The Past:

Page 1 of the first meeting minutes of the 2nd District Volunteer Rescue Squad, November 1964

1960s:

Ambulance 401, the department's 1st ambulance, driven by President Dickie Parker, 1965

In November 1964, a meeting of the Calvert County Jaycees met and created a project of establishing an ambulance in the central part of Calvert County, based off the overwhelming response of a community wide flyer campaign. 

In March 1965, the Second District Volunteer Rescue Squad was officially established and incorporated by the Calvert County Jaycees and overseen by charter President John Gott and charter Chief Glenn Horsmon. 

In June 1965, House of Delegates Bill 375 by the Calvert County Delegation brought the first annual budget of $6,000 to the PFVRS; the 1st year of operation was estimated to have been $10,000. This funding, plus donations from the citizens of Prince Frederick, paid for the PFVRS first ambulance.

In 1968, PFVRS rented a bay from the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department (Company 2) to use as a home base for our ambulance, as PFVRS didn't have a permanent home until the 1970's. 

In November 1969, Virginia Somervell donated a piece of land on Route 4 in our current location.

1970s:

In the early 1970's, the legend of "George" was born. According to Life Member Tommy Tettimer, a man named "George" came to the station, experiencing chest pains. The crew in the building loaded George into the ambulance, but George flat-lined and passed away before the ambulance could even leave the building. To this day, any strange occurrences, disturbed stretchers, footsteps belonging to no one, and the eventual cold breeze can still be attributed to the ghost of George.

In 1970, Celeste Trott became the 1st female member of the PFVRS.

In 1971, a three-bay building was constructed to house the equipment and its members on the land that Mrs. Somervell donated.  

In 1972, PFVRS purchased a 2nd ambulance, a 1972 Cadillac ambulance.

In 1974, PFVRS purchased a 1974 International ambulance to replace our first ambulance.

In 1976, PFVRS received an allotment of $103,000 from the Calvert County Government in order to upgrade the three-bay building with brick, drop ceilings, blocking and office space.  This process was completed in three phases. A painting created and donated by Anita Hanekamp, depicting a provider cradling a child who presumably overdosed, was given to the department. This painting would be used as artwork in a memorial almost 30 years later.

1980s:

2nd District Volunteer Rescue Squad, December 1980

In 1980, PFVRS received the first Type 1 Ambulance in Calvert County.  The unit was manufactured by Horton Ambulance Company.

In 1983, Sonny Brady was honored as the 1st Life Member of the PFVRS. 

In 1984, the PFVRS received one of the first Hurst Tools in Calvert County.  This tool, named by providers and firefighters as the "Jaws of Life", is used for extrication of people involved in a motor vehicle accident.  The Hurst Tool was given to us by Region V Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).  PFVRS later donated the Hurst Tool to Company 2 when the tools were removed from the EMT protocols. Later that year, the PFVRS won its 1st and only "Best Appearing Ambulance in the State of Maryland" at the 92nd Annual Maryland State Firemen's Convention in Ocean City.

In March 1986, the PFVRS lost member Natalie Parran, a newly certified EMT, in a fatal car accident. The membership of the time was shocked, mourned the loss of 'one of their own', and expedited the maturity of the membership from that day forward. A small memorial for Natalie currently hangs in the TV Room of the department. 

1990s:

Chief Stanis Inscoe, 1st female Chief in Calvert County, 1991

In November 1996, the Second District Volunteer Rescue Squad was renamed to Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad. The name change occurred because the PFVRS was not the only operating ambulance department in central Calvert County.

In 1998, Life Members Sonny Brady, Clarke Rawlings, and Bill Clark helped lead the effort for a complete replacement of the existing building for the PFVRS. Part of the expansion, "Phase 1", has been completed and the rest of the expansion, "Phase 2", will be complete over the next few years. 

In 1999, cell phones were donated to members by Bell Atlantic so that communication between officers and members was more fluid.

2000s:

"The Old Guys" Life Members Clarke Rawlings, Sonny Brady, and Tommy Tettimer during ambulance dedication, 2008 

In 2001, the PFVRS broke ground on "Phase 1" of the building renovation that includes a brand-new lounge, multiple bunk rooms, a workout room, full sized wash bay and full-sized boat bay to houseboat 4 on the North end of the existing building. This was a bittersweet occasion as it was on September 11th, the same day of the attacks in New York and Washington, DC. 

In 2008, Ambulances 47, 48, and 49 were dedicated to Life Members Clarke Rawlings, Tommy Tettimer, and Sonny Brady respectively. Plaques honoring their dedications are mounted on the passenger sides of each unit.

2010s:

Life Member Shirley Menendez inducted into the Calvert County Hall of Fame, May 2010

In 2015, the PFVRS celebrated our 50th anniversary of incorporation and honored Sonny Brady for his 50 years of service to the department. In the same year, the PFVRS dedicated a memorial to honor past members, active members, and honorary members that have died. The majority of the funding for the memorial came from donations and fundraisers. The 1976 painting was used in the memorial. 

In 2016, Life Members Bill Clark, Sonny Brady, and Clarke Rawlings have been working with the Calvert County Government for "Phase 2" of the reconstruction of our existing building to match the 2001, "Phase 1" addition.  

The Present:

The PFVRS, along with all other departments in Calvert County today, is an 100% all volunteer system. PFVRS receives funding to operate through a budget from the Calvert County government in addition to donations from the citizens of Prince Frederick.  

PFVRS runs an average of 2000 to 2500 annual calls; a massive increase from when we started with 256 calls in 1966. 

PFVRS is an EMS-only department, meaning we are a department that operates no fire department apparatus. We work in tandem with the local fire department, the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department or PFVFD, on calls when they are needed. The reason for the separation is purely historical; the PFVRS and PFVFD were started as two separate corporations and have been that way ever since.  We also work with the Calvert Advanced Life Support, or CALS, for more serious or complicated medical assistance is needed, as well as the Calvert County Dive Team for water rescue operations.  

The Future:

A mockup of the new Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad, coming 2018-2019

The PFVRS needs members willing to answer the call of the citizens we serve in their time of need. When the department was founded, it was on the basis to simply help people. Over time, the PFVRS is now capable of funding some of the best emergency medical training available to its members. In addition, the PFVRS, in coordination with the Calvert County Government, offers benefits to its volunteers that range from tuition reimbursement for college students, to day care reimbursement for parents that wish to help to retirement plans for those that have dedicated vast amounts of time.

If you are willing to contribute to the ongoing history of the PFVRS, please fill out this application and attend our regular monthly business meetings on the 1st Thursday of the month; it's been where our members have been accepted for the last 50 years.