Four Long time members sat down with South Connellsville Volunteer Fire Company (SCVFC) president Don Ringer to recall their years with the organization. Each has been a proud member of SCVFC for over 60 years.
In those days the young men of the Borough could not join until they were 21 years old.
Each of those men have held several offices with the company over their six decades of volunteer service.
John S. (Jack) Tressler joined in 1948, his father Albert A. Tressler was the first SCVFC president and held that position for thirty years.
Roy Banks and Don Burke are both 64 year members. Robert Beatty Jr. Has been the Company Chaplin for 44 years. They each have been in the company for more than half of its 100 years.
A 1914 Chemical Wagon was the first piece of equipment owned by the company. It had kerosene lanterns and is on display today at the fire house.
Canisters carried baking soda and water, a vial was filled with sulphuric acid, when they were all mixed together there was an immediate chemical reaction for fire fighting.
These gentleman recall many events including March of Dimes fundraisers in the 1950s, dances in the old “Big Top” hall before the present fire station was built in 1956, and year’s of bingo games.
An important part of the History of the SCVFC was the Free ambulance service, started in 1941, which served many area communities including Connellsville, Morrell, Indian Head Normalville, , Dawson, Vanderbilt, Liberty and most of Southwestern Pennsylvania. There was no charge to be transported, just a goodwill offering when possible.
The first ambulance purchased was a straight eight 1934 Buick that took two men and a boy to lift the hood, according to this group, they bought it from a undertaker in Pittsburgh. A 1946 Cadillac came after that, then a 1951 Cadillac followed by a 1954 Cadillac, then a 1959 Cadillac. They were all bought new. A 1963 Buick was followed by a 1967 Cadillac.
Ambulances in 1956 
Ambulances and Mack Truck in 1971 
Arrival of the 1959 Cadillac Ambulance
“We liked the Cadillac because it was the only manufacturer that built commercial chassis heavy enough to carry three to four plus the patient. When we needed to buy a new ambulance we put on a drive asking the public for help. I typed up hundreds of of donation request letters using the city directory for addresses. Often the drives were so successful we had to call them off because we didn’t need any more money,” said Beatty Jr.
The decision to start a free ambulance came as a result of injuries of one of the Flynn boys when he fell out of a tree in South Connellsville, breaking his leg. The Connellsville police ambulance wanted $25 to come out and take him to the hospital. That was alot of money and the boy didn’t have the money, so the SCVFC put the $25 up.
Albert A. Tressler, was the president, he was educated and very outspoken. At the next firemen’s meeting, he announced that never again would a citizen from South Connellsville have to pay for a ride from South Connellsville to the hospital.
“We’ll buy an ambulance and we’ll offer it free to the citizens of South Connellsville,” he said. This group of long time firemen went on ambulance runs for many years including trips that included Washington DC, Richmond, VA, Pittsburgh and others.
Area doctors including Dr. Soxman and Dr. Forejt were honorary members of SCVFC and come in and teach ambulance crews how to handle situations.
The ambulance service disbanded in the early 1980s when the state came out with mandates and requirements that made it impossible to continue operating.
SWPA History 