An Extremely Informal History of the Oakland First Aid Squad

(dedicated to all volunteers, past and present, who helped build the Squad into all it is today.)

-compiled by Lila Timpson, August 1984

The 1950's

The 1950's was a time of new beginnings. Elizabeth II was the new Queen of England. and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. A "cold war" had begun between the U.S. and Soviet Russia. and America began testing nuclear bombs in the Pacific. In 1954, Americans who were prosperous enough to own a television watched as Senator Joseph McCarthy accused government officials of being communists. Veteran commentator Edward R. Murrow challenged McCarthy's tactics; Walter Cronkite stuck to reporting the news. He had just begun his career with C.B.S. Popular shows like I Love Lucy, Dragnet. Omnibus, Burns 8: Allen and the Guiding Light were just starting their long television runs. Gunsmoke, Lassie and As the World Turns would not be around for another few years. Teenagers were just becoming aware of newcomer Elvis Presley when he recorded "That's All Right, Mama" in Memphis. And in Spite of foreign threats. Americans were enjoying the greatest personal prosperity since the end of W.W.II. Science was making enormous strides especially in medicine. In 1954, Andre Cournand was developing a technique to chart the inside of the human heart, and it was announced that the Salk vaccine had been found to be an effective means of preventing polio. 

In 1954, Oakland was still considered to be a small suburb. Only two doctors resided in town - Dr. Davey and Dr. Branigan. When a resident became sick or was seriously injured, they had to wait until the Pompton Lakes or Wyckoff ambulance could respond and transport them to Paterson or Bergen Pines. What we now consider to be our local hospitals, Valley and Chilton, were just now coming into being. 

During this time, John Walker was a councilman in Oakland. His youngest son, John Robert Walker, has been diagnosed as having leukemia, and he required frequent transportation to Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. When John Robert Walker passed away at the age of nine, his parents, Vivian and John, turned tragedy into triumph by helping to organize a living memorial to their son. There has been talk around town about the possibility of staring a first a local first aid squad, and John and Vivian generously donated an equipped Cadillac ambulance to the town on August 14, 1954.

Lucille Connors, Ethel Kestler, and Sylvia Unterstein, all nurses, were instrumental in the early months of organizing the squad. Cliff Lyons, a red cross instructor, was selected to take care of the training of volunteer members. Now all the Squad needed was volunteers.

Sign up sheets were placed in the boro offices and around town. It seemed as though just about everyone in town signed up. Notification was put out that the first meeting would be held at the Oakland Community Building (now the library), and approximately sixty people showed up. John Walker was made the president of the Board of Trustees and Vivian was Secretary Treasurer. Cliff Lyons became the first Captain; Ethel Kestler was the Captain in charge of female attendants, and Frank Mannino, Lucille Connors, and Sylvia Unterstein were made Lieutenants. Nelson Longee, a state inspector, and ARC trainer, also made his services available to the Squad. Training schedules and lists of roster assignments were also discussed at the meeting. Immediately the huge list of potential members lost half of its names. Everyone wanted to be on the Squad, but very few were willing to make the sacrifices of training, meetings and roster duty. 
Connie Monks and those other stout-hearted people who remained were given a standard first aid course by Cliff Lyons and advanced training was taken care of by Maurice Metzler from the Haledon Squad. Surrounding Squads all lent a hand to help us get started. Joe Martoccia of Pompton and George Gasperini of Wyckoff helped us buy some necessary equipment and uniforms, and Pompton's By-Laws were to become the model for our own. 

The most pressing problem facing the new squad was where to keep the rig. Initially, the rig was parked at various gas stations around town, but since none of these stations provided 24-hour service, the duty crews had to call the captain or a lieutenant to open the station doors whenever a call came in during the night. Finally in March of 1956, the borough made space for the rig in the "new" municipal building. 

