History

Easton Emergency Squad has a long and storied history of serving those in the City of Easton, Borough of Glendon and Williams Township. Only 65 years ago, there was no local ambulance corps in Easton.

In 1955, if someone needed an ambulance, it came directly from the local hospital. In August of the same year, Hurricane Diane came up the eastern seabord and devestated the east coast with high winds and flooding. Easton felt the brutal effects of this tragedy. The City of Easton sustained catastrophic flooding downtown and the three bridges on the main thoroughfares were impassable.

Bascially, if someone was in need of emergency medical service, he or she would be in dire straits. An ambulance wouldn't have gotten through.

The disaster brought to light the need for an ambulance service dedicated to our community. A local business leader, Myron James Dervin, understood the need for a new community ambulance service, and began to develop plans to build it from the ground up.

On October 31, 1957, the first official meeting of the Easton Emergency Squad was held.

In March 1958, while planning was underway, an unexpected blizzard hit the Easton Area. Mayor Orion H. Reeves declared a state of emergency, and snowfall was so severe, the local hospital's ambulance could not answer calls. Yet, the Easton Emergency Squad was there for Easton residents -- and, utilizing a civil defense truck, the Squad transported six residents to the hospital.

The Easton Emergency Squad grew from there. On May 20, 1958, EES purchased its first ambulance, a used 1949 Cadillac purchased for $1,000. After three years of planning, training and soliciting funding, EES began official service on September 8, 1958 with 45 male and female volunteers.

We took our first call at 6 a.m. that day, responding to a choking infant. The Easton Emergency Squad volunteers saved the child's life -- the first of many in our history. In its first month, EES handled 246 requests for service.

Over the years, EES went on to become a leader in the Emergency Medical Service field. In 1971, EES developed and instituted a cirriculum approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Health called the Emergency Medical Technician class. The first class graduated that same year. EES has continued to aid other communities in estabilishing their own community ambulance services since the early 1970s.

In 1996, Easton Emergency Squad began to provide Advance Life Support Service.

Since our founding nearly 60 years ago, the Easton Emergency Squad has become one of the community's most valuable resources, responding to over 5,000 emergency calls annually.