Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Service

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Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Service Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service Provider Due to expansion of the Fire Department, Charlestown Ambulance was forced to find a home of their own.

In 1971, a group of residents from the Town of Charlestown recognized the need to provide Emergency Medical Services for the residents and visitors to this southern New England coastal community, thereby forming Charlestown Ambulance Service. Charlestown Ambulance is a volunteer, non-profit organization which is supported by an annual donation drive, contract services, revenue recovery from services provided and grants. When Charlestown Ambulance first began the endeavor of providing Emergency Medical Services, the Cross Mills Volunteer Fire Department, of the Charlestown Fire District allowed an ambulance to occupy a bay within their fire station. In 1983, through more than gracious donations from local property owners, the land at 4891 Old Post Road, Charlestown now houses Charlestown Ambulance Service. Charlestown Ambulance quickly grew and expanded upon the scope of EMS. Not only is emergency transportation provided to local hospitals, but rescue operations are also provided along with water rescue and light technical rescue work. With this came a name change. Charlestown Ambulance Service has expanded to Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service. Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service currently operates two ambulances, equipped to the Paramedic Level of Care with state of the art monitoring and diagnostic equipment.

10/12/2026

🌊 A look back at last month’s Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Course!

Rough surf, strong currents, and rocky shorelines were all part of the training as students worked to develop the skills needed to safely operate in challenging water rescue environments.

These are the conditions rescue swimmers may face when responding to an emergency, and training like this helps prepare them for those moments.

Here’s a quick look at some of the action from an outstanding week of training!

🌊 Day 1 of Rescue Swimmer Training!Our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Program kicked off today at Watchaug Pond!Students s...
10/12/2026

🌊 Day 1 of Rescue Swimmer Training!

Our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Program kicked off today at Watchaug Pond!

Students spent their first day getting familiar with their equipment, practicing swimming techniques, and learning skills for operating in and around capsized vessels.

These foundational skills are an important part of preparing rescue swimmers to safely and effectively respond to emergencies on the water.

A great start to the week, with plenty more training ahead!

🩸 Join us for our upcoming blood drive!Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is teaming up with the Rhode Island Blood Ce...
10/09/2026

🩸 Join us for our upcoming blood drive!

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is teaming up with the Rhode Island Blood Center, and we’d love your help supporting patients who depend on donated blood.

📅 Monday, November 2
⏰ 2–6 p.m.
📍 RIBC Bloodmobile at our station, 4891 Old Post Road, Charlestown

Schedule your appointment at ribc.org/drives using code RR3654, or scan the QR code on the flyer.

Thank you for helping us care for our community! Please share to help spread the word.

🌊 Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Course Complete!After a challenging week on the water, our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer C...
09/26/2026

🌊 Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Course Complete!

After a challenging week on the water, our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer Course wrapped up today with final practical evaluations in the Charlestown Breachway.

Throughout the week, students trained in a variety of environments across southern Rhode Island, working in currents, significant surf, around rocks and jetties, and in moving water. Today, they brought those skills together during their final practicals here in Charlestown.

The conditions and locations changed throughout the week, but the goal remained the same: developing the skills, confidence, teamwork, and judgment needed to safely operate during water rescue emergencies.

Congratulations to everyone who successfully completed the course, and thank you to the instructors and agencies who helped make a great week of training possible.

From the surf to the river! 🌊🚑Today, our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer class took their training to the Pawcatuck River, ...
09/25/2026

From the surf to the river! 🌊🚑

Today, our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer class took their training to the Pawcatuck River, where students worked through exercises designed to prepare them for swiftwater rescue operations.

The day focused on working safely in moving water, using rope systems, operating as a coordinated rescue team, and maneuvering rescue equipment through current.

Throughout the week, students have trained in a variety of environments, from currents and rocks at the Weekapaug Breachway, to significant surf at Hazard Rock, and now the moving waters of the Pawcatuck River. Each environment presents its own challenges and helps build the skills, confidence, and teamwork needed when a real water rescue occurs.

Great work by everyone in the class as they continue to put in the time and effort this week! 💪🌊

Rescue Swimmer Training Day 3 🌊Our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer course continued today at Hazard Rock in Narragansett, w...
09/23/2026

Rescue Swimmer Training Day 3 🌊

Our Public Safety Rescue Swimmer course continued today at Hazard Rock in Narragansett, where students had the opportunity to train in significant surf and challenging coastal conditions.

Today’s training focused on working safely and effectively in the surf zone, navigating around rocks, reading the water, and developing the skills and confidence needed to operate in a dynamic marine environment.

