The San Francisco call., 1908-07-26
FOR THE VOLUNTEER
EMERGENCY SERVICE
Major D'Evelyn in Charge of
Organization of Branch
for California
Work to Be Conducted Along
Military Lines of Three
Distinct Corps

Headquarters for the organization Of
a California branch of the National
volunteer emergency service have been
opened in this city in the Central build
ing at Polk and Sutter streets, with
Major Frederick w. D'Evelyn in charge
as organizing officer. The service re-
Gently has been reorganized, with Prof.
lanes Evelyn Pitcher, editor of the
Military Surgeon, as director general,
and a campaign of expansion through
out the United States has been begun.
The work of the service is to be con-
Quoted along military lines through
three distinct branches, lncludlng
first aid corps, public health corps
and a medical corps, the latter consist
ing of physicians. The first ala corps
will include a membership of both men
and women, organized into brigade
for each state. with regimental, bat
TALON. company and unit subdivisions
under command of cadet officers IN
various communities. This corps is eN-
pected to constitute the bulk OF the
service, and its object Will be 10 tram
its members in first aid duties IN elner-
gency cases. ranging from the slmplest
household accidents to the demands OF
great disasters.
1t is hoped in time to have one or
more companies of the first aid corps in
every town and village of the country
and to provide every community ana
neighborhood with facilities for quickly
transporting sick and injured persons
TO their homes or to hospitals. AmDu-
lances, wheeled litters and hand htters
are TO be provided for use under the
supervision of members of the service.
HEALTH CORPS TO AID
The public health corps will work in
connection with the first aid branch OF
the service, conducting an educational
campaign by means of literature and
lectures on all subjects pertaining to
public health, systematic aid and relief
work and sanitation. 1t will also pro-
vide instruction in the prevention and
control of infectious and contagious
diseases and epidemics and will inquire
/ into and make recommendations con-
| cerning the safeguarding of life in pub
/ lie buildings and institutions.
The insignia of the service consists
of plain gold cross of the Swiss pat
! tern suspended from a red and white
ribbon and a lapel button of blue and
white bearing an embossed golden
| cross. The organization is to be sup
ported by a general and a beneficiary
fund, the former consisting of money
/ received for dues, fees and subscrip-
tions. The beneficiary fund will in
clude all Contributions from the gen.
eral public, and it is the intention to
maintain it at a figure not less than
! 81 600, 900, invested in government
bonds. which shall be convertible into
cash and available for use only in the
event of war or disaster of national
/ scope.
The advisory council of the service
! includes the president and the vice
president of the United States; the gov
ernors Of the several states; Cardinal
Gibbons; Clark Bell, president of the
! Medico-Legal society of New York
/ President Reed of Dickinson college
J. n. McClintock, president of the
American water publication company
J Samuel Clemens; Professor Kimura OF
/ the Imperial naval college, Yokyo; Prof
| Kong, imperial commissioner of Singa-
pore; Lewis S. Pitcher, editor Annals OF
/ Surgery; p. B. Porter, secretary of the
! Medical association of Greater New
York; Colonel Ryerson, director of the
Ambulance association of Canada;
Bishop Greer of New York and Lionel
| Sutro Of New York