The History of Four Town

 

In 1967, several concerned members of the community met and decided to form an organization to provide ambulance service to the Locke-Moravia area. This group of 21 went to Cortland Hospital for training. They also organized a door-to-door donation drive to raise the funds needed to start the service. Their fund drive netted over $16,000. $13,000 was used to purchase a 1968 Pontiac Ambulance and the balance was used for operating capital.

Four Town FIrst Aid Squad became an official organization on November 1st, 1968. The original squad was a company of the fire department. All radio information was handled through Cayuga County Fire Control and the vehicle call numbers were 6-A-27.

In the beginning, the telephone calls came through the 497-1313 fire phones, which were located in the homes of the fire chiefs and also at Howd's Nursing Home. When a call was received, the person answering the fire phone woul dcall the on duty ambulance crew by telephone. The crew would then respond to the fire station and man the ambulance. The first ambulance crews consisted of two people, a driver and an attendant. The original area of coverage was the four towns of Moravia, Locke, Niles, and Sempronius.

In 1969, several members attended a course at Tompkins-Cortland Community College. This was the first emergency medical technician (EMT) course to be held in Central New York. In 1971, the Squad established a new policy in relation to memorials. Many people have requested to donate in memory of a specific person. The Squad set up a program to do just that. The money received was placed in a special fund to be used to purchase needed equipment. By 1973, the Squad had built up enough funds to purchase a new van-type ambulance. After five short years, the Squad was well established in the community. A 1973 Dodge van ambulance was purchased and the 1968 Pontiac ambulance was traded off.

In 1974, EMT courses were held at Auburn Community College. Several members attended, and this helped to provide better trained personnel to man the ambulance. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) started to control ambulance services through new legislation.

By 1975, many problems had occurred with the fire phone system. Long delays had occurred due to not being able to alert the crews quickly. Party lines were one of the biggest problems. To cure this situation, the Squad purchased monitors which allowed the crew freedom of movement in the district. Now all calls were received at Fire Control and dispatched via radio. The county had also established the HEAR radio system, which allowed the attendant to talk directly with the hospital via radio. The 1973 van was outfitted with the HEAR radio.

In 1976, the Squad incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation. All legal ties with the fire department were broken to allow the squad to function independantly as its own organization. Also, the county changed its radio numbering system; the 1973 van becam A-14-1. The Squad also took over the community loan closet. This constisted of wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, oxygen units, etc. All of this equipment is available to the community to this day on a first-come-first-served basis.

In 1977, the Squad purchased its third ambulance, a 1977 Dodge van-style ambulance. The 1973 Dodge van was kept as a backup unit. 1978 was the tenth anniversary of the Squad. In ten short years, the organization had grown to the point of having two ambulances and non-profit status. The membership had increased to over forty members. In 1979, the Rowe Churchill Post #710 of the American Legion donated their building to the organization for a new headquarters. The Squad then built a garage to house both ambulances and its equipment. This addition cost #13,000 and was built with donations received from the community. The Squad rented the building out to help support upkeep costs, and continues to do so to this day.

1980 marked the organization of the Four Town Junior Corps. The Corps consisted of high school juniors and seniors, who were willing to take first aid and CPR training. The students are allowed to gain practical experience by riding on the ambualnce calls as part of the crew. This opportunity provided the students an insight into some of the important aspects of the paramedical profession that could be pursued after high school.

In 1981, the Squad purchased a fourth ambulance, a 1979 Chevrolet type-III modular rig. This new and larger rig was designed to carry the necessary equipment for Advanced Life Support (ALS). The new ambulance came with some new equipment including portable suction units and demand valve oxygen. The 1973 van was sold, still leaving the squad with two ambulances.

In 1981, the Squad hosted the first EMT course to be held in Cayuga County, outside of the college setting. This course netted the squad 14 new EMT's. 1982 was a very busy year for the Squad. In April, the squad became the first certified volunteer ambulance service in Cayuga County. Attaining certification meant we were compliant with the NYSDOH by providing the proper equipment and trained personnel to handle any emergency situation on the basic life support (BLS) level.

1982 also marked the introduction of a higher level of care for the community. ALS was soon to become a reality in the communtiy. Several members of the squad were trained at BOCES as AEMT-Intermediates, or trauma medics. This meant these people had acquired special skills to help the serious trauma or accident victim. Four Town was ILS equipped by July 1982 in both our ambulances.

Training advanced EMT's became very expensive. To help defray the costs, the Locke-Moravia Chamber of Commerce donated $1,200 to pay for the tuition for all advanced EMT students. Those advanced students started training in September 1982 and continued until May 1983. Eight advanced EMT's were trained and certified to practice in New York State. The equipment necessary for this advanced care is very expensive and complicated. The county sponsored a proposal to provide the equipment to select units in the county. On July 30, 1983, Four Town became the first ALS unit in Southern Cayuga County.

Currently, we conduct fund drives to raise the necessary funds to provide ALS care to the community. We have three type-III ambulances, all carrying ALS equipment consistent with Part 800 of the NYSDOH code. We have 5 Paramedics on staff, 5 AEMT-CC's, 8 EMT's, along with drivers, attendants, and Junior Corps members. Despite the ever-growing committment on our members and increasing costs of upkeep, the purpose will still remain the same: to provide the towns of Moravia, Locke, Niles, and Sempronius - in addition to Summerhill and New Hope - with the best possible pre-hospital emergency medical service.

 

 

Here are some pictures from our dedication of the building to the charter members