What possesses a person to be willing to get up in the middle of the night, get dressed very quickly and embark on a volunteer job that could result in a three- or four-hour round trip to Berlin or Burlington before returning home again? Geordie Hall blames a fire truck belonging to the Leverett (Massachusetts) Fire Department that he stopped to check out in 1967.
Not long after, he was prodded to join the fire department and their ambulance squad. The result has been over 55 years in emergency services.
Geordie has resided in Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut and, for the last 16 years, Vermont. In each state he found his second home in fire departments and ambulances. He feels very privileged to have been part of teams with devoted, talented, and caring people. Acquiring skills, including EMT certification along the way, he has served in various roles — firefighter, ambulance and engine driver and attendant. In 2023, believing his physical strength was not up to the demands, he felt compelled to give up the Warren Fire Department. He continues to serve as an EMT for the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service.
When asked why he moved full-time to Warren following his retirement from IBM and a subsequent internet business, he grinned and recalled why with fondness. As a young man his favorite season was winter and being at his family vacation home in Moretown purchased in the 50s. In 1962, unable to afford lift tickets during college, he learned he could join the Mad River Glen ski patrol and ski for free. The one constant in his life for the following 62 years has been his connection to MRG serving as a ski patroller.
No matter where he and his family resided or what he did for work, he was on the scene at MRG and very proud to have successfully led the campaign to restore the single chair.
Retired, he found meaningful volunteer work with the Warren Fire Department and the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service. He would learn that MRVAS is only one of two fully volunteer ambulance services in the state totally dependent on the community for recruitments and for capital expenditures. Recognizing the need for additional volunteers, he has led ambulance recruitment efforts on-boarding new members and educating potential candidate as to duties, responsibilities, conduct, and the in-house monthly training he personally finds very interesting and never onerous.
Geordie regrets that, due to volunteer shortages, several in the departments are unselfishly carrying way more than their share. He salutes the entire fire and ambulance team efforts that enable the response to emergency calls in The Valley. He feels strongly that the community should know there are also unseen dispatchers working from their homes who contribute greatly. If he could accomplish anything, it would be to bring more volunteers into all The Valley emergency service teams in Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston and Moretown.
For Geordie Hall, the rules that govern his life are simple and straightforward. He is fully committed to giving back to his community and aims to leave anything he touches better off. His greatest personal satisfaction comes from knowing that the people he has had a role in rescuing in a medical emergency recover. He recalled being first on the scene of a bicycle mishap a year ago just below Mad River Glen following the completion of the Green Mountain Stage Race. The cyclist was almost unrecognizable and Geordie, before doing anything else, called for the helicopter — a decision ultimately responsible for saving a life. The cyclist was transported to Burlington and when it was possible, home to a Boston hospital.
Geordie’s acquired skills have allowed him to respond to situations that happened informally and without having a radio or text summons — often much to his surprise. At a cocktail party when a guest passed out and even at a funeral reception where the widow of the deceased choked on a shrimp and was saved by him applying the Heimlich maneuver. At the Spokane airport, he witnessed a man fall to the floor and, deeming it a probable heart attack, administered CPR and yelled for the AED which he then administered. Every time he sees his neighbor he is heartened knowing that his quick response and application of epinephrine for her severe allergic reaction, enables her to greet him as she goes about her life.
Such decisions made by EMTs play a major role in determining the ultimate outcome. “Equally,” stressed Geordie,” how soon a person suspecting a health emergency makes contact with 911 will likely determine the success of the rescue.” He added, “Waiting too long to call, especially with the average ambulance response time of 30 minutes, is increasing unfavorable odds.”
In between emergency calls, he enjoys his home with his partner Judy Bowen and he’s often found on his tractor out mowing their field or clearing trails. They enjoy travel to Florida, Rhode Island and to Truckee, California, In California, he likes that once again, he has found ski mountains where, this time due to his age, he can ski for free. Trips to Florida and Rhode Island allow time with Judy’s family and grandchildren Geordie has emotionally adopted as his own.
The needs of his community, his neighbors, his family, he answers, are all good reasons to get out of bed anytime of the day or night. Knowing this, the Mad River Valley can indeed sleep better!
Should you want to explore joining the emergency service ranks, Geordie Hall would welcome the opportunity to share. He can be reached at
