By Neal Goswami
The Bennington Banner
BENNINGTON, Vt. —More than 70 polished and shiny emergency vehicles - engines providing a steady, light rumble - made a 24-mile journey Saturday from Manchester to Bennington. Leading the striking, 10-minute long procession was the Bennington Rescue Squad’s A1 ambulance, adorned in front with a black bunting, and carrying the flag-draped casket of longtime paramedic Dale R. Long.
About 500 of Long’s friends and emergency services colleagues joined his family Saturday to share moments of both anguish and joy as they honored the life of the local paramedic who died June 15 in the line of duty. Emergency personnel from departments in several states came to pay their respects.
Long, 48, a member of the Bennington Rescue Squad, was killed in a crash on West Road last Monday when the ambulance he was driving veered off the road, striking another vehicle before colliding with a tree.
Full story: Long had won American Ambulance Association’s “Star of Life” award last month