dedication to training and professionalism:

100% of department members are medically trained as Massachusetts EMTs, Paramedics, or First Responders.

95% of our membership holds Pro Board Firefighter I certification, the national standard for entry-level structural firefighting.

That same 95% also holds Pro Board Hazardous Materials Operations certification, qualifying them to operate at hazardous materials incidents.

This accomplishment reflects countless hours of training, planning, and teamwork. We are grateful for the continued trust and support of the Town of Sandisfield as we continue moving forward.

One Town. One Team. One Mission.

Check out more at sandisfieldfire.com.

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©The Sandisfield Times. All rights reserved.
Published January 15, 2026