Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Inc.

11/10/2026

Noble Announces His Plans To Save City
Landmark, Open New Ogdensburg Store

OGDENSBURG - A former Ogdensburg man announced he has closed on his purchase of the former Hacketts store as part of his plans to save an important city landmark and open a major retail department store and hardware center this spring.
Robert A. Noble III, who owns stores and commercial property in Vermont, New York and New Hampshire, says the purchase from the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad ran into unexpected delays that forced his company to reschedule the renovation project.
“I want to thank the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, the City of Ogdensburg, the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, the New York State Empire Development Corporation, and St. Lawrence County Legislator James E. Reagan for working with me to make this project happen,” said Noble. “As someone who grew up in Ogdensburg and who believes in the future of this community, I am convinced that this city and surrounding area will support my efforts to bring a new, major retail center to a familiar location.”
“My project will:
• Get a major commercial building back on the city, school, and county property tax rolls.
• Bring a new, major retail department store and hardware company to Ogdensburg.
• Help bring additional sales tax to the city and county.
• Create new, above-minimum-wage jobs with benefits to the community.
• Open a new retail destination that will draw visitors and tourists to Ogdensburg, its stores, and restaurants.
• Save a major Ogdensburg landmark, renovate the building, and prevent it from further deterioration.
• Pay off the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad’s million-dollar-plus debt.
• Guarantee the Rescue Squad's future with a long-term, affordable lease and a permanent home at its current location.
• Help provide long-term fiscal stability to the Rescue Squad.
• Give our Canadian friends a reason to return to Ogdensburg to shop, eat at our restaurants, and visit other landmarks like the Frederic Re*****on Art Museum.
“Anyone who visits Ogdensburg’s Marina District can see that Ogdensburg is on the move,” said Noble. “I believe in the future of Ogdensburg. I want to be part of the effort to get the Maple City back on its feet. I believe the time is right for businesspeople to invest in our community’s future.”
“I want to thank St. Lawrence County Legislator Jim Reagen for working behind the scenes to help me get this project off the ground,” he said. ” I also want to publicly thank St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency CEO Patrick Kelly, former Ogdensburg Planning Director Andrea Smith, former IDA staff member John Pinkerton, City Councilor Storm Cilley, City staff member Jennifer Ashley, City Manager Fonda Chronis, OVRS Chief Ken Gardner, OVRS President Michael Paige, the OVRS officers and board of directors, Mayor Mike Tooley and City Council, and the past city council for their support.”
“Over my 27 years in the retail industry in three states, I can honestly say that I have never seen city government officials and a county industrial development agency staff so helpful and welcoming to a new business as the City of Ogdensburg staff and the St. Lawrence County IDA staff,” Noble said. “This project never would have happened without their help, guidance, and encouragement every step of the way.”
“When I was trying to put this $6 million project together, the IDA and the City of Ogdensburg helped me apply for a $1.3 million Restore New York Grant that will help me save the Hackett’s building and help return it to its glory days as a major retail and shopping destination,” he said. “While my company is putting up a significant portion of the money that I raised by selling four of my six stores, the IDA has been helping and guiding me every step of the way.”
“People have asked me why I am investing in Ogdensburg,” he said. “I think it’s pretty obvious.”
- “Ogdensburg Free Academy is ranked as one of the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report,” Noble said. “Corning recently announced the company will invest $315 million in its manufacturing plant less than 15 minutes from the city and increase the company’s employment from 400 to almost 530 industrial jobs.”
- “HomeSnacks,” a national community ranking service, recently determined Ogdensburg was among the top five places in New York State for young families to buy a home, start a family and open a business after looking at the Census, FBI crime statistics, OpenStreetMap, and dozens of other sources,” Noble said. “The national ranking service determined that young families starting out could find a reasonably priced home, pay their mortgage, and afford their monthly expenses in Ogdensburg more easily than in most communities across New York State.”
- Lonnie Carpenter and his “The Ogdensburg Promise” group recently announced a new privately funded program that will ensure the city’s young people will get the financial help and guidance they need to further their education at area colleges and technical schools.
- Ogdensburg’s waterfront is one of the most beautiful places in the Northeast. Investors are beginning to see the opportunities it offers.
“Noble’s” (hardware & department) store will be a great addition to the Ogdensburg region and a real symbol that our Maple City is coming back and that we can work together to overcome the real struggles that small communities across the Northeast face,” he said.

11/09/2026

2026 Annual Banquet. Congratulations to the following award winners.

Member of the Year - Mike Paige
Employee of the Year - Wayne Love
Rookie of the Year - Tom Bertrand
Chief's Award - Roger Winters
President's Award - John Porter (no picture)
Agitator of the Year - Rob Cave (no picture)

Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate another successful year. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for the hall, the food, and a very generous donation. Thank you to Dawn and Dave Merz for donating their DJ services. Thank you to State Senator Mark Waltz for the pictures.

11/08/2026

Chief Ken Gardner and President Mike Paige giving up their hair in solidarity with EMT Kyle Hollister who lost his due to chemo therapy. Give them a like.