As Connie remembers, "we had room for the rig and a row of cabinets plus a small room with a sink. We put on a hot plate and a jar of instant coffee and thought we were millionaires. The boro office even sent down two chairs. With these and the stairs to sit on we held small meetings in our own home for the first time." The key to the boro garage was kept in Connie's garage. Nighttime crews would have to stop there first, scoff-up the key and then go down to pick up the rig. It was difficult to improve response time, but it sure beat relying on Pompton Lakes! 

The minutes from those early meetings are somewhat like reading our current rules and regulations. The firm foundation we have today is based on the wise practices instituted back then. The minutes of the November 1954 meeting is an excellent example of this. They read in part: "Never Sign any papers when taking patients to the hospital. Meetings will be held of the first Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m. The rig should be scrubbed out after each call. Duty rosters will be made up on a monthly basis. No consumption of intoxicating beverages while on duty." It was also the first time that members were reminded "to make sure that the trip sheets are complete!" Not all of the recommendations were serious ones. Lt. McKowen suggested that "refreshments be served at the monthly business meetings," and it was at this time that the tradition began ”if a crew delivers a baby, they will buy 1/4 keg of beer for the squad members." Of course, some improvements have been made in procedures over the years. For example, consider the mental dexterity needed to follow this directive from the original rules and regulations: 

"Notification of a replacement to the proper person: 
A) The driver and the male attendant, or, if two women attendants are on call, the attendant listed in the first attendant column on the duty roster must contact the female attendant listed in the last column of the duty roster, of the name and phone number of the replacement."

Another early problem was the absence of a two-way radio. Once the ambulance was dispatched on a call, the crew had no contact with the police department. There was no Route 208, and the duty crews avoided detours and shortcuts. Instead, they stuck to the main roads so that if the rig broke down, someone might come along to help them. This lack of communication caused problems even during drills. On one occasion, Connie Monks and Pearl Hopper planned a training exercise at the old entrance to the Scout Camp on Skyline Drive. Pearl's son, John, was supposed to be the victim of a motor vehicle accident. The rig arrived and promptly applied a traction splint and all kinds of bandages to their "victim." Then John was to be transported back to the garage like a real patient. Unfortunately, on the way down the mountain, the crew met up with the fire chief, Denny Clark. It seems there was a real accident on Ramapo Valley Road and the police had sent the fire chief to find the rig. By the time the rig reached the railroad crossing. The crew had removed the traction splint, and John Hopper was "dumped" out and left to untangle the rest of the bandages himself. Because all communication with duty crew members was done via phone, crew members had to stay home throughout their tour of duty. Many early members had phone bells installed outside so that they could go out in their yards and still be sure of hearing the phone ring.

Greater organization and growth took place during the remainder of the 1950’s. During 1955, the Sunshine Committee was formed. Squad patches were designed, initial C.D. procedures were established, and we joined the Sixth District of the New Jersey State First Aid Council. The first Constitution and ByLaws was accepted on September 6, 1955, and some new rules were added. Only members over 25 years of age could drive the rigs, and everyone was expected to pull weekend rotation even back then! The finance committee was formed to organize and run the first fund drive. It was decided to use coin cards which were designed to hold $4.00 in quarters. The first fund drive netted $2,265.10, most of which was saved toward the purchase of a new ambulance. Our first two-way radio was installed in October and our first dinner-dance was held that same month at the Oakland Chalet. (The dinner dance was changed to January in 1957 when it became the Installation of Officers Dinner.) 

During the months between August 1954 and May 1955, the Squad responded to 55 calls an average of five calls per month! In 1956, we purchased our first new rig. a Miller Cadillac which cost $10,500. The Squad was able to buy it by selling the old rig for $1,000, taking $3,200 from squad funds, and getting a bank loan of $6,300. The new rig was delivered on July 27th, but with money being scarce in those days, the Squad wasn't able to completely pay off the loan until October 1958. It was also in 1956 that the Squad established the 7 to 7 tour of duty. In 1956, it was decided to have an annual "birthday" picnic. The Squad was now firmly established. The birthing process was over, and now it was time to grow. 

