The Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad was established in 1949 making it the first Rescue Squad in St. Mary’s County. The first ambulance was kept at Camp Brown in Scotland, Maryland and various other locations in the Ridge area. Upon completion of the American Legion Post 255 building in the early 1950’s, the Rescue Squad operated its ambulances from there.
The following are some of the people involved in the very early years: John Erly, Donald Drury, Mark Pratt, Bud Ridgell, R. Curly, Malcolm Guy, Lindy McKay, and Francis Angle. Many others were involved; however, the records between 1949 and 1964 are a bit sketchy. During those years, the Squad consisted of one hearse-type ambulance. Training consisted of First Aid and Advanced First Aid and treatment was often administered in a “swoop-and-scoop” method. A second ambulance, a Cadillac, was purchased in the 1960’s.
In April 1965, a change took place that would have a lasting effect on the St. Mary’s County Emergency Medical Service as we know it today. Frances Ann Stone (Cullison) joined the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad. She was the first active female member of a Rescue Squad in St. Mary’s County. In 1974, Frances Ann was elected to the office of Chief of the Ridge Rescue Squad, making her the first female Chief of a Rescue Squad in St. Mary’s County. The rosters in most Squads today consist of as many women as men. Frances Ann and the women that followed her were the backbone of all St. Mary’s County Rescue Squads.
In the late 1960’s, the Rescue Squad purchased a used International Carryall that was named “Rescue 4.” Its primary job was that of a secondary ambulance. However, it was soon pressed into service to stand-by at Budd’s Creek drag racing strip. The Rescue Squad was paid $50 a night to stand by for their races (for comparison, we now receive $375 a night for standing by at the racetrack). In 1972, the Rescue Squad purchased its first new ambulance. It was a 1972 Cadillac, which is still in the Rescue Squad’s possession after 52 years. It is now used for parades, processions, and funerals.
The cost for the new 1972 Cadillac was $18,000. In comparison, the new ambulance purchased by the Rescue Squad in 1995 had a price of $77,000. To compare even further, the new ambulance currently on order to be delivered in 2026 is estimated to cost $380,000.
As both the American Legion’s and the Rescue Squad’s memberships began to grow, space became a problem. In the early 1970’s, the Rescue Squad searched for land to purchase in order to build its own quarters. During that time, the property that is currently the home of the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad was purchased from the Archdiocese of Washington in D.C. Although the Rescue Squad moved many years ago, to this day, local organizations such as the American Legion and the Ridge Lion’s Club continue to raise funds and give support to the Squad. The community and the Rescue Squad are forever indebted to these organizations for their long term and continued support.
When the property was purchased, the Rescue Squad began raising funds to construct a building. Lacking funds, the Squad appealed to the community and to anyone who would donate or help raise funds. Many bake sales, raffles, auctions, dinners, and donations were needed. Finally, with limited funds and many hardworking volunteers from the community, under the direction of Bobby Abell, the building was constructed. The footers were dug and poured by Squad members and volunteers. Brick layers and helpers from the community and around the County met one Saturday morning in the early 1970’s. At the end of the day, the masonry for a building with two bays and a training room was complete. The following weekend, a group of carpenters met, and under the supervision of Frankie Carroll, Knighton Dunbar, and John Trossbach, the entire roof was installed in one day. A lot of work remained and once again, the people of the community responded. Ed Baroniak of St. Mary’s City donated and hauled the gravel for the floor paraffin. Aubrey Gatton of Gatton Concrete donated and installed the concrete floors. It was another two years before the bathrooms could be installed.
All of the furniture, such as chairs, tables, heating stove, etc. were donated from citizens and organizations all around the area. The Ridge Volunteer Fire Department gave the Rescue Squad access to water from their carnival grounds. As the building progress continued over the years, the Rescue Squad purchased a couple of van-type ambulances.
