CHAMBERSBURG – On May 15, 1925, the Chambersburg Fire Department began ambulance services with a dedication ceremony in honor of its 1925 Garford Ambulance built right in town in Chambersburg. This past Thursday, May 15, saw the firefighters celebrate 100 consecutive years of ambulance service to the Chambersburg area.
On Sunday the 18th, it continued the festivities with presentations on the CFD Ambulance Service’s rich history and a lunch free to the community.
A Century of Ambulance Service
Among those who presented an inside look at the past hundred years were M. L. “Mike” Marotte, the Chambersburg Fire Department historian, who’s “The History of the Chambersburg Ambulance Service” encompassed the dedication and passion it took to serve the local community. CFD Fire Chief and EMS Director Dustin Ulrich echoed this when asked about the greatest accomplishments of the ambulance service.
“Our community outreach,” he replied. “Our calls for service went from (approximately) 237 calls the first year… to now over 4,300 calls per year” Ulrich said.
“We feel like we set the standards for service. We handle one call at a time and give each call the highest priority.”
Professional
The standard of professionalism seen in their colleagues was a sentiment Chambersburg Fire Department Chaplain Alan Witter emphasized, noting that the introduction of the EMT program and the opening up of more training opportunities for the CFD’s Ambulance Service would only continue to grow the success of the Service.
“The service provided today… (goes) beyond what is required. I’ve seen a very professional and a very concerned group of people assigned (to the ambulance service).
” The pamphlet that was given out at the event summarized it similarly to Witter:“An ambulance without a dedicated staff is just another nice looking vehicle… They are the backbone of the ambulance service.” -Jackie Umberger, “A Pictorial History of the Good Will Ambulance.”
What it’s all about
“For a hundred years, we’ve been saving lives; more than anything, that’s the long and short of it,” said Jackie Umberger, the department’s office manager, who wasted no time in summarizing the importance of the CFD’s ambulance. As the secretary for the Chambersburg Volunteer Fireman’s Museum, Umberger developed the event’s handout which looked into the rich pictorial history of the ambulance service, from the first ambulance’s dedication ceremony in May 1925 to the most recent fleet updates as recent as last year.
It seemed no matter who you asked, the Chambersburg Fire Department was beaming with pride over reaching this milestone. The dedication of the staff and care put into the event was evident, and a lot of hope and optimism could be seen about the next hundred years and then some.
More Information
Readers wishing to find out more on the history of the Chambersburg Fire Department may make appointments at the Chambersburg Volunteer Fireman’s Museum to tour the volunteer-run museum. To schedule a tour, those interested may call 717-263-5872.
