Seventy Years in the Making
On March 19, 1953, Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad organized under the sponsorship of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Lions Club, and was later incorporated in 1954. Starting out there were 10 squad members who responded to 48 calls for assistance with a budget of $700 in the first year. Training for these members consisted of 15 total hours of advanced Red Cross first aid. A 1948 Packard ambulance (fully equipped) was purchased for $2,300 and was stored at a local corner gas station where duty members would meet. A phone tree alert system was put in place by the members during their 12-hour volunteer duty shift to alert one another if a call for help came in. Of the 10 founding LPVRS members, none had previous medical training; they saw a need in their community, and they trained to respond to those needs.
In the early 1970s, women began to join the organization and ultimately became the backbone of filling the daytime duty hours and eventually emerged to hold elected Officer and Board positions. In 1969 LPVRS had an all-male membership, 32 members in total with 3 on a stand-by waiting to join. The advancement of women's involvement and leadership catapulted the organization to greater heights.
In 1976, LPVRS purchased their first building on Great Mills Rd., home today to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office District 4 Office sub-station. By 1983, LPVRS was averaging 750 to 800 calls per year, by 1986, that number doubled to 1,429. The cost of a new ambulance during that time also increased significantly to $61,000 (equipped with onboard life support systems). In 1990, the squad building was restructured to house three ambulances, one rapid response car, and Utility 39. After 37 years, and multiple modifications, the original building was retired in 2014 when the new Station 39 on FDR blvd. was opened.
In 2000, Station 38 on Buck Hewitt Rd. was constructed and today primarily serves the northern end of our run area (California, MD). Station 38 houses three ambulances, satellite ALS Medic Unit, Utility 38 and additionally utilized for administrative and training functions. Did you know you can identify which station the ambulance comes from by identifying the numbers on the units? If the number starts with 38, then it came from Station 38.
In 2009, LPVRS ran 5,513 calls and consisted of over 200 members. LPVRS was the busiest all-volunteer EMS Company in Maryland. 2013 was the first year LPVRS volunteers broke 6,000 calls with a record total of 6,105, an incredible feat for an ALL-VOLUNTEER department. That same year construction began on Station 39 (FDR blvd.), the second station constructed for LPVRS to help meet community needs.
Today, as we reflect on fiscal year 2023, LPVRS responding to a total of 7,421 calls. Additionally, new ambulance purchases have also reached record levels. While two new ambulance orders were placed in 2019 to replace two aging apparatus, they are only now arriving due to chain supply delays. The total cost for these ambulances (equipped) is approximately $370,000 each.
While historically LPVRS has been able to perform as an all-volunteer organization, in 2020, compounding factors of the COVID-19 pandemic and a drastic decrease in volunteer rates shifted the needs-based assessments to onboarding paid EMS county employees in 2020 to ensure emergency needs for our community are being met. Paid EMS staff are assigned throughout the county to supplement the EMS volunteer gaps and have been incredible assets in ensuring the health and safety of those we serve. Our goal as a volunteer organization is to decrease our need for supplemental staff and rely on volunteer members to keep duty hours full and ambulances on call 24/7/365.
With 70 years of unparalleled experience behind us, we eagerly open our doors to welcome new volunteers. We offer state-of-the-art training for anyone keen on acquiring new skills, eager to step into a role that profoundly impacts lives when it matters most. It's a privilege to belong to an entity so entwined with our community's historical fabric, and we're filled with anticipation for a future marked by expansion and a surge in volunteer engagement. We urge community members to explore below for more details on volunteering and feel free to reach out with any inquiries.
For a better understanding of the diverse volunteer opportunities at LPVRS, visit: lpvrs.org/content/faqs
Ready to make a difference? Begin your journey by applying online at: lpvrs.org/content/join
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