In today’s day and age, a half-century is a huge milestone for any emergency services operation.

Originally founded on June 30, 1973, the Mahoning Valley Ambulance Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The organization plans to commemorate the milestone by holding special events today and Saturday at its site at 902 Mill Road.

A special bingo will be held today at 6 p.m. - the date of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

That will be followed by a basket raffle at noon on Saturday. There will be a Shop and Drop from noon to 4:30 p.m. Winners will be drawn at 5:30 p.m. (do not need to be present to win); and 50/50 drawings are at 2 and 4:30 p.m. (must be present to win the 50/50).

The kitchen will be open serving food. And the 1972 Cadillac ambulance will be available for viewing during the hours of the raffle.

Tickets will be for sale at the door.

Founders

Of the initial seven, Robert Miller, treasurer, is one of two remaining founders living. The other is Tom McCartney, who currently lives in Nevada.

“We went through a lot of different changes over the years,” Miller said. “We basically went from a Cadillac to a paid crew now.”

Miller said the original building was on site from 1973 until it was ripped down in 1995, and the current ambulance building was constructed later that year.

Miller said the association made the transition from volunteer only to paid staff in 2017.

As he looked back, Miller said he’s proud of the fact that the organization has made it this far.

“That’s something these days,” he said. “Last year, we were just about at the bottom.”

Things recently began to take a change for the better, according to Paul Waddell Jr., director of operations.

“We consolidated resources which included withdrawing from Weatherly and surrounding townships,” Waddell said. “Through consolidating these resources, we’ve been able to become solvent to better serve Mahoning Township and surrounding areas. Through insurance and donations from the community, we’ve been able to move forward pretty well.”

History

Waddell noted that a half-century in operation is a huge achievement for the organization.

“Celebrating 50 years in service is a big milestone for us as most smaller rural BLS services weren’t able to reach that milestone due to a multitude of reasons,” Waddell said.

Waddell explained how the organization changed over time.

“The organization was able to thrive in it’s early years by being fully staffed and run by volunteers,” he said. “Moving forward, the agency transitioned to a combination department of career and volunteer EMTs.”

However, Waddell was quick to credit the community for its current success.

“The organization has been able to overcome challenges and continue to grow largely in part to the community,” he said. “Without the support of the local residents, we wouldn’t have been able to reach this milestone.”

Waddell said the ambulance association has about 40 members.

He said anyone interested in joining as an employee may fill out the application. Stop by the station for an application.

Waddell said volunteers may also do the same, and should note that they do not wish to receive compensation.

The ambulance company can be reached at mahoningamb@gmail.com.