Friday, June 2, 1972
Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps Organized Here
As most of you know, as of May 31, 1972, the Crofts Funeral Homes discontinued ambulance service to Blanco County.
The City Commission and a group of interested citizens feel that an ambulance service is a must for this area.
This group of citizens met with the City Commission on May 29.
As a result of this meeting, Mayor Wayne Smith appointed a steering committee to organize the “Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps.: The committee members are Hilmar Bindseil, President; Billy J. Petri, 1st Vice-president; Wayne Quinney, 2nd Vice-president; Harvey Crofts, Secretary.
Hilmar Bindseil, Billy J. Petri and Wayne Quinney have completed a six-night course at the Texas State Dept. of Health in Austin, in Emergency Care of the Sick and Injured.
If Blanco is to have a GOOD volunteer ambulance service, men and women are needed who are willing to devote some of their time for a good cause, along with a lot of teamwork.
There will also be a four-night course in Emergency Care of the Sick and Injured to be held in Fredericksburg within the next three weeks. Time will be announced later.
The City of Blanco will purchase an ambulance from the Crofts Funeral Home as of June 1. This service will be operated within the Blanco Independent School District.
The ambulance will be housed at the Blanco Mill Nursing Home. For service, call Blanco Mill Nursing Home at 833-4710; if line is busy call Sunny Side Nursing Home at 833-4818. This service will be on a volunteer basis, with all contributions appreciated to help defray the expense of operating this service.
If just one life is saved with this service, it will be worth all the time and effort on everyone’s part.
P.S. Mr. Quinney made his trial run with the ambulance Tuesday night. Guess who was his first patient- Hilmar Bindseil! He suffered a fractured leg while bowling.
Friday, June 9, 1972
Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps Holds Meeting
There was a gratifying response to the meeting called by the Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps Thursday night, June 1. Between forty and fifty people attended the meeting held in the school cafetorium.
Billy Joe Petri, 1st Vice-president of the steering committee appointed by Mayor Wayne Smith in a previous meeting, introduced the speaker, Derald Dugger, field consultant on Local Emergency Medical Services Improvement, Div. of Civil Defense and Traffic Safety, Texas State Dept of Health. Mr. Dugger presented a film which graphically showed the unpreparedness of many communities to meet medical emergencies and how the problem was solved in one Wisconsin city by volunteer citizens.
Mr. Dugger was part of a survey team sent from the Department of Health to Blanco in February, so he was no stranger to the city’s problem. After explaining the importance of proper training in first aid and other requirements of ambulance personnel, Mr. Dugger announced that a training school would be held in Fredericksburg later this month.
The question and answer period which followed brought out interested questions relating to volunteer ambulance service in Blanco. While not all of the questions had ready answers, the consensus was that they could be worked out shortly.
A most heartening announcement was made by Mr. Petri that nine applications for the training school had been received that evening and that well over a hundred dollars had been donated since the organizational meeting held on Monday, May 29, only three days before. Regular monthly meetings are planned when dates can be worked out that will not conflict with established meeting times of local organizations. This will enable all concerned citizens of the area to participate in this vital need of the community.
Friday, August 18, 1972
Ambulance Corps Trainees Take School Courses
The Texas State Department of Health sponsored an Emergency Care Training school in Fredericksburg last week, Aug. 7-11. The school was aimed at providing emergency skills to those interested in using such training in their respective Fire and Ambulance Departments. There were 70 people, representing 14 cities and town.
Those attending from Blanco were Joyce Koch, Nadine Fischer, Merlene Weir, Juanita Smith, Ray Johnson and Arlin Dowdy. The Blanco group registered under the name of the recently formed ambulance corps, “The Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps.” All six trainees attended all five nights of classes and completed the test given on Friday night. Those passing all requirements will receive a certificate and will be registered with the state. Registration will allow the person to ride as attendant in the Ambulance.
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