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It
was a rainy day on June 28, 1945 when a young and popular
merchant named Matthew Haines was seriously injured a he
pushed his stalled car at Front and Greenwich Streets.
He was pinned between the driver’s side door and
the car when the door struck a power pole.
Dr. Herman Baldauf, a local physician, was called to
the scene and treated the fallen man.
An out-of-town ambulance was called, but it took over
an hour for it to arrive.
Mr. Haines was taken to Easton Hospital where he
passed away due to injuries he sustained from the mishap.
Thus
the formation of the Belvidere Ambulance Corps.
On
July 2, 1945, the mayor and council, responding swiftly to
the demands of the people, appointed an ambulance fund
committee to raise money for the purchase of an ambulance.
The first ambulance committee consisted of David Hosier,
Chairman, Homer Hicks, Treasurer, and Thomas Ritter,
Secretary. The
fund drive was initiated in August of 1945 and was completed
just one month later with funds totaling $7,678.85.
The
first meeting was held in the town hall on November 6, 1945.
At this meeting David Hosier was elected president,
Pace Hoff was elected vice-president, Homer Hicks elected
treasurer, and Harry Ackerman was named secretary. On January 29, 1946 the first constitution and by-laws were
adopted after a second reading. The first session of first
aid classes to qualify perspective members had been held in
the American Legion home on January 21st.
A total of 16 candidates attended and were taught by
instructors Homer Hicks and Frank Ransom.
The
A. J. Miller Co. of Bellefontaine, Ohio quoted the newly
formed squad a tentative price of $3,608 and the extra
equipment would cost an additional $256.50.
The down payment was to be $200. On May 28, 1946 a
letter arrived from the Miller Co. advising the corpsmen
that due to war-time priority and the scarcity of sheet
metal, they would not be able to finish and deliver the new
ambulance as promised and that the cost had increased.
The secretary was advised to contact the Miller
Company and obtain a revised cost figure.
Ultimately the agreement was reached that the
ambulance would cost $4,827 with extras totaling $340.52 for
a grand total of $5,167.50.
The revised figure was executed on February 22, 1947.
On
April 1, 1947, the corps received a telegram from the A. J.
Miller Co., in Ohio, stating that Belvidere’s ambulance
was ready for delivery.
On the evening o April 2nd Frederick Green
and Harry Ackerman boarded a bus and rode all night to
Springfield, Ohio. They
changed buses and rode all day until they arrived at a hotel
in Bellefontaine at 7p.m. on April 3rd.
They contacted officials at the Miller Co. to make
arrangements to pick up the new ambulance. They following
morning they went to the office of the president and
executed the necessary papers transferring the ambulance to
the corps. After looking over the ambulance, making sure every thing was
there from the check and getting instructions on how to
operate the ambulance, they were headed home.
On April 6th the pair began the last leg
of their journey to Belvidere.
However, due to a severe attack of ptomaine
poisoning, suffered early in the morning by Frederick Green,
they got off to a late start.
Green did not drive for a time as he was still
recovering. Thus
he became the first “patient” to be transported in the
new ambulance. The
pair stopped near Bethlehem, Pa. for gasoline and to wash
the ambulance. They
reached Belvidere, with sirens at full blast at 1:15p.m. On
Easter Sunday, April 6, 1947
The
building committee found land to build the new ambulance
building on Paul Street.
The land was purchased from the town for $1.00.
Ground breaking ceremonies were on August 11, 1946.
The new building was built by members and volunteers from
the town.
On
December 26, 1947, the day after Christmas, the ambulance
was moved from the adjoining town garage into the new
ambulance building. On
June 29, 1948 the first regular meeting was held in the
community built squad building.
The
Belvidere Ambulance Corps, Inc. has been serving Belvidere
and the surrounding towns proudly for 57 years.
When the squad first started there were just a
handful of members, but today there are over 35 active
members volunteering. These
men and women serve this community day and night, every day
of the week.
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