The 1960's

The 1960's were years of growth and turbulence in the U.S. In 1961, our new President, John Kennedy, established the Peace Corps, but there didn't seem to be much peace in the world. Both the US and Russia were continually exploding nuclear bombs in the atmosphere. In January of 61', the U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba and sought to contain the spread of communism in places like Vietnam. The growth of racial equality in America began with the Freedom Riders in May 1961, but.it was a slow process throughout the decade. Television had grown into a formidable media and Americans now watched sitcoms such as McHales Navy, My Three Sons and the Beverly Hillbillies. More serious views may have watched G.E. Theater hosted by Ronald Reagan, and everyone watched President Kennedy explain what he was going to do concerning the missiles in Cuba. Science had some positive aspects as well. Russia launched Sputnik in 1957 thereby starting the space race which would culminate with Apollo 11 landing on the moon in 1969. Government reports showed that the suburbs were the fastest growing part of the U.S. and Oakland was no exception.

The idea of Squad expansion had begun back in 1957 when "the goal for 1958 was the establishment of our own headquarters." Throughout the early years, the Squad meetings had to be held wherever there was a free available space. Usually the members were able to use Ponds Church or the Municipal Building. Furthermore, municipal employees were often disturbed by the exhaust fumes which drifted upstairs whenever the rig was turned on. This became an increasingly frequent problem as Oakland grew and the number of rig calls increased. So in June of 1958 a committee was formed to find a place for a squad building. A letter was sent to the Mayor and Council requesting "an acre of land on the corner of Route 202 and Chapman Drive." In September 1958, the squad officers met with borough officials to discuss the land. In January 1959, Squad members who had turned out in force at a Council meeting were given a tentative "okay" on the property. But it wasn't until June that the deed for the land was drawn up and not until October 1959 that the property was officially ours. Of course, we couldn't really complain about the delay. We were only paying $1.00 for the entire lot! A building committee was promptly formed and a sketch of the building was made. All contracting would be done by the committee members. Andy Unterstein would take care of the carpentry and William Potash would do the excavation. On May 15, 1960, the groundbreaking ceremony was held. As the boro prepared to demolish the old Oakland Academy Stables. the new squad building was far enough along that the members could hold their first meeting there in January 1962. Squad headquarters was formally dedicated on May 19th of that year. Alexander Potash served as the master of ceremonies and 44 rigs from various squads around the state came to help celebrate the occasion. Members had laughed at Marie Schaefer when, in 1961, she wrote to U.S. Representative William Widnall asking for a flag which had been used at the Capitol Building. But she had the last laugh - as the Oakland Bulletin reported on April 12, 1962, "Congressman ' William Widnall will dedicate the Oakland First Aid Squad building and present a flag flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C."

On April 27, 1962, the Paterson Evening News wrote about Oakland, "A study of our population shows us to be a town of middle or lower average incomes. the majority being young married couples with growing family problems. Shown also was the appreciation of what the town offers them, not only the rural atmosphere which brought them to it, but the other people they find here as neighbors. This wide interest in public affairs is also a healthy sign, one which can keep this a good town to live in." The townspeople’s interest included the first aid squad - especially since we now had a new building prominently place as a reminder of our existence.  The Squad had a full 50 members; the largest membership since it Was founded. Others volunteered for the new job of squad dispatcher. Residents who didn't join the Squad did try to help us financially by raising money in various and often ”unique" ways. The fund drive of 1962 was publically supported by the Mayor and Council, and the first donation of the year came from three brother who lived on West Oakland Ave. They had held a carnival in our behalf and had earned $5.67. The Oakland Boy Scouts volunteered to help us distribute the fund drive coin books, and the Jaycees sold tickets for a NY Giants - Philadelphia Eagles game and gave the proceeds to the Squad. Children in Pleasureland raised $17.50 from a carnival, $8.50 was received from children on Chuckanutt Dr. who had put on a play, and the Squad Cadet Corps (which had been formed in August 1961) earned $56.50 by running one of their now infamous car washes! Even the Chamber of Commerce chipped in by donating 2,500 Blue Stamps.

