Help Suffield Ambulance Celebrate 50 Years

Celebrating 50 Years of Service, Dedication, and Community Partnership.

Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association (SVAA) has grown tremendously since its founding in 1976. What began with a single ambulance parked in a bay at the Suffield Police Department has evolved into a modern, professional EMS organization providing 24-hour emergency medical services to Suffield and surrounding communities.

Today, SVAA operates multiple state-of-the-art ambulances from its headquarters on Bridge Street, responding to thousands of calls each year. The team includes both paid and volunteer Emergency Medical Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians, Advanced EMTs, and Paramedics—working side by side to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and evidence-based care.

Growth didn’t happen overnight. In 1989, a second ambulance entered service while the Association operated out of a shared portion of the Town Hall Annex. As call volume increased and space became too limited, SVAA was granted use of the entire annex in 1993 to meet the community’s rising emergency medical needs. Continued growth, combined with strong community support and substantial fundraising, eventually made it possible for SVAA to construct and move into its current 8,800-square-foot headquarters on Bridge Street in 2007—a facility designed specifically for modern EMS operations, training, and readiness.

While SVAA’s facilities and technology have advanced over the decades, its commitment to the community has never changed. Over the years, Suffield Ambulance has received countless expressions of gratitude from residents whose lives were touched by its members’ professionalism and compassion. In a 1995 letter of gratitude following his mother’s heart attack, Suffield resident Guy Boccasile wrote:

“We have the services of Suffield Ambulance mainly because there still are unselfish volunteers willing to give their time to constant training and to providing outstanding emergency medical care to the citizens of Suffield.”

That same dedication to training, compassion, and service continues to define SVAA today—embodied by both its paid and volunteer providers who work together to ensure the highest standards of care.

Philanthropy and community partnership have also been integral to SVAA’s growth. Reflecting on the generosity of Ray and Ina Perreault, whose donation helped fund an ambulance purchase in 1992, then-President Nick Mickelson reflected:

“Ina was absolutely taken by how the SVAA gives young adults a place to go and experience what they otherwise might not…they see life and death and learn about compassion and patience and teamwork and dedication.”

Those same values continue to guide SVAA nearly five decades later.

As SVAA prepares to celebrate 50 years of service, the organization is seeking community members to join in the celebration. Volunteers are needed to serve on the Board of Trustees to help organize and support the 50th-anniversary events and to assist with future fundraising initiatives beyond this milestone year.

Planned anniversary events include a monthly community outreach activity, a bingo night, flower sale, wine and spirits tasting, a commemorative scrapbook and a silent auction, with the year culminating in a 50th Anniversary Gala.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals, businesses, and organizations who wish to help make these celebrations possible and support SVAA’s ongoing mission.

To learn more about volunteering, serving on the Board of Trustees, or sponsorship opportunities for the 50th Anniversary, please email the SVAA at SVAA@SuffieldEMS.org

As SVAA prepares to celebrate five decades of lifesaving service, it continues to look ahead—building on its proud history to meet the emergency medical needs of Suffield for generations to come.