11/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CNi4RaLYr/

🚒🚑 “I DON'T NEED A FIRE TRUCK, I JUST NEED AN AMBULANCE!”

It's something our 911 telecommunicators hear more often than you might think!

When you call 911 for a medical emergency, you may hear your dispatcher say, “Stay on the line while I notify the fire department and other responders.”

Sometimes, callers are confused or frustrated. After all, if someone is having a medical emergency, why would they need the fire department?

🤔 DID YOU KNOW?

🚑 In many communities, the fire department IS the ambulance service!

Many fire departments operate what's called fire-based EMS, meaning their firefighters and EMTs or paramedics staff the ambulances that respond to medical emergencies.

🚒 But what if your town uses a private ambulance company?

Even in communities where a private ambulance service provides emergency medical transportation, the fire department may still be dispatched!

Why? Because firefighters are often trained medical first responders who can arrive quickly, begin lifesaving care, and assist until the ambulance arrives.

🚨 SO WHY DOES A FIRE TRUCK SHOW UP AT A MEDICAL EMERGENCY?

There are several reasons, but two of the biggest are PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT!

❤️ Extra Hands for CPR: Performing CPR is physically demanding. Having additional trained responders allows crews to rotate through chest compressions and assist with lifesaving interventions.

💪 Lifting and Moving Patients: Sometimes getting a patient safely from their home to an ambulance requires more than two people, especially when stairs, tight spaces, or limited mobility are involved.

🛠️ Specialized Equipment: Fire apparatus carry tools and equipment that may be needed to safely access, assist, or remove a patient.

🚧 Scene Safety: If a medical emergency happens on a roadway, a fire truck may be positioned to help protect patients, EMS personnel, and other responders from passing traffic.

⏱️ Getting Help There Faster: Depending on the community and available resources, a fire crew may be able to arrive before the ambulance and begin providing care immediately.

📞 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WHEN YOU CALL 911?

When your dispatcher tells you they're notifying the fire department, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a fire or that something has gone wrong.

It means we're working to get the appropriate resources to your emergency.

Different communities have different emergency response systems, and the resources dispatched depend on local protocols and the nature of the call.

❤️ The bottom line?

That fire truck pulling into your driveway isn't there by mistake. Those firefighters may be bringing extra hands, specialized equipment, lifesaving skills, or the additional support needed to help you or your loved one.

At North Shore Regional 911, our goal is simple: Get you the right help, as quickly and safely as possible.

🚒🚑 Different vehicles. Different roles. One team working together for YOU.

11/01/2026

This is a nationwide problem. And a big reason that others get billed at a much higher rate. Neither medicaid, nor Medicare reimbursements come close to covering the cost of running the call. Not to mention the cost of existing and being ready to respond.

The math behind Iowa’s EMS funding crisis in one call: Cardiac Arrest (CPR). 🚨

When an Iowa ambulance responds to a cardiac arrest, it bills at the ALS Level 2 rate. Compare the actual operational expenses against what Iowa’s baseline Medicaid fee schedule pays:

- Medicaid Base Rate (A0433): $232.84

Single IO Needle + Defib Pads + Cardiac Meds: ~$250–$350+ (Bundled—cannot be billed separately)

True Cost of Readiness & Transport: $2,673 national mean per transport (69% driven by 24/7 labor)

On a critical CPR call, the disposable medical supplies left inside the patient often cost more than the entire Medicaid check—leaving zero dollars for fuel, ambulance maintenance, or paying the paramedics and EMTs who showed up. Sustainable healthcare requires sustainable EMS reimbursement.

To help, the state has GEMT, a federally-backed program to cover the difference only if they follow strict procedures and meet certain criteria. Does Iowa’s GEMT program close this gap? Only partially.

While Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) lets public agencies draw down federal matching funds to cover uncompensated Medicaid costs (using local tax dollars for the ~37% state share), private and non-profit EMS agencies are completely excluded—and on-scene CPR resuscitations that don't result in a hospital transport still receive $0.

The ones who really get the shaft? The non-transport agencies who don’t bill anything.

10/26/2026

Your daddy’s on the kitchen floor, Mama’s begging the dispatcher to hurry, and the ambulance you figured would always be there ain’t available.

How much is that campaign slogan worth to you now?

That’s the kind of thing I want folks thinking about before they vote.

I generally keep party politics off this page. There’s enough folks hollering past each other on Facebook to scare every crow out of three counties.

But elections have consequences. Real ones. And we’ve got to quit treating that like something that only happens to somebody else.

The people we elect get to make decisions about money, public services, and what problems they’re willing to leave sitting till next year.

Then somebody’s family gets to live with those decisions.

So when a candidate comes around grinning like a mule eating briars, telling you how much they love first responders, ask ’em something.

“Is EMS legally considered an essential service here?”

“If it ain’t, why the hell ain’t it?”

“If it is, what does that actually guarantee our community?”

Laws differ depending on where you live. Find out what yours requires. A fancy designation ain’t gonna drive an ambulance, and putting “essential” on paper without figuring out how to keep a crew available ain’t the end of the job.

