Evening star., 1947-02-28

began to ring Some one picked
up the telephone. A man out near
Norbeck was critically Ill.
Then the siren farther down the
street walled its urgent call. In a
few minutes men came running
down the sidewalks of Bethesda and
toward the little garage behind a
woman's apparel store.
Within seconds they were man
ming the ambulance and the truck.
A roar of motors, the scream of
sirens and they cleared the garage
with a roar of power.
The Bethesda Chevy Chase Res
cue Squad, also known as the First
Aid Corps, was en- route to save an
other life.
Driving at high speed over the
icy roads, the ambulance and the
truck swirled about corners and shot
down the straight-aways. Pedes-
trians and other cars scattered to
either side.
Almost at the destination, there
came an ominous humping from the
rear of the ambulance. The driver
halted the vehicle. A tire was fiat.
The crew waved the other truck on
as they shed overcoats and pre-
pared to change the tire.
The squads troubles were not
oveE When they finally reached
theMttle shack where a man was
In MAt senaawdfld between life and
death, the snow was drifted too
deep for the heavy truck to move.
The men piled out and raced sew
eral hundred yards through the
snow to the house. Several of the
men gave him emergency treat
nhent even as others were strapping
him to crash basket" atop a pri-
vate car. Within minutes they were
carrying him back through the snow
and to the truck.
The sirens walled again, and the
squad was off to Suburban Hospital,
Bethesda, with the most precious of
cargoes-a human 1ife-which prob
ably would have flickered out were
it not for the energy and determina-
ton of the rescue workers.
The "a volunteers of this squad
hope soon to have permanent
headquarters. When they move in
they want a motto over the en-
trance which will read something
like this:
death Shall Not Have Them"
This is the creed under which
the group Of young men (the aver
age age is 2D operates. All Of them
employed in Bethesda, they man the
squads two ambulances and one
truck without compensation.
The squad is independent Of all
county support, relying on indi-
vidual contributions to keep going.
The Bethesda Civitan Club donated
$4,000 toward its ambulance.
Officials of the squad say It is
the only one in Montgomery County
and perhaps in the State which
operates independent of fire de-
partment. There are fire depart
ments in both Bethesda and Chevy
Chase but neither has a rescue
squad.
Sometimes I don't get home for
two or three says" said one of the
men, looking up from his bunk in
the small back room of the garage.
In the middle OF night when most
people are asleep these men may
be called upon to do their hardest
work. When word comes that there
is trouble somewhere they jump
out Of bed, man their vehicles, and
start them wailing along the roads
Of a hushed community.
This month they used four tanks
of costly oxygen in vain attempt
to revive wounded war veteran
who had turned on the burners OF
his kitchen stove. The veteran had
penned note to his father as he
was inhaling gas fumes.
Persons who attempt suicide usu-
ally don't say much when we sue
ceed in reviving them," said one
Of the squad men. "They seem
confused and ashamed and don't
want us to tell anybody about it."
| The squads equipment includes
powerful searchlights, special feam
fire fighting devices, acetylene
torches for cutting through steel
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