Citizens Emergency Crew, Inc
Crew History
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Citizens Emergency Crew, Inc Crew History |
History of Citizens Emergency Crew, Inc.
(Formally Gladys Emergency Crew)
Ten men from the Gladys area organized the Crew as it is affectionately called December 21, 1961. These men, Roy Dillon , Frank English, Jr., Kenneth Austin, William (Bill) Hudgin, Bennie Nash, Buford Nash, Burleigh Vassar, Oscar Emicuk, Willard Smith, and Robert Hamlett started operating January 1, 1962 as the Gladys Emergency Crew, Inc. For the next 15 months they operated out of the back of their cars and at their own expense.
In April of 1963, a Chevrolet panel truck was purchased, and was equipped as a crash truck. This was in use up until a 1974 Ford 1-ton truck was put into service. At this time the Crew acted solely as a non-transport unit, providing extrication, rescue, and first aid until the hearse from the local funeral home arrived to take patients to the hospital. A 1965 Ford station wagon became the first ambulance, and a few months later a used 1948 Packard hearse was purchased and put into service.
On Christmas Eve 1965, the Crew moved the 3 units into their partially finished station on Rt. 501 in Gladys. This was the first time that all three vehicles were garaged in the same location. Previously they were scattered between member's homes and local garages that were willing to donate bay space
The Crew was the third all volunteer rescue squad chartered in Campbell Co. It serviced an area from the city limits of Lynchburg to Volens on Rt. 501,and from Lynchburg to the town of Altavista on Rt. 29 as well as a large part of Charlotte, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Appomattox counties. Because of the large landmass that the Crew covered and the distance that members resided from the station located in Gladys a second station was erected in community of Naruna and the 1948 Packard hearse was moved there. The Packard was replaced by a 1957 Chevrolet station wagon and that later replaced by a 1968 Ford station wagon. In 1969 a station was constructed in the town of Brookneal, and a new 69 Ford station wagon put into service there. The Crew continued to grow as the 1965 station wagon was replaced with a 1970 Ford station wagon. A 1960 Chevrolet Carryall was converted to carry 4 patients at once and moved into the station in Gladys.
A Junior Squad was formed in 1965 and grew quickly to 15 members over the next 2 years and became an instrumental part of the Crews operations. Junior Squad members were all those under 21 yr. of age. They provided members to run calls, supplement manpower, and providing a steady stream of trained senior members for the future. Through the years the junior squad has fallen off but still remains active to this day.
In 1968, a Ladies Auxiliary was formed. This Auxiliary was very active and instrumental in raising funds necessary for the Crew to operate. In 1972 the Crew started accepting female members. Most of the Auxiliary joined the Crew and the Auxiliary was disbanded.
The Gladys Emergency Crew had reached the pinnacle of it grown in 1970. An all-volunteer rescue squad operating 3 stations and 5 units that covered nearly 500sq. miles in four counties. As the flowers bloomed in the spring of 1971, the Gladys Emergency Crew became the Citizens Emergency Crew Inc.. The Board of Director felt the name should reflect all the people and communities it served equally.
On November 1, 1971, 19 members along with the 1969 Ford Station Wagon pulled out and started the Brookneal Rescue Squad. A service boundary between the two Rescue Squads was then agreed on. This line being the same as the territorial boundaries between the Gladys and Brookneal Fire Dept. The Naruna station now rested within sight of the Citizen/Brookneal line and was deemed unnecessary and was closed. A new station was acquired in the county seat of Rustburg and a unit placed there.
In 1972, 2 new units, a Ford and a Chevrolet Van were purchased and converted to ambulances. The 1960 Carryall was converted into the crash truck replacing the 1956 Panel Truck. Three months later the old 1956 Chevrolet Panel Truck was returned to service when the Carryall was while responding to a call. In 1973 a new Ford Van and a used 1970 stations was purchased and converted into ambulances. There were now two ambulances in the Rustburg station and two ambulances and a Crash truck at the Gladys Station.
In 1974 a new 1-ton Ford truck was purchased, outfitted with a service body and converted to a crash vehicle. The 1956 Chevrolet was finally retired for the last time. The new crash truck carried a large assortment of hand tool and a porta-power. A hydraulic, state of the art Hurst Rescue Tool was added (know to most as "The Jaws of Life") and the Citizens Crash Truck was consider to be one of the most well equipped rescue vehicle a round.
In 1977, the Crew became a United Way Agency and was partially supported by funds received from them. A 1977 Ford Van was purchased and converted to an ambulance and replaced the 1972 Chevrolet Van. In 1980, with the help of the United Way, we purchased our first factory-built Ambulance, a 1980 Ford type II. This unit replaced the 1972 Ford Crew Converted Van.
On July 1, 1984, 17 members ask to leave the Crew and start the Rustburg Rescue Squad. The Crew sold them the 1977 Ford van, fully equipped and gave them possession of the Rustburg station. It was decided that the territorial boundaries between the two squads would be the same as the line between the Gladys and Rustburg Fire Department. The Citizens Emergency Crew service area remains the same to this day.
In 1988 Citizens Emergency Crew has out grown it facilities and added 2 new bays on the south side of the crewhall to accommodate a total of 5 vehicles.
A new Auxiliary was formed in 1990 and to this day remains active.
A factory built ambulance replaced the last crew converted ambulance in 1994, and used 1969 Crash truck was purchased from Stanton-Augusta First Aid Crew to supplement the 74 Ford Crew built crash vehicle. In 1995 a 91 2-ton International Ambulance was purchased at an U.S. Marsha l auction and took it place in the Citizens Crewhall.
Another necessary expansion to the crewhall was made in 1996 when the 3 upper bays were closed off and a new 4 vehicle facility was added to the south side. A new 1995 GMC Topkick was purchased the same year and has been built into a crash truck by members of the Crew.
To the present Citizens Emergency Crew still serves approximately 250 sq. miles in Campbell, Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties. Operating four ambulances and two crash trucks with an all volunteer crew out of the same crewhall that was built in 1965.
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