1956: 12 men from the Tuckahoe and Petersburg area were invited to Ocean City for a First Aid Course. Upon completion, Ocean City established Unit 2 R.S. 4 of the Cape May County Rescue Squad.

 

1964: Due to the lack of meeting attendance and donations from Upper Township, Cape May County Rescue advised Upper Township the unit would be abolished. An emergency meeting was held to ask for a charter to be written to start our own rescue unit with no ties to Cape May County Rescue.

​

10/29/1964: Upper Township Rescue Squad was born. A charter was composed and signed, with a total of 16 members listed on the roll: 

​

Paul Wanek, Corville Griner, Angela DeLanzo, Raymon Sharp, Ralph Elia, John Kellet

John Lorenzo, Dorsey Hostler, John Langley, Franklin Sack, Gilbert Terry, Charles Webb Sr.

Mountie Bozzie, Thomas Elia, Channing Godfrey, Howard Wooley 

​

11/13/1964: Cape May County Rescue donated the fully equipped ambulance already in Upper Township to the Rescue Squad. This unit was known as TU4 (Tuckahoe Unit 4) The Squad averaged 6 calls a month with total expenses of $60 a month.

​

1965

The first new ambulance was purchased.

A Chevy Centurian priced at $7,500.

Pictured is our original unit (left)

and our first new unit (right).

​

Photo courtesy of Rich Litton

​

1966: First Installation Dinner held at the American Legion Hall in Tuckahoe with a cost of $3.00 per person.

​

1976: A Dodge Power Wagon was purchased as the squads first Rescue Truck.

​

1983: The squad received it's first "Jaws of Life" set, donated by the Hostler Family in memory of Dwight Hostler.

​

1984: The squad purchased a Braun van type ambulance.

​

1985: First Full-Time Employees hired to cover the Township during the daytime.

​

PRESENT DAY: We now have over 30 volunteers, there are over 1500 calls for emergency medical services a year, and we maintain an operating budget of over $80,000. All of this is raised from donations and fundraisers. There is a paid Division of EMS crew at the Rescue Squad 24 hours a day / 7 days a week with rescue squad volunteers providing extra support should there be a need for additional manpower or special operations response. A fully stocked Ambulance now costs well over $200,000.