Established 1952

Putnam County Rescue Squad

An all-volunteer agency serving the citizens of Putnam County, Tennessee, and surrounding counties through mutual aid.

Who We Are

Volunteers Serving Our Community

The Putnam County Rescue Squad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run by 84 all-volunteer members. The squad provides services including vehicle extrication, mountain rescue, cave rescue, swift water rescue, trench rescue, drowning recovery, and aerial drone (UAS) operations to the citizens of the county.

The squad is funded through a combination of Putnam County support and community donations, which together maintain its operations. Members are friends, neighbors, and coworkers from around the county who train year-round and answer calls at all hours, on their own time, to help the citizens of Putnam County and, through mutual aid, the surrounding counties as well.

Rescue Squad members using a rope system to help EMS move a patient across a snow-covered, frozen driveway — Snow patrol — assisting EMS in moving a patient to and from their home across a steep and frozen driveway.

1952

Serving since

84

Volunteer members

6

Stations countywide

Full fleet

Trucks, boats, ATVs & trailers

2,603

Call volume in 2025

2,300

Call volume in 2024

1,669

Call volume in 2023

1,512

Call volume in 2022

Our History

From One Donated Van to a Full Rescue Agency

The Putnam County Rescue Squad began in 1952 and was established as a function of Civil Defense, a volunteer unit working to help the citizens of Putnam County during times of emergency or disaster. Its primary duties were search and rescue. It began with one vehicle, an old van donated by the local telephone company, and a dozen members at most, with almost no equipment, training, or certifications. One of the first additional functions added was water rescue, with the acquisition of a boat and trailer.

In the years since, the squad has added swiftwater rescue, diving, rappelling and high-angle/mountain rescue, school bus rescue, structural collapse and trench rescue, rural search and rescue, GPS land navigation, farm rescue, and an aerial drone (UAS) unit. The squad now operates across six stations countywide for more rapid response, with a full fleet of rescue trucks, boats and a swiftwater rescue raft, ATVs and UTVs, Med-Bed units for patient transport from rugged areas, light towers, and specialized equipment trailers.

In the Field

Our Squad at Work

Members demonstrating medical stretcher use at a youth community event — Members demonstrating stretcher use.

Members shoring a structure during structural collapse training — Structural collapse training.

Members performing vehicle extrication on a car during training — Extrication training — the squad's core discipline.

Members running a high-angle rope rescue system on a clifftop — High-angle rope rescue training.

Rescuers using a rope system to recover a stranded calf from a swift creek — Water rescue of a stranded calf.

Rescuer using rescue boat for a rescue operation — Boat rescue at Meadow Creek Lake.

Support the Squad

Supported by Putnam County and the community it serves, the Rescue Squad relies on donations to help maintain its equipment and operations. Donations go directly toward keeping our volunteers equipped and ready.