â Jon Caudill
A: For emergency transport of the sick and injured, there were only two ambulances available in the county in 1953. In the eastern part of Cecil, the Singerly Fire Company ambulance served a large region, while the Maryland State Police Barrack at Conowingo operated a unit along the Susquehanna. Concerned about the availability of emergency service, merchants and people in North East donated money to the town, enabling the Mayor and Commissioners to acquire a combination police cruiser and ambulance in 1953. And on a June day of that year, Officer Otis Ferguson started patrolling the town, keeping an eye on things. But if a medical emergency occurred, he was right there to provide transport to Union Hospital or some other hospital. Three years later, the North East Fire Company bought a Buick ambulance and took over responsibility for providing emergency medical transport in the North East area.