Going back to 1975 and the start of the Paramedic program in Pennsylvania. At this time few states had Advanced Life Support Care. As Johnny and Roy responded with Squad 51 on TV a few resolute emergency medical personnel started the Paramedic and EMT-II program here in Pennsylvania.
The University of Pittsburgh and Nancy Caroline, MD, begin work on the first nationwide paramedic training course. With 30 students in Pittsburgh and 30 here in Delaware County the Emergency Medical Service as we know it began in Pennsylvania.
With students from Newtown Square, Media, and Lima Fire Companies the class meets at Delaware County Community College. In the photos we see the students learning how to start an IV by practicing on each other.
When the state came to test the students, they told them they “were the first” in the state. However, the instructor from the PA Department of Health left Delco and headed to Pittsburgh to test the other students. This resulted in the Delaware County students' test papers being on the bottom of the pile recalls long-time fire company member and EMT-P number 000030 Tom Ford. Had the Department of Health graded in the order taken, Tom would have been number 000001.
One of the students getting “stuck” in training was George Guyer III who was in the class of the first EMT-II’s. The last member to become a paramedic was his son George Guyer IV in 2007.
Some of the Newtown Square Fire Company members featured in the photos are George Guyer III, Virginia Guyer, Sandy Ludwig Mitchell, Don Smith, Keith Gibbon, Grace Johnson, and Tom Johnson. Photos by Robert Orndorf.
The Newtown Square Fire Company has been an important member of this community for the last 108 years thanks to many community members who donated both time as a volunteer and with financial support.
