{"id":8809,"date":"2025-04-11T06:07:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T10:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/?p=8809"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:27:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:27:41","slug":"guilford-ambulance-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/guilford-ambulance-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8817\" src=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-04-11-guilford2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-04-11-guilford2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-04-11-guilford2-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-04-11-guilford2-730x437.jpg 730w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Presenting research notes on ambulance, rescue, and EMS history in Greensboro and Guilford County.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1BAYDORxkuZfHESLwMKYvLPrB-Bt4iaAo?usp=drive_link\">See Google drive of source articles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legeros.com\/history\/ems\/guilford\/research-notes.pdf\">Read research notes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Timeline<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-History<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1910 &#8211; First ambulance was a horse-drawn unit, operated from 1910 to 1915. Sold to a woman&#8217;s group, likely the Greensboro Ambulance Association. They mounted the carriage on a truck and donated it to the fire department. The ambulance was housed at the fire station for a year, but rarely ran calls and was removed, or so the story was remembered decades later.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1918 &#8211; By that time, the first funeral home ambulances were operating.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1940 to 1959<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1940 &#8211; Snapshot. Funeral homes with ambulance services listed in Hill City Directory: <strong>Forbis &amp; Murray<\/strong>, <strong>Hanes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>1944 &#8211; Greensboro FD placed first rescue truck in service. Later received a resuscitator and related equipment. They were also equipped with an iron lung.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1947 &#8211;<strong> Greensboro Life Saving and First Aid Crew<\/strong> organized. The GFD rescue truck was transferred to them.<\/li>\n<li>1950 &#8211; Life Saving Crew received new rescue truck, a panel van. By that time they also had two boats and trailer and about 40 volunteers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1952 &#8211; First iteration of the<strong> High Point Rescue Squad<\/strong> organized by the High Point Fishing Club. Created as a water rescue group. Operated until at least 1958.<\/li>\n<li>1958 &#8211; City council approved the city taking over the Life Saving Crew. The private volunteer organization had asked the city to take over its assets due to financial troubles.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1959 &#8211; <strong>Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home<\/strong> started operating a rescue unit. They were the only ambulance service in the city that provided additional rescue services.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1960 to 1969<\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1960 &#8211; Snapshot. Funeral homes with ambulance services listed in Hill City Directory: <strong>Forbis &amp; Dick<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Hanes-Lineberry<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Hargett<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Lambeth-Troxler<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Murray<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1960 &#8211; <strong>Greensboro-Guilford County Rescue Squad<\/strong> created as either physical entity or just the name that appeared on new rescue trucks operated by the fire department. The GFD rescue units were also called the <strong>Greensboro Rescue Squad<\/strong>. Two rescue trucks (panel van and station wagon) were placed in service in 1960.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1962 &#8211; GFD added third rescue truck, heavy rescue squad lettered for Civil Defense Rescue Service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1966 &#8211;<strong> Fryar Ambulance Service<\/strong> started in Gibsonville.<\/li>\n<li>1966 &#8211; Nineteen funeral homes in Greensboro, Guilford County, and High Point notified city and county officials that each planned to discontinue ambulance service no later than September 30.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1966 &#8211; <strong>Ambulance Service of Guilford County, Inc<\/strong>., started operating on October 1. The private company had five ambulances in Greensboro, three ambulances in High Point.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1967 &#8211; ASGC asked county officials for financial help, due to unpaid bills. Resulted in new two-year contract and $18,000 loan from county.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1968 &#8211; ASGC employees staged a walk-out over service complaints. Later that year, they conducted a strike over wages, working conditions, and poor conditions of the ambulances and equipment.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1969 &#8211; County assumed control of ambulance service. <strong>Guilford County Ambulance Service<\/strong> began operating with the employees and equipment of the former private company. They also assumed the company&#8217;s debt. They had two bases: Greensboro and High Point.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1969 &#8211; County ambulance service renamed <strong>Guilford County Emergency Transportation Service<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1970 to 1979<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>197? &#8211; GCETS added third ambulance base in the rear of the juvenile detention facility on Wendover Avenue at Meadowood in Greensboro.<\/li>\n<li>1971 &#8211; Second iteration of <strong>High Point Rescue Squad<\/strong> created. Formed by members of the High Point CB Volunteer Patrol, which organized one year earlier.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1975 &#8211; Snapshot. High Point Rescue Squad had two ambulances, a personnel carrier, a crash truck, a lighting truck, and two boats. They have 25 members.<\/li>\n<li>1975 &#8211; <strong>Brooke Funeral Home<\/strong> in Stokesdale stopped ambulance service.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1975 &#8211; GCETS added fourth ambulance base at the airport fire station, to cover Summerfield and Stokesdale areas.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1977 &#8211; GFD added three new rescue trucks. The maxi-pumpers called QRVs and later squads replaced two older rescue trucks.