Ask who’s responsible. Ask how it’s funded.

Then ask what THEY intend to do.

And hush long enough to hear the answer.

Don’t answer for ’em. Don’t let ’em mumble “budget constraints” and escape toward the potato salad.

“What constraints?”

“What would it cost?”

“What can your office actually change?”

“When are you gonna do it?”

If they don’t know, fine. Ask when they’ll find out. Then go back and ask again.

I’d rather hear an honest “I need to look into that” than ten minutes of somebody blowing smoke up my ass in a church parking lot.

Ask what happens when the ambulance is out of town with another patient.

Ask what the backup plan is.

If the answer’s “the next county,” ask whether anybody’s checked with the next damn county.

They’ve got families calling 911, too.

And don’t give YOUR candidate a pass.

That’s where folks get sideways. They’ll cross-examine somebody they dislike over a crooked yard sign, then let their favorite promise the moon with a stepladder and a roll of baling wire.

Ask the hard questions anyway.

Somebody promises cuts? Ask what gets cut and what happens afterward.

Somebody promises more money? Ask where it comes from, what it buys, and how we’ll know it helped.

National, state, county, city. Find out what authority goes with the office. Make ’em explain their part.

No elected official can prevent every breakdown, staffing shortage, or delayed response. But that don’t excuse ignoring a problem everybody can see coming.

And if they tell you what they intend to do, believe ’em enough to examine it.

Don’t spend six months cheering for a promise, then act blindsided when they try to carry it out.

Before you mark that ballot, picture the people who’ll have to live with the decision.

Your neighbors. Your crew. Your family.

You.

EMS folks, what’s the question candidates keep dodging where you live? Everybody else, what do you want answered before you hand somebody your vote?

Leave it in the comments. Share this with somebody headed to a candidate meeting. Follow East Arkansas Paramedic if you want more plain talk about what it takes to get help down your road.

Vote with your eyes open.

Because when Mama’s standing at that window listening for sirens, “Well, our side won” ain’t gonna be worth a damn to her.

-- East Arkansas Paramedic

10/19/2026

10/19/2026

One of our employees is being treated for leukemia at Roswell Park. He had some unexpected visitors today. Let's go Buffalo.

10/09/2026

OGDENSBURG VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD ANNOUNCES HIRING FOR THREE FULL-TIME POSITIONS
Emergency Medical Technician / Advanced EMT / Paramedic

The Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, Inc. (OVRS) is recruiting for three full- time Emergency Medical Personnel. OVRS provides 911 emergency medical services to the City of Ogdensburg and adjacent regions, delivering both urban and rural EMS. The organization also conducts interfacility transports from local hospitals to higher levels of care as requested. In 2025, OVRS responded to more than 3,000 calls and is on track to exceed that volume in 2026. The successful candidate will join a hybrid volunteer and paid department currently comprising 46 volunteers and 28 paid staff, ranging from drivers to advanced EMTs and paramedics. OVRS operates five fully equipped advanced life support ambulances.

Job Description and Responsibilities
This full-time position involves alternating 36- and 48-hour work weeks, with shifts scheduled in 12- or 24-hour increments. Occasional overtime may be required. The role includes comprehensive OVRS benefits: fully employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for the employee; IRA matching contributions; disability insurance; and savings opportunities. Compensation will be determined based on experience and relevant qualifications.

Applicants must hold current New York State EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic certification and be capable of delivering full-scope pre-hospital emergency care with a focus on patient transport. The selected candidate will provide high-quality care consistent with their certification level during both emergency 911 responses and transport operations. In the absence of a volunteer driver, the individual will operate vehicles for ALS emergency calls and transports. Additional responsibilities include routine housekeeping, vehicle maintenance during shifts, and special project assignments. Detailed job descriptions and specific responsibilities may be obtained from the OVRS Chief. The Chief will provide updates regarding all hiring and termination decisions and will submit a formal recommendation to the Board of
Directors indicating approval or disapproval of a candidate’s employment status. The Board of Directors retains final authority over all hiring and dismissal actions, including full-time and per diem positions.

Candidates must submit a resume with their application no later than November 1, 2026. Interested individuals may contact Ken Gardner, Chief of Emergency Services, at (315) 393-0837. Applications may be submitted via email or collected in person at the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, 1223 Pickering Street, Ogdensburg, NY. Alternatively, applications may be mailed to Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad Inc., Attn: Ken Gardner, P.O. Box 172, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, or delivered to the Chief of Emergency Services during regular business hours. This posting closes at 3:00 p.m. on November 2, 2026. Interviews will be scheduled following application submission. The Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad is an equal opportunity employer.

Current starting salaries $16.75 - $23.75 depending upon certification levels and years of experience. Salary evaluations are currently in progress and will be increased within the next few months. Currently paying time and a half for interfacility transports.

10/06/2026

If you are a current or former member or employee and would care to join us, please RSVP to Chief Ken Gardner by October 31, 2026.

[email protected]