Press "Enter" to skip to content

MVRS marks a half century of service this year

The Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad was organized in May 1968 by 40 Mathews County residents.

Before that time, all medical transports were handled by private vehicles or a funeral home hearse, and pre-hospital care was provided by county physicians. The following information was taken from a history compiled by Lindy Hatch.

The early years

Guided by the first board of directors—Chairman Wallace Twigg Sr., Robert Orrell, Edward Kobylinski, Janice Payne and Richard Whitney—MVRS held Red Cross first aid classes at the Mathews Woman’s Club, and an Oldsmobile station wagon with first aid supplies was housed at Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home. The station wagon, “fully equipped” as an ambulance, operated in conjunction with the hearse driven by funeral home personnel.

A fund drive was launched that first year to raise $30,000 to purchase two ambulances at a total cost of $12,000 and to construct a squad building at a cost of $18,000. The yearly operating budget...

To view the rest of this article, you must log in. If you do not have an account with us, please subscribe here.