by Ken Robbins ·
by George Orsula ·
Friday, January 9, 2026
When I joined the Harvard Ambulance Service in 2010, I knew that I wanted to volunteer for the town, but I wasn’t sure EMS was for me. I learned to operate the ambulance, then took an in-house EMT class and started taking care of patients. What I found in the service was a group of smart, diverse, talented, motivated people who were eager to help me learn and improve. I think that attitude shows up in the care we give our patients. I’m still here 15 years later not only because of the great people around me, but also because our mission, to deliver emergency medical care to Harvard’s residents and those who pass through our town, is a challenging but extremely rewarding one. It turned out EMS was for me, at least in the form of Harvard Fire-EMS.
Harvard has had a Fire Department since 1921 and an Ambulance Service (EMS) since 1971. On July 1, 2024, the two groups merged into one department, Harvard Fire-EMS, led by Fire Chief Rick Sicard. There are also two paid, full-time members, Lts. Andrew Perry and Jason Cotting. The other 60 members of Harvard Fire-EMS are “call volunteers” who receive a stipend for going on a call or attending a department meeting or training, but are otherwise unpaid. There are currently 60 volunteer members of the department, 20 Fire members, 33 EMS members, and seven “dual-role” members (both firefighters and EMTs). Two-thirds of our members are residents of Harvard.
Volunteer departments have become rare in Eastern Massachusetts. We face a lot of turnover as people’s lives and availability change. We need to add new members to our department to remain viable, and we’re committed to providing the training and support new members require to succeed.
We’re also unusual because of our cadet program. For more than 20 years, under a special waiver from the state, we’ve trained students from Bromfield High School as EMTs. The cadet program continues to provide an educational opportunity for Bromfield students, many of whom pursue careers in health care.
As a department, we responded to nearly 735 calls in 2025: roughly 125 joint responses (predominantly motor vehicle collisions), 330 ambulance-only calls, and 280 fire-only incidents.
What does all of this cost? The Fire-EMS budget for fiscal 2026 is approximately $800,000, which includes all payroll, expenses, and training costs. EMS operations (approximately $250,000) are largely funded by billing patients’ insurance (we don’t bill Harvard residents if their insurance doesn’t pay). In comparison, the town of Boxborough Fire-EMS Department, which services a similar population and call volume, but uses full-time, paid members around the clock, has a budget approximately twice Harvard’s.
If you have any interest in finding out more about Harvard Fire-EMS, meeting some of us, learning how you can get started, or signing up to join the department, please come to our open house Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., at the Center Fire Station, 13 Ayer Road, up behind the Town Hall. We look forward to meeting you.
George Orsula, EMT, Harvard Fire-EMS
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