Presenting research notes on ambulance, rescue, and EMS history in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

See Google drive of source articles (forthcoming)

Read research notes (forthcoming).

1930 to 1949

• 1937 – Winston-Salem Rescue Squad organized. First rescue squad in the state. They performed rescue functions but no transport services.

1950 to 1959

• 1958 – Winston-Salem Light Rescue Squad organized. Operated from May 1, 1958, until 1959 or abouts. 
• 1958 – Mount Tabor Light Rescue Squad organized. They operated until 1960 or abouts. 
• 1959 – City-county Civil Defense Rescue Service started. Rescue trucks placed at Lewisville VFD (1959) and Beeson Crossroads VFD (1960). 
• 1959 – Forsyth Rescue Squad organized. Added ambulances in later decade. 
• 1959 – King Rescue Squad operating by this time. [WSJ, 8/14/59]

1960 to 1969

• 1962 – Air King Rescue Squad organized in Winston-Salem. Operated ambulance. 
• 1965 – Forsyth Rescue Squad erected their first squad building. 
• 1968 – County notified that the city’s black-owned funeral homes were stopping ambulance services. 
• 1968 – Forsyth County Ambulance Service started operation. 
• 1968 – County ambulance added at Kernersville.
• 1969 – County ambulance removed from Kernersville, due to lack of calls. 

1970 to 1979

• 1973 – Black Panther People’s Free Ambulance Service organized in Winston-Salem, also called Joseph Waddell People’s Free Ambulance Service. Operated until 1977.
• 1973 – Forsyth Rescue Squad added first modular-type ambulance in the county.
• 1973 – Forsyth Rescue Squad began participating in the county-wide “nearest ambulance” auto-aid program. 
• 1974 – Forsyth Rescue Squad added first Hurst tool in the area. 
• 1974 – County ambulance service relocated from airport to Reynolds Memorial Hospital.  
• 1976 – County ambulance service started paramedic program. 
• 1977 – Air King Rescue Squad ceased operations.
• 1979 – WSFD fire medic program underway by this time. At least two trained EMTs are assigned to each shift at each fire station. 
• 1978 – Forsyth County Water Rescue Team organized. 
• 1979 – Kernersville Rescue Squad organized. 

Plus fire department rescue squads that started operating during the decade:

• Belews Creek
• Clemmons 
• Gumtree 
• Horneytown
• Mineral Springs
• Mount Tabor
• Old Richmond 
• Piney Grove 
• Rural Hall 
• Vienna 
• Walkertown 

These squads operated into the 1990s and some even later. 

1980 to 1999

• 1980 – Southeast Winston Rescue Squad organized by former members of Air King Rescue Squad. 
• 1984 – Forsyth Rescue Squad assumed field duties of county water rescue team.
• 1985 – Union Cross VFD Rescue Squad operating by this time. [WSJ, 10/31/85]
• 1990 – County EMS relocated from Reynolds Health Center to new building at East Fifth Street.
• 1998 – North Carolina Strike Force 1 organized, with Forsyth Rescue Squad and Thomasville Rescue Squad. Predecessor to USAR task force teams.
• 1999 – WSFD started first responder services in the city. 

2000 to Present

• 2000? – Southeast Winston Rescue Squad ceased operations.
• 2003 – Forsyth Rescue Squad ceased operation. 
• 2005 – By this time, NuCare Carolina Ambulance (1999) and Cavalry Medical Transport (2000) had county contracts for non-emergency transport and could also back up county EMS. The contract with Cavalry was cancelled in 2007. NuCare ended business around 2021/22. 
• 2008 – Kernersville Rescue Squad ceased operation in Forsyth County.
• 2008 – Carolina Rescue and Emergency Medical Transport, Inc. created, new name for Kernersville Rescue Squad corporation.
• 2009 – LifeStar Emergency Services awarded two-year county franchise for non-emergency transport services. 
• 2025 – Snapshot. Current non-emergency providers were LifeStar, Providence Transportation (Lexington), and MedEx Medical Transport (regional provider).