All of this community support added up, and Capt. Harold Wilke decided it was time for us to look into becoming a two-rig Squad. We had had our 1000th call in January, and Oakland had grown to the point where second-rig calls were no longer rare occurrences. Harold felt that we couldn't keep "borrowing" Pompton's rig to cover our calls. In July 1962, the Squad voted to buy a second rig -another Miller Cadillac with a two-way radio and resuscitator. The Squad put $3,600 down and took a $9,000 loan. Payments would be $562.50 per month plus 5% interest! After its dedication on August 10th, the new rig was proudly displayed at the traditional Fireman's Carnival the following Saturday. As the town's population increased, so did the Squad's services. Shortly after the building's dedication, we began allowing the Board of Health to use the premises for baby clinics. In response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Harold Wilke took courses on nuclear survival and gave talks to various groups on "home survival." Connie Monks headed the medic alert program to help register people with medical problems, and we became the official medical unit of the Oakland Civil Defense program. The Cadet Corps began practicing their first aid by entering various competitions which, over the years, earned them several first place trophies.

As the squad's financial stability increased, so did it's needs for new equipment. The members voted to purchase Stephenson resuscitators, resusci-annies, a movie projector for training films, and new furnishings for the ready room. These were paid for out of squad funds. But when the members voted to buy new wool jackets for themselves, they decided that they would each pay for their own. Concerned about possible town reaction, the squad requested the following be printed: "March 30. 1962 Paterson News Oakland Jottings: Have you seen the handsome new red jackets members of the first aid squad are wearing all suitable bearing their emblem? Each purchased his own, so don't get ideas about misuse of funds collected for ambulance use. We can't believe anybody would, but the squad asked us to tell you."

Even though the Squad now had a few dollars to its name, the members could still "stretch a buck" to its limit. Art Swain, the 1964 maintenance lieutenant reported, "It sure took a month of Sundays on the old rig, but with lots of bailing wire and a little chewing gum we kept her in business for another year." The 1960's also saw the first steps taken towards equipping members with their own radios. The Fire Dept  donated a few instalerts in us as a gift in 1966, and we gradually purchased more, two at a time, until each member was able to have a radio in his home.1969 was the 15th anniversary of the Squad. Throughout the decade the squad had grown, prospered, and maintained the highest level of patient care and training. We again purchased a new ambulance which was dedicated on March 28, 1969. The years fund drive netted $10,528. We had been instrumental in forming the 17th District of the NJSFAC and by 1969 the initial work had begun on having a 911 emergency number for the town. Oakland was now home to more than 15.000 people, and the squad had carried 7,810 patients over the years. The squad celebrated its accomplishments with a parade, and the Oakland Observer reported, "A motorcade of 25 ambulances led by Sgt. John Cooper of the Oakland Police Department drove through boro streets with sirens wailing "happy birthday" to the local first aid squad on its 15th anniversary.

The 1970's

By the 1970's new concepts were arising in the U.S. The country had survived the tragedy of Vietnam and the assassination of three of its most promising leaders. Now in 1970, college students "streaked" across campuses and Richard Nixon was covering up his involvement in Watergate. Mission Impossible, Laugh-In and other traditional TV formats gave way to Cable TV and HBO. All America celebrated the Bicentennial of our U.S. government and our N.J. state government began to take an ever-increasing interest in our first aid squads.

