Rescue, Me.

In Epsom, who shows up when you call 911? Back in the mid-1980s, for a weekday call, it might have been Stewart Yeaton since he was one of the few available Rescue Squad members.

Stewart was overworked, worn out, and not afraid to ask for help. He came to speak with my late wife, Sabrina, and me while we processed flowers harvested that day on our farm. Stewart was blunt: because Sabrina and I were self-employed and available during the day, he wanted us to join the Rescue Squad to take some of the load off him and, of course, help our neighbors. As I remember, we said yes immediately.

We joined the Rescue Squad, got trained as First Responders, and started going on calls. In those days, Epsom did not have full-time fire/rescue staff, nor did the town have an ambulance. As First Responders, we were expected to arrive on scene in the 56X1 rescue truck to provide first aid and "package up" patients for transport. Primitive care by today's standards.

Sabrina became a certified EMT and an officer on the Rescue Squad; I was a First Responder for around 4 years. It deepened our bond with the town and its people, often during intense, personal, and traumatic crises. Those bonds and the motivation to serve continue to this day.