Conditions like these provide an invaluable training opportunity. When an emergency happens along our coastline, our rescue swimmers need to be prepared to operate safely in conditions that are far from ideal.

Another great day of hands-on training and building regional water rescue capability.

🌊 🚑

🌊 Rescue Swimmer Training 🌊 This week, Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is proud to be hosting a Public Safety Rescu...
09/23/2026

🌊 Rescue Swimmer Training 🌊

This week, Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is proud to be hosting a Public Safety Rescue Swimmer course.

Today, students took their training to the Weekapaug Breachway, working in currents, surf, and around the rocks while practicing the skills needed to safely operate in challenging coastal environments.

Training in realistic conditions is an important part of preparing rescuers to safely and effectively respond when emergencies happen on the water.

We’re proud to help provide this training opportunity and strengthen water rescue capabilities throughout our region. 🌊

❤️ Do you know where the nearest AED is?When someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest, every minute matters. Having an Auto...
09/17/2026

❤️ Do you know where the nearest AED is?

When someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest, every minute matters. Having an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) nearby can make a lifesaving difference, but knowing where those AEDs are located is critical.

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is encouraging our residents, businesses, community organizations, and property owners to check out the National Emergency AED + Resource (NEAR) Registry.

The NEAR Registry helps create a centralized database of AED locations that can be used by the public and public safety agencies during an emergency.

📍 Have an AED? Help put it on the map!

Adding an AED is easy:

• Visit aed.new from any web browser; or
• Download the free NEAR Registry app and add the AED through the app.

If your business, workplace, church, community organization, neighborhood association, or other location has an AED, take a few minutes to make sure it is registered. You can even include a photo and information that can help someone quickly locate the AED during an emergency.

Even if you don’t own an AED, download the NEAR Registry app and become familiar with AEDs and other lifesaving resources located around our community.

Have an AED? Put it on the map. You never know when your AED could help save a life.

🚑 Become an EMT. Serve Your Community.Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is now accepting registrations for our Fall 2...
09/15/2026

🚑 Become an EMT. Serve Your Community.

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is now accepting registrations for our Fall 2026 EMT Certification Course!

Thanks to grant funding, this EMT program is being offered at no cost to students who successfully meet the attendance requirements necessary to complete the program. A $250 deposit is required at registration and will be returned upon meeting those attendance requirements. The textbook is also included.

📅 October 2026 – January 2027
Monday & Wednesday evenings
Saturday mornings

📍 Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service
4891 Old Post Road, Charlestown

Whether you’re looking to begin a career in EMS, serve your community, or take the first step toward a future in healthcare or public safety, this is a great opportunity to earn your EMT certification.

Space is limited, so don’t wait to register!

For more information or to register, visit CharlestownRescue.org or email [email protected].

🚑 Learn. Serve. Make a difference.

🚑 INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF RURAL EMSCharlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is excited to announce that we have been awar...
09/10/2026

🚑 INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF RURAL EMS

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service is excited to announce that we have been awarded $170,751 through the SAMHSA Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Grant.

This funding represents a significant investment in our people and in the future of emergency medical care in Charlestown and Southern Rhode Island.

Through this grant, CARS will:

• Provide advanced critical care education for 15 paramedics, including hands-on critical care and cadaver-based training.

• Purchase a new transport ventilator and cardiac monitor/defibrillator, giving our clinicians additional tools for training and the care of critically ill and injured patients.

• Fund two EMT training programs to help recruit, educate, and develop the next generation of EMS professionals serving our community.

And the work starts almost immediately. Our first grant-funded EMT program begins in October 2026.

As a rural EMS service, our clinicians routinely face challenges that include longer transport distances, limited nearby resources, a large geographic response area, and significant seasonal changes in population. Preparing our providers to deliver advanced care in that environment requires continued investment in education, equipment, and our workforce.

This grant allows us to do exactly that.

We are incredibly grateful to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for this $170,751 investment in Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service and rural EMS, as well as the partners and organizations who supported our application.

Over the next two years, we look forward to sharing the progress made possible by this award as we train new EMTs, expand the capabilities of our paramedics, and continue working to provide the highest level of emergency medical care possible to our community.

Investing in our people. Building our workforce. Advancing rural EMS. 🚑



Town of Charlestown, RI
Senator Jack Reed
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Representative Seth Magaziner
Rhode Island Department of Health
RI Medical Reserve Corps
Training, Innovation, Leadership Institute - RI MRC
The Westerly Sun

Address

4891 Old Post Road
Charlestown, RI
02813

Telephone

+14013643742

Website

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