The 1970's proved to be a time when squads were forced to band together in order to maintain the advancements they had made in previous years. Initially the state wanted to charge squads $200. for a permit to conduct fund drives. Then in 1970. Bill A-163 was introduced. If the bill had passed. it would have given the state control over all local Squads. When that bill was defeated, Bill A-1384 was quickly introduced. Its main premise was that all squad members would have to serve in a hospital and all squads would have to be licensed by the state. At this point, the NJSFAC called on all local Squads to rally against the unfair proposed licensing requirements. A motorcade to Trenton was organized and Oakland sent one of its rigs in support. The bill was defeated, and the NJSFAC introduced its new 5 point training program to ensure that all squads were being properly trained. Still the state continued to try to raise revenues for itself by proposing other bills throughout the decade. One such bill would have required each squad member to pay $2.00 per year for the honor of volunteering! Bill A-1389 moved squads out of the jurisdiction of the Dept. of Transportation and into the Dept. of Health. The state plan was to divide the state into 10 regions and put all local first aid squads under regional state control had that bill passed, the state would have received $2 million in federal funding which "would have gone toward administrative salaries and communication equipment for hospitals and paramedic units." Once again NJSFAC Squads, including Oakland, banded together to fight the bill which would have meant the end of their autonomy. Another motorcade to Trenton was organized and again Oakland sent one of its rigs complete with a porta-potty for emergency pit-stops. It was during one such pit-stop that Vicki Kaye performed another first in the Oakland First Aid Squad. She accidentally "mooned" a trucker on Route I-287! The motorcade was again successful and to date. with the help of our state council, volunteer squads have been able to maintain their independence and to provide patient care without state interference.

Whenever new members joined the Squad they brought with them new ideas on how to raise funds, generate interest and have fun. It was during the 1970's that squad members began to work the ticket booths at the fireman's carnival. Members also set up a booth at the peddlers fair at PIME to sell what was then termed "usable junk"! Cut-a-Thons and Skate-a-Thons became new ways to earn money. We even began to charge crews 25¢ whenever they made a mistake on a trip sheet. New members got to know "old timers“ at socials like the first Corned Beef Dinner in 1970.

Still, the foremost priority was first aid and the continual improvement of services to the people of Oakland. In 1971. Oakland was one of the first area Squads to install hospital radios. In 1972, it was determined that loan-out had saved the townspeople $6,488. and in 1978 the Vial of Life was initiated by the squad. Safety and oxygen committees were formed, recorder-annie and childbirth mannequins were purchased to upgrade training, and an electronic street map was donated to help us improve response time. By 1974, the squad had purchased enough instalerts so that each night time member was able to have one and could now respond without being dispatched by phone. By March of 1976, the 911 emergency number was fully operational in town, and by September 1977 the entire squad was able to shift to a 24 hour instalert system.

The squad's ambulances were continually updated too. A 1972 M&M Cadillac was purchased. It was the last Caddy we would own and it would give us more trouble than all the others combined. This was the first time the Squad would be able to pay off a new rig in less than one year, but we soon found out that we had purchased a maintenance lieutenant's nightmare. In one year we had to replace the brakes, drums, hydraulic pressure regulators, transmission, both batteries and the rig still didn't run well! However, we fared better with the new vans purchased during the decade.

Through careful financial planning, we were able to pay off the last of our building‘s mortgage in June 1977. Another big celebration was planned for the mortgage burning. Finally the squad truly owned everything it had.

1980's

Over the past thirty years there's been many changes in Oakland and within the Squad. We've progressed from a small town organization (which proudly acknowledged that it owned two small oxygen tanks in 1954) to a Sophisticated corporation which now boasts such equipment as the XP-l and cardiac monitors. In many ways the squad was much stricter with its members in “the old days" and what little money it had on hand was carefully managed and sparingly spent. Because of the wise planning of early members, a strong and stable foundation was laid down for future members to build on. Yet some things have never changed. On Thursday, January 29, 1959, the Oakland Bulletin printed the following article: "Recruits for the Oakland First Aid Squad are urgently needed if they are to continue to serve the boro without undue hardship on present members. The rapid growth of Oakland during the past few years has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in demands made upon the Squad, and additional volunteers would permit a reduction in the shifts covered by the individual members. Anyone interested in contributing some time to this worthwhile community service may contact the Squad membership committee for further particulars." Volunteers today, just as in 1954, are expected to have the same commitment to high standards, the same dedication to service. And with the history of the squad in mind, we can look forward to our next thirty years.