History of the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association
1947 - Members of the Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 located on Jardin Street in Shenandoah organized and chartered the first ambulance service in Shenandoah. Funds were raised in the community, and the first Cadillac ambulance was placed in service about a year later at a cost of approximately $3,000. Prior to 1947, emergency medical transportation was provided by the local police for patients who were able to sit in a car and by local funeral directors who would use their hearses for patients needing a stretcher.
Mid 1950's - The organization was re-chartered as the Phoenix Community Ambulance Association, an organization separate from it's founding fire company but still housed in the fire station and staffed by Phoenix Fire Company members. The Mine Safety Administration provided first aid training. This training was only utilized at car accidents or other such scenes where a patient could not be immediately moved to the hospital. In most cases the ambulance was only staffed by one crewman who drove the patient to the hospital. Policy, and bystanders often helped load a patient into the ambulance and unless a family member went along to sit in the back with the patient, the patient rode alone.
1970's - The national trend of emergency medical services (EMS) was born in the form of the US Department of Transportation's development of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) curriculum to better address the high mortality rate on the nation's highways. Emphasis was placed on trauma-related calls and very little on medical conditions. The state's health department set up regional EMS Councils to begin the transformation process, but there was little uniformity in system operations except for the state's voluntary ambulance service certification (VASC) program, whereby ambulance could submit their equipment and crews to a state inspection.
1978 - 1979 - Shenandoah saw it's first group of trained EMT's. At the time the organization did not place priority on "buying into" the new system as the Locust Mountain State General Hospital was only minutes away (in Shenandoah Heights, now known as Ridgeview Healthcare) from any patient. The first group of EMT's purchased a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from a local pharmacy from "tip" money and members used personal funds to purchase a "real" trauma kit and splinting supplies.
Modern EMS was slowly on it's way but moved slow. These were the days pre 911 and pre pagers. The desk clerk at the police station was the "dispatcher" and when the ambulance was needed, the clerk went through the list of ambulance drivers until they found someone who was available. The available member would often then go to the fire house and go through the phone list again to find a partner to respond to the call.
1983 - MAST trousers (Medical or Military Anti-Shock Trousers) certification was established for EMT's and the Phoenix Community Ambulance Association was one of the last services in Schuylkill County to achieve certification. EMT's now had to be on every call and Trip Sheets were introduced.
1986-1988 - Along with the growing pains of certifications and patient care standards, the association suffered it's own growing pains. The ambulances were stored back-to-back in the rear garage behind the Phoenix Fire Company on Ferguson Street. This was a busy alleyway being the delivery zone for several Main Street stores. The demise of the station wagon type ambulances and arrival of truck based ambulances made it difficult to operate from this garage. After much discussion the decision was made to move the ambulance into it's own station.
1988 - Some members of the Phoenix Fire Company chose to not remain with the ambulance service once the decision was made to move the ambulance out of the fire house. A small group of ambulance members began a major fundraising campaign to finance a new station. Three potential locations were identified: a lot to the rear of Borough Hall, an old service station located at Center and Bridge Streets and a lot at White and Penn Streets which had been occupied by the Ratzburg Lumber Company until a fire destroyed the building. Ultimately the lot located at White and Penn Streets was chosen and construction began mid 1988. BY the end of the year the ambulances were moved into the new building which was completed at a cost of just under $90,000. The organization's charter was amended to reflect the new operation as been the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association.
Early 1990's - Several changes occurred throughout the community. The State closed Locust Mountain State General Hospital requiring patients to go further to a hospital and calls taking longer straining the volunteers. Saint Joseph's Hospital Hazleton opened a satellite facility on North Main Street that gave us a place to stabilize patients locally however the Department of Health reclassified this facility as a doctor's office eliminating the ability to accept patients via ambulance. Call volumes increased and volunteers were strained. In 1994, a full-time EMT was hired by Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association for staffing during the day Monday through Friday.
Also in the early 1990's the concept of paramedics and advanced life support (ALS) was introduced to Schuylkill County. Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Pottsville combined resoursed with Gnadden Huetten Memorial Hospital in Lehighton to form Advanced Life Support Services, Inc. or ALSS. It began as one 24 hour ALS unit in Lehighton and one in Pottsville and as needs increased, ALSS housed a truck during peak hours in Shenandoah Ambulance's station. By 1996, the hospitals began to explore options to remove themselves from ALS services and ultimately ALSS shut down. Various agencies began to form ALS services and seeing a void in Northern Schuylkill County, Shenandoah Community Ambulance began to explore the possibility of bringing ALS here. Upon receiving support from the six other BLS squads in our immediate area, the Shenandoah Community Ambulance submitted an application to upgrade it's license to ALS. Pottsville Area EMS supplied one Lifepak 10 cardiac monitor / defibrillator from the equipment it received from ALSS' parent hospitals, and all other necessary ALS equipment and supplies were purchased by Shenandoah Community Ambulance. Additionally, a 1994 Chevy Blazer was purchased to be utilized as a chase vehicle. ALS licensure inspection was completed late fall 1997 and ALS operations began on January 5, 1998.
