In 1954, a group of eight men noted the need for a first aid squad and rescue unit for the rapidly growing town of Budd Lake in Morris County. And they did something about it.
The group began to hold meetings in the municipal building and take lessons in in first aid and its applications. Dr John Alcamo was the instructor. Pretty soon the men became proficient in first aid and were ready to start the Budd Lake First Aid and Rescue Squad.
The Morgan Funeral Home helped the men get started by donating a 1937 La Salle Ambulance. The rest was up to the volunteers.
They conducted door-to-door campaigns for funds, sponsored raffles, circuses and other activities and got all of the necessary equipment to outfit the ambulance. They then asked for and gladly got authority from the town to form the squad. Now it was official and the squad was a squad…officially.
In 1956, the squad decided to get another ambulance. The 1937 was breaking down too much. A little shopping turned up a 1953 Cadillac. It was in excellent condition and suited the growing needs of the squad well. But the town kept expanding and with it the squad as well expanded to meet the needs it would be called upon to fill. In 1957 the squad purchased a 1957 panel truck.
Its cost small but after the boys got finished painting it and laying out the floors, installing cabinets, buying first aid equipment it was worth more than $1,000.
The truck used as an ambulance, while the regular ambulance is used for transporting and general emergencies. It was also equipped for light emergencies.
But the expansion wasnt good enough for the volunteers they needed a headquarters of their own. Not just a nook in the municipal building with the fire department. In September 1959, the members of the squad numbering 14 now, started building their own headquarters. It took 3 months in the building with each man spending every spare moment on the project.
When it was finished and dedicated, it was worth $45,000 and was one of the prettiest buildings in town. Now it was time for a new ambulance!
This time the squad purchased a 1961 Superior Cadillac worth $14,000! In the summer of 1963 the squad recognized the need for an underwater recovery unit to protect the almost triple summer population in the resort town. The squad went to the Ward Baking Company in Newark and purchased a used bread truck for $50. A little work, paint and a lot of equipment made it into one of the finest rigs of its kind in the state!
Thats the past, what about the future? That will include better equipment, facilities and a better Budd Lake because of the Budd Lake First Aid and Rescue Squad and the eight men who cared back in 1954!
