Skip to content
Any great business knows how important their customers are to their success. At Penn Care, we value our long term relationships as well and understand just how critical our customers are to our future. That’s why we want to highlight Princeton Rescue Squad today and wish them a Happy 50th Birthday!
2011 marked the 50th anniversary of Princeton Rescue Squad located in Princeton, West Virginia. Following a tragic drowning of a five year old at Five Mile Fork in a nearby community, Willam Reese, Ernest Borne and William Adkins joined together with the help of the local funeral homes, businesses and concerned citizens to establish the organization in 1961. Created as a volunteer agency, the organization was designed to respond to accidents, rescue calls and administer first aid. The first meeting of the group was held in the upstairs bus terminal on Honaker Avenue in downtown Princeton. From humble beginnings, the organization grew as property was obtained and a building was constructed; 208 North First St. was home to Princeton Rescue Squad for forty years. The best information gathered estimates 61 calls were answered the first year of service. The following year, volunteers responded to an increased load of 100 calls.
Unlike the brand new Medix RP 90 units we recently delivered, the first emergency vehicle serving Princeton Rescue Squad was a 1953 Ford F-100 pickup with a covered bed. With this vehicle, PRS could respond to calls on their own, but still relied on local funeral homes for an ambulance for transport, often driven by rescue squad members. Overtime, the organization flourished and by 2000 the agency had grown to 12 ambulances with a crash unit and 40 employees. Members of the Princeton Rescue Squad were answering 12,00 calls a year from 911, direct from homes, multiple nursing homes, and the three area hospitals. In 2010, Princeton Rescue Squad received its highest recognition – the Eagle Award for Service to the Community by the Princeton Mercer County Chamber of Commerce.
While there is much of its rich history we haven’t covered here, it’s safe to say that the Princeton Rescue Squad has withstood the test of time to become a valuable member of the EMS community. We are truly proud to serve them by providing the vital equipment they need to in turn serve the people of their coverage area. Thanks to everyone at Princeton Rescue Squad for dedicating your life to helping others!