<\/li>\n<li>1977 &#8211; GFD added their first Hurst tools.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1977 &#8211; GCETS implemented a mobile intensive care program that includes highly-trained new Mobile Intensive Care Technicians and telemetry transmitting vital signs to hospitals.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; Fryar Ambulance Service operating by this time in eastern Guilford County and subsidized by county.<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; GCETS renamed <strong>Guilford County Emergency Medical Services<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; GCEMS started referring most non-emergency calls to private operators.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; GCEMS added first quick-response Medic unit.<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; HPRS added a convalescent ambulance and started answering referred non-emergency calls from county.<\/li>\n<li>1979 &#8211; HPRS added a substation in Greensboro.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>County Fire Department Rescue Trucks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During the 1970s and earlier, the first rescue trucks were added at county fire departments, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Guilford College (by 1970)<\/li>\n<li>Fire District 13 (1976)<\/li>\n<li>Pleasant Garden (by 1973)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also, Guilford County Fire Department added a disaster\/rescue truck in 1974\/75.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>1980 to 1989<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1980 &#8211; HPRS moved into new headquarters on South Elm Street.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1980 &#8211; GCEMS added second Medic unit in Four Oaks community.<\/li>\n<li>1982 &#8211; GCEMS added third and fourth medic units in McLeansville and Jamestown.<\/li>\n<li>1982 &#8211; GCEMS Base 3 relocated to new county emergency services building on Meadowood Street.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1984 &#8211; Fryar Ambulance Service ceased operation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1987 &#8211; GCEMS added fifth medic unit in Brown Summit.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1990 to 1999<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1994 &#8211; GCEMS opened fifth ambulance base on Fernwood Drive.<\/li>\n<li>1998 &#8211; HPRS renamed <strong>Piedmont Triad Ambulance &amp; Rescue, Inc.<\/strong> The privately operated non-profit agency responded to mostly non-emergency calls and operated eight ambulances in Greensboro, three in High Point, and one in Asheboro.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>1999 &#8211; GCEMS opened sixth ambulance base on Concord Street. It&#8217;s co-located with PTAR.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2000 to Present<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2003 &#8211; GCEMS ambulance added in High Point at Fire Station 13.<\/li>\n<li>2007 &#8211; PTAR opened additional base station in Colfax.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-animation=\"no-animation\" data-icons-animation=\"no-animation\" data-overlay=\"on\" data-change-size=\"\" data-button-size=\"0.7\" style=\"font-size:0.7em!important;display:none;\" class=\"supsystic-social-sharing supsystic-social-sharing-package-flat supsystic-social-sharing-content supsystic-social-sharing-content-align-left\" data-text=\"\"><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u={url}\" data-nid=\"1\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-facebook\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F&text=Greensboro+and+Guilford+County+Ambulance+and+Rescue+History\" data-main-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url={url}&text={title}\" data-nid=\"2\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-twitter\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F&description=Greensboro+and+Guilford+County+Ambulance+and+Rescue+History\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url={url}&description={title}\" data-nid=\"7\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-pinterest\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Presenting research notes on ambulance, rescue, and EMS history in Greensboro and Guilford County. See Google drive of source articles. Read research notes. Timeline Pre-History 1910 &#8211; First ambulance was a horse-drawn unit, operated from 1910 to 1915. Sold to a woman&#8217;s group, likely the Greensboro Ambulance Association. They mounted the carriage on a truck &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/guilford-ambulance-history\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading &lsquo;Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History&rsquo; &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<div data-animation=\"no-animation\" data-icons-animation=\"no-animation\" data-overlay=\"on\" data-change-size=\"\" data-button-size=\"0.7\" style=\"font-size:0.7em!important;display:none;\" class=\"supsystic-social-sharing supsystic-social-sharing-package-flat supsystic-social-sharing-content supsystic-social-sharing-content-align-left\" data-text=\"\"><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u={url}\" data-nid=\"1\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-facebook\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F&text=Greensboro+and+Guilford+County+Ambulance+and+Rescue+History\" data-main-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url={url}&text={title}\" data-nid=\"2\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-twitter\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><a data-networks=\"[]\" class=\"social-sharing-button sharer-flat sharer-flat-8 counter-standard without-counter pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Pinterest\" href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flegeros.com%2Fblog%2Fguilford-ambulance-history%2F&description=Greensboro+and+Guilford+County+Ambulance+and+Rescue+History\" data-main-href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/link\/?url={url}&description={title}\" data-nid=\"7\" data-name=\"\" data-pid=\"1\" data-post-id=\"8809\" data-url=\"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php\" data-description=\"Greensboro and Guilford County Ambulance and Rescue History\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-mailto=\"\"><i class=\"fa-ssbs fa-ssbs-fw fa-ssbs-pinterest\"><span>Share<\/span><\/i><div class=\"counter-wrap standard\"><span class=\"counter\">0<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,3,24],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8809"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9792,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8809\/revisions\/9792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legeros.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}