As the ambulances continued to increase in size, it became apparent that an addition would have to be added to the building in order to house the ambulances. Once again, the community responded, and the result was the construction of two additional bays. Bobby Abell again led the hardworking volunteer workers, and the addition was completed in the mid-1980’s. Sometime after that, one additional bay was added, giving the Squad a total of three full-size bays to house the vehicles. In June of 1988, the building was named the “John K. Erly Building” in honor of the founder and dedicated member of the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Sadly, on April 7th, 2001, the Squad building as we knew it would never be the same. That night, a faulty electrical plug that charges the ambulances caused a two-alarm fire and resulted in $400,000 worth of damage. Ambulance 498 was completely destroyed, and 497 and 499 suffered extreme heat and smoke damage. Damage to the building itself was substantial. At our dire time of need, the outpouring of help offered to us by the community as well as other Fire Departments and Rescue Squads in the County was overwhelming. The countless actions of those who came to our rescue will never be forgotten. The Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad and Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad both provided us with loaner ambulances without us even needing to ask. The Ridge Volunteer Fire Department provided space in their building to house these loaner ambulances and made us feel extremely welcome in their house. Because of their generous support, the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad was able to respond to a call the very next morning.
Once it was determined that our original Rescue Squad building would be impractical to restore, a committee set forth to begin planning for the construction of a new building. A 12-by-40-foot trailer was loaned to the Squad from Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant to be used as a temporary office and meeting space during the planning and rebuilding phase.
Again, the community came to our aid with multiple back-to-back fundraising events. The first was a huge Food, Fun & Fireworks event held behind the Southridge Restaurant in May 2001, only one month after the fire. A pig roast was provided, with hamburgers and hotdogs donated by Raley’s Town & Country Market; a popcorn machine donated by the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department; baked goods by the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary and many members of the community; a dunking booth donated by DB Plumbing and Southridge Restaurant; and fireworks at dark sponsored by the Ridge Lion’s Club. Carroll’s Equipment also donated a John Deere lawn mower to be raffled off, with the Printing Press in Leonardtown providing the raffle tickets to sell. A large yard sale was held on our building grounds the following month that even included a car that was donated for sale and the profits given to the Rescue Squad. Those were just fundraising events held in our local area. There were also many others that were held in the north end of the County, to include a Basket Bingo at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, with the proceeds benefiting the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad Building Fund. The community never ceased to amaze us in their support of our rebuilding efforts and were with us each step of the way.
Finally in 2005, under the direction of Charlie Sasscer, the current Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad building was constructed. The planning and permits expanded our original building significantly to include an upstairs with separate bunk rooms for men and women, each containing their own bathrooms, two office spaces (which we have now updated to three), and a large training room. The downstairs consisted of a full kitchen, meeting room, lounge area, multiple supply rooms, and two bathrooms. The rear of the building was built with three drive-through bays, which can hold up to six emergency vehicles. Most importantly, this building included a sprinkler system and fire alarms. Upon final construction in 2005, the new building was also re-named the “John K. Erly Building” and is the current home of the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad today.
In 2011, a need was identified for an Auxiliary. Honorary Life Member Marsha (Titus) Evans expressed a great interest in forming an Auxiliary and assisted in all steps of the formation process – from the initial planning phases to becoming the very first Auxiliary Chairperson. In November 2017, the name of the Auxiliary membership type was updated to reflect Association; however, their intentions remained the same: to take over fundraising efforts and provide the Rescue Squad with financial support to enable building and equipment upgrades. Their fundraising efforts consist of an annual Brown Bag Auction, Quarter Auctions, Breakfasts, and multiple raffles. The Association has been in place for the past 13 years and is truly a blessing to the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad. Without their support and dedication, we would not have the funds to make the necessary improvements to our Squad and provide the utmost care for our patients. Thank you for everything you do!
The Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, which continues to attract dedicated members, now includes 72 volunteers. Current provider training consists of both Maryland certified and Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians. Over the past 75 years, patient treatment has progressed from basic stabilization to IV and medication administration and cardiac defibrillation. Patients are now transported to the hospital in one of our three state of the art box-type ambulances.
It is impossible to name and acknowledge everyone that has contributed or helped in one way or another. Without the tremendous response and outpouring of help from the community during the last 75 years, the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad would not be what it is today. While we have sadly lost the majority of our Rescue Squad founders and those who lived through this history of our organization, we know they continue to be with us in spirit and guide us in all of our ways. |