Research notes on the history of rescue and EMS services in Boone, Blowing Rock, and the surrounding communities of Watauga County.  

Watauga County Emergency Rescue Squad, Inc.

• Organized 1961. Incorporated 1963.
• Today named Watauga County Rescue Squad
• Created after John Kirk, a “popular dean of men” at Appalachian State University, and his son Steve drowned in Watauga Lake in the summer of 1961. This compelled a group of citizens to meet at a restaurant operated by John Kirk’s father Zeb to “organize the unit.”
• There were 35 charter members at the organizational meeting. Members of the Carter County (TN) Rescue Squad met with them a couple times, to help them get organized. Local businesses and civic organizations donated equipment for the squad. Their first truck was a 1955 Chevy panel truck, donated by Zeb Kirk. The squad purchased a second, new panel truck that was “fully equipped with stretchers, beds, resuscitators” and other equipment.
• By March 1, 1962, they had answered 40 emergency calls, such as “fires, drownings, snowbound victims, and searching for lost or missing persons.” [WD, 3/1/62]
• TBD on their history of emergency patient transport services. By December 1968, they had at least one ambulance on the roster, from newspaper citations. [HDR, 12/9/68]

Watauga Ambulance Service

• Started operation April 1, 1968. The private firm was owned and operated by Everette Greene and Edsel Jackson, both of Boone. The new service operated 24/7. They charged $15 per call within the city limits, plus 50 cents per mile “into the country.” With “longer trips” prorated. [HDR, 4/1/68]
• Owner Jackson was also a driver and was injured in an ambulance crash in December 1968, from a news report. He broke his shoulder and suffered internal injuries when they were struck on Highway 421 five miles west of Boone by a 1969 yellow VW that “kept going.” [HDR, 12/9/68]
• In 1975, Tim Wilson took over from Jackson as the owner. Wilson was the son of a former county commissioner. Wilson also ran for and held some public offices.
• Company was named WAS in July 1981, when it was the lone bidder for the county ambulance service contract. [WSJ, 7/8/81]
• In April 1988, the company was housed in the county-owned Vance Building on Depot Street. They soon moved to the former American Wicker and Wood Co. building, which the county bought in November. [WSJ, 4/5/88]
• 1995, April – County officials approved upgraded training for emergency personnel. Currently, they were trained as EMT-Intermediate. Within two years, only paramedics would be staffing ambulances. This was approved at time the county renewed their contract, with a term of five years, with an option to continue for two more years. The county’s current annual appropriation was $417,000, and will be increased by 9 percent for FY96-97, and 10 percent increases for the next four years. [WSJ, 4/20/95]
• In February 1996, the county approved the company’s request for about $21,000 for a second ambulance station, to improve response times to Blowing Rock and other parts of the county. [WSJ, 2/6/86]
• 1996, Oct 6 – Flash fire burned EMT Gary Taylor, when an oxygen tank exploded while he was administering oxygen to a patient. He was helping a man who was having trouble breathing at Greenway Trailer Park near US 421 in Boone. The incident occurred about 6:00 a.m. Taylor suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face and hands and temporary blindness. He also suffered some hearing loss in one ear. He was transported to Watauga Medical Center and then to the burn unit at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. The accident was caused when a regulator value “blew off the tank.” [WSJ, 10/6/96]
• The company “held the contract” for EMS services in the county from 1975 to 1999. Reported the Hickory Daily Record on April 21, 2000, two newly elected county officials in November 1998 questioned why the county never “regularly put the ambulance service out to bid.”
• The owner later sued the county in April 2000, claiming that “constant scrutiny and harassment by county commissioners injured his business and reputation.” This followed a long-running dispute with the county and company over operational/billing issues.

Blowing Rock Rescue Squad, Inc.

• Started operation July 30, 1974. Organizational efforts had started by May 1974. The squad was given “final approval” by the state by August 14, 1974. Blowing Rock Hospital provided much of the training and equipment for their start-up.
• They covered the same territory as Blowing Rock Fire Department, with members on call 24/7, and the squad dispatched by telephone and radio through the Blowing Rock Police Department. The squad did not “replace” Watauga Ambulance Service. [HDR, 8/14/74]
• As early as May 1977, they sought to expand their service to Caldwell County and requested but were turned down for a funding request. [HDR, 5/24/77] They started receiving funding from Caldwell County in [goes here].
• Merged with fire department in 2008.

Watauga Medics, Inc.

• Started service in 2000 (?).
• Ended service in December 2025, county contract ended with retirement of parent company owner.
• Parent company also EMS provider for Ashe, Madison, and Mitchell counties.

Blowing Rock Fire-Rescue

• Created 2008 as consolidation of town fire department and private rescue squad. Also provided EMS service to parts of Caldwell County.
• 2022, July – Department discontinued EMS transport service in Caldwell County, replaced by Caldwell County EMS vehicles and personnel. Also, with the change, the fire department ceased providing backup and stand by service to the rest of Watauga County. 

Watauga County EMS

• Created in 2025.
• County purchased assets and facilities of Watauga Medics, Inc., and hired many of their staff.
• Division of Watauga County Emergency Services.

Sources

Legeros Fire Line – Ambulances Over the Decades – 12/14/25
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DDK2m1Voi/

Legeros Fire Line – New Watauga County EMS – 12/12/25
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cpeix2TFu/