1947 - Members of the Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 located on Jardin Street in Shenandoah organized and chartered the first ambulance service in Shenandoah. Funds were raised in the community, and the first Cadillac ambulance was placed in service about a year later at a cost of approximately $3,000. Prior to 1947, emergency medical transportation was provided by the local police for patients who were able to sit in a car and by local funeral directors who would use their hearses for patients needing a stretcher.
Mid 1950's - The organization was re-chartered as the Phoenix Community Ambulance Association, an organization separate from it's founding fire company but still housed in the fire station and staffed by Phoenix Fire Company members. The Mine Safety Administration provided first aid training. This training was only utilized at car accidents or other such scenes where a patient could not be immediately moved to the hospital. In most cases the ambulance was only staffed by one crewman who drove the patient to the hospital. Policy, and bystanders often helped load a patient into the ambulance and unless a family member went along to sit in the back with the patient, the patient rode alone.
1970's - The national trend of emergency medical services (EMS) was born in the form of the US Department of Transportation's development of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) curriculum to better address the high mortality rate on the nation's highways. Emphasis was placed on trauma-related calls and very little on medical conditions. The state's health department set up regional EMS Councils to begin the transformation process, but there was little uniformity in system operations except for the state's voluntary ambulance service certification (VASC) program, whereby ambulance could submit their equipment and crews to a state inspection.
1978 - 1979 - Shenandoah saw it's first group of trained EMT's. At the time the organization did not place priority on "buying into" the new system as the Locust Mountain State General Hospital was only minutes away (in Shenandoah Heights, now known as Ridgeview Healthcare) from any patient. The first group of EMT's purchased a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from a local pharmacy from "tip" money and members used personal funds to purchase a "real" trauma kit and splinting supplies.
Modern EMS was slowly on it's way but moved slow. These were the days pre 911 and pre pagers. The desk clerk at the police station was the "dispatcher" and when the ambulance was needed, the clerk went through the list of ambulance drivers until they found someone who was available. The available member would often then go to the fire house and go through the phone list again to find a partner to respond to the call.
1983 - MAST trousers (Medical or Military Anti-Shock Trousers) certification was established for EMT's and the Phoenix Community Ambulance Association was one of the last services in Schuylkill County to achieve certification. EMT's now had to be on every call and Trip Sheets were introduced.
1986-1988 - Along with the growing pains of certifications and patient care standards, the association suffered it's own growing pains. The ambulances were stored back-to-back in the rear garage behind the Phoenix Fire Company on Ferguson Street. This was a busy alleyway being the delivery zone for several Main Street stores. The demise of the station wagon type ambulances and arrival of truck based ambulances made it difficult to operate from this garage. After much discussion the decision was made to move the ambulance into it's own station.
1988 - Some members of the Phoenix Fire Company chose to not remain with the ambulance service once the decision was made to move the ambulance out of the fire house. A small group of ambulance members began a major fundraising campaign to finance a new station. Three potential locations were identified: a lot to the rear of Borough Hall, an old service station located at Center and Bridge Streets and a lot at White and Penn Streets which had been occupied by the Ratzburg Lumber Company until a fire destroyed the building. Ultimately the lot located at White and Penn Streets was chosen and construction began mid 1988. BY the end of the year the ambulances were moved into the new building which was completed at a cost of just under $90,000. The organization's charter was amended to reflect the new operation as been the Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association.
Early 1990's - Several changes occurred throughout the community. The State closed Locust Mountain State General Hospital requiring patients to go further to a hospital and calls taking longer straining the volunteers. Saint Joseph's Hospital Hazleton opened a satellite facility on North Main Street that gave us a place to stabilize patients locally however the Department of Health reclassified this facility as a doctor's office eliminating the ability to accept patients via ambulance. Call volumes increased and volunteers were strained. In 1994, a full-time EMT was hired by Shenandoah Community Ambulance Association for staffing during the day Monday through Friday.
Also in the early 1990's the concept of paramedics and advanced life support (ALS) was introduced to Schuylkill County. Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Pottsville combined resoursed with Gnadden Huetten Memorial Hospital in Lehighton to form Advanced Life Support Services, Inc. or ALSS. It began as one 24 hour ALS unit in Lehighton and one in Pottsville and as needs increased, ALSS housed a truck during peak hours in Shenandoah Ambulance's station. By 1996, the hospitals began to explore options to remove themselves from ALS services and ultimately ALSS shut down. Various agencies began to form ALS services and seeing a void in Northern Schuylkill County, Shenandoah Community Ambulance began to explore the possibility of bringing ALS here. Upon receiving support from the six other BLS squads in our immediate area, the Shenandoah Community Ambulance submitted an application to upgrade it's license to ALS. Pottsville Area EMS supplied one Lifepak 10 cardiac monitor / defibrillator from the equipment it received from ALSS' parent hospitals, and all other necessary ALS equipment and supplies were purchased by Shenandoah Community Ambulance. Additionally, a 1994 Chevy Blazer was purchased to be utilized as a chase vehicle. ALS licensure inspection was completed late fall 1997 and ALS operations began on January 5, 1998.