In 1971, Peter Abbruzzese, an 18 year-old senior at Chariho Regional High School and Hopkinton resident, was a volunteer with Hope Valley Ambulance Corps. During his time there, Peter saw how the twenty-plus minute response time from Hope Valley and other surrounding towns to calls from Charlestown resulted in precious time being lost in emergency situations, and felt there needed to be a local ambulance service in Charlestown. Peter’s cousin, Edward McGowan Jr., worked with North Stonington Ambulance Corps and shared his ideas. So together, the two organized the first public meeting to start a corps, which was attended by 25 people on a Saturday night.  That initial meeting resulted in half a dozen people interested in volunteering and although the need was for 20, the group wasn’t discouraged by the slow start. To ensure there would be a second meeting, Peter suggested electing officers including President Peter Richards, Vice President Peter Abbruzzese, Secretary Beatrice Fox and Treasurer Donald Bennison.   This was the beginning of the creation of what would become Charlestown Ambulance Service.  Later these original officers along with John Schroth would go on to sign the incorporation document in March 1971.  Well except for Peter as he wasn’t the required age of 21.  The solution was his father, Charles N. Abbruzzese stood in for his son and signed.

The first step was to recruit at least 20 volunteers to receive Red Cross First Aid training. From there, they needed to buy an ambulance and secure a location. CARS found its first home at the Cross Mills Fire Department when Chief Fred Main offered the start-up organization a bay at the station and the use of their service phones. To raise funds for an ambulance, wives would host spaghetti dinners at the Cross Mills Fire Station, and donors would call the Richards’ home phone to pledge their donations. The first ambulance was a Navy surplus Cadillac vehicle from Quonset. It was painted green and white, Chariho High School’s colors by a local body shop. To further raise money, the group established a subscription service that’s still in place at CARS today. Modeled after North Stonington’s program, a family subscription with unlimited ambulance service was just $5 a year at the time; and those who weren’t subscribers were charged $1 per mile.

Due to expansion of the Fire Department, Charlestown Ambulance was forced to find a home of their own. In 1983, through more than gracious donations from local property owners, the land at 4891 Old Post Road, Charlestown now houses Charlestown Ambulance Service. Charlestown Ambulance quickly grew and expanded upon the scope of EMS. Not only is emergency transportation provided to local hospitals, but rescue operations are also provided along with water rescue and light technical rescue work. With this came a name change. Charlestown Ambulance Service expanded to Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service. 

In July of 1996, the Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service entered into an arrangement with the Town of Charlestown, the Charlestown Police Department and the Charlestown Fire District to restructure the dispatching services for all Emergency Services within the Town of Charlestown. Previously, fires and medical emergencies were dispatched by a private answering service. However, the owner of the answering service, after operating for 33 years, decided it was time to retire, hence the creation of what is now heard over the radio waves; Charlestown Dispatch. Charlestown Dispatch is staffed by the professional men and women of the Charlestown Police Department, specifically the Charlestown Police Dispatchers. Police, Fire & EMS are dispatched through the Charlestown Police system with Enhanced 9-1-1 Dispatch; computerized address information which is available even if the caller is unable to speak. 

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service currently operates two ambulances, equipped to the Paramedic Level of Care with state of the art monitoring and diagnostic equipment --- Rescue 1 is a 2019 International PL Custom Ambulance and Rescue 2 is a 2013 Chevrolet PL Custom Ambulance.  Rescue 4 our reserve is a 2011 Chevrolet PL Custom Ambulance.  For Rescue/Special Operations, we utilize Squad 90 which is a 2000 International E-One.  It’s equipped with high powered hydraulic and electric rescue tools, stabilization equipment, high pressure air bags and water rescue equipment.   Squad 1 is a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and is used as an ALS Non-Transport and EMS Command vehicle.

Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service currently has approximately 45 volunteers that staff the ambulances 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Both of our ambulances and our EMT's are licensed appropriately and accordingly within the Rules & Regulations set forth by the Rhode Island Department of Health, Division of Emergency Medical Services in accordance with the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island. 

In December 2021, Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue hired its first career Chief.  A 20 year veteran of the organization, Andrew Kettle became Chief.  This position is crucial to continue advancing the organization forward as a premiere leader of Emergency Medical Care in the region.