Timeline of Box 21 Rescue Squad

BOX21RESCUE.ORG
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HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1935	Box 21 is founded by eight fire buffs who hang-out at Dayton Fire Station 13 at Third and Euclid. Original members: Pete Barber, Don Barber, George Barber. Ear; Seippel, Ralph Spitler, Elmer Lam, Bill Yoder, Paul Unger. Members successfully collect funds door-to-door to purchase two-way radios for Dayton Fire Chiefs’ cars. M.P. “Pete” Barber is chief.
1936	Earl B. Seippel becomes chief.
1937 12/11	Members take a boat to Cincinnati to assist at the flood and provide fire watch around flooded buildings. Box 21 responds to its first big fire as a club, the Shartzer Company on E. Monument St. Food and drink is provided to firefighters at Box 21 expense by a restaurant. The group must borrow money to pay the charge.
1940	Box 21 members assist at a fire at the Sorg Paper company in Middletown, Ohio.
1941	Earl Seippel goes to war. Ralph Spitler becomes chief.
1942	M.J. “Bud” Steuer becomes chief.
1945	Aluminum canteen and equipment trailer which carries first aid equipment to treat “everything from a splinter to a broken back” is in service as are several boats.
1947 02/28	Box 21 members respond to and assist Dayton firefighters at a three alarm fire at the Woolworth Company, 21-23 S. Main St.
1948 01/11	A second trailer, for generator and lights is in service. Box 21 members respond and assist at a three alarm fire at the City Garage, Sears and Ford Streets.
1949	Unit #4, a 1935 Chevrolet milk truck is in service as a canteen and equipment truck. A 1939 LaSalle hearse has been donated to the group and work is begun to convert it to a rescue truck. 22 alarms are answered.
1950 01/06 11/26	LaSalle rescue unit is in service. Members assist DFD at Virginia Cafeteria fire downtown. Members assist city workers for three days during a blizzard.
1951	Box 21 receives a new boat during “Remember Others Week” from the American Hellemi Educational Progressive Association. 22 inhalator calls are answered.
1953	A new Chevrolet rescue truck, especially built for Box 21 is put into service.
1954 03/03/54	New International canteen and salvage unit is put into service (this truck will remain in service until 1969). Mayor and City Commission issue a “Resolution of Appreciation” to Box 21.
1955	Ed Powers is chief.
1957	Box 21 leases headquarters at Island Park.
1958	Island Park headquarters are occupied. A Chevrolet rescue and lighting unit, marked “Power Unit” is put into service. The truck body, built by Devers in Trotwood is new; the chassis is from an old beer truck. 1950 Lasalle is retired.
1960	Box 21’s 25th Anniversary is celebrated by an open house and display at Island Park called “Safety Sunday.” Two Box 21 members own and operate station wagon ambulances.
1961	Box 21’s first ambulance, a 1951 Cadillac with standard shift is donated and put into service. A description of “Chest Massage” (what is now the compression phase of CPR) is Published in the Box 21 annual report. 1962 A new chassis replaces the beer truck chassis under the “Power Unit.” Evening standby at headquarters is begun. 53 Chevy Rescue Truck is retired.
1964	Box 21 orders its first new ambulance from Automotive Conversions of Troy, Michigan. The vehicle is a one-ton Chevrolet panel truck which is custom-converted. Box 21 members recover a murder gun from a lake in Kentucky for the F.B.I. Ted Howell is elected chief.
1965 02/06	The new ambulance is put into service in June. A new 1965 Chevrolet (Devers Body) is put into service in July. The Miami Valley Marine Trades Association donates Boat 6. James Shook Unit 242, the only member of Box 21 to die in the line of duty, collapses at a fire of a heart attack.
1966	Box 21 associates itself with Barney Children’s Hospital for ambulance runs. Members assist DFD at multiple alarm fire at the Kravitz Bag Co.
1967	Box 21 purchases a portable incubator and begins transporting newborn infants for Barney Children’s Hospital.
1968 04/06 06/23	An explosion tears apart a city block in Richmond, Ind. Box 21 members respond and spend a week at relief efforts. Dramatic water rescue is made by Box 21 members at the Hydraulic Dam in West Carrollton – Seven live, three die. Final recovery is made eight days later.
1969	New Chevrolet Step-van is purchased for use as a canteen truck. The 1964 ambulance is destroyed in an accident during a Children’s Medical Center run to Greenville. A 1969 Superior Cadillac is purchased to replace the one destroyed. Box 21 re-incorporates under the name “Box 21 Rescue Squad, Inc.” (formerly, “Box 21 Associates, Inc.”)
1970	A new “intensive care unit” ambulance is ordered. 15 members begin what is to become paramedic training. The training is held at Good Samaritan Hospital, and no publicity is permitted. Box 21 receives the International Rescue and First Aid Association’s “Julian Wise” Award for it’s 1968 water rescue.
1971	The “intensive care” ambulance, a 1971 Swab Wagon Chevrolet is put into service. This is the first orange and white ambulance and the first modular ambulance in Montgomery County. Members assist a three extra-alarm fires.
1972	The first paramedics (nearly all Box 21 members) are graduated. Box 21 establishes the following area firsts: Life Pak II cardiac monitor/defibrillator used, first ambulance-to-hospital radio link, and first Hurst Rescue Tool in service. Virginia Price, Box 21 dispatcher, is awarded “Ten Top Women Award” by the Dayton Daily News. Box 21 equipment is changed from red to orange and white.
1973	Boat 206 is purchased as a direct result of the drowning of a Miamisburg firefighter in a rescue attempt at a low dam. The boat is immediately used in the recovery effort. A second intensive care ambulance is ordered.
1974 04/04	Box 21 members respond to Xenia, Ohio following a devastating tornado and assist in relief work for several days. The Hydroglobe rescue system is developed and used for the first time with 206 as its nucleus. New ambulance, 1974 Horton-Ford is put in service.
1975	Box 21 celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a parade through downtown and a party at headquarters. A new rescue truck, Unit 201, 1975 Super Vac/Ford is put into service. A 1975 Ford chassis replaces the 1971 chassis under the original intensive care ambulance.
1976	Box 21 begins to respond to environmental emergencies (HazMat) with the County Health District. EMS is provided at the first River Festival on Riverview at Main St.
1977	Bill Greger becomes Box 21 chief. River Festival moves to Island Park and Box 21 provides EMS, water safety, and free blood pressure checks. The second floor of Box 21 Headquarters is refinished.
1978	New alerting system with pagers is put into service. Box 21 members with 204 and 206 travel to Willow Grove, PA. To attend 40th Anniversary of Second Alarmers Rescue Squad. 01/26 – twenty-nine Box 21 members provide various types of relief during a severe blizzard. An emergency medical station is set up in hard-hit Phillipsburg, Ohio. 12/11 – Members assist DFD at multi-alarm Farnbacher Toy Company fire on S. Ludlow Street.
1979	Truck 202, a 1968 Dodge Power Wagon is obtained from Dayton International Airport for use as a rescue truck. The 1969 Cadillac ambulance is sold to Good Samaritan Hospital. 04/02 – Box 21 members use all their skills and equipment at a fire at the City Jail.
1980	A 1980 Ford-Wheeled Coach ambulance is put into service to replace the 1971ambulance on 1975 chassis. The old ambulance is sold to an Indiana group just starting-up. County Health discontinues environmental emergency response.
1981 01/31	Mercy flight by Box 21 members into the upper peninsula of Michigan (Hancock County). ResQdek is purchased with a grant from the United Way.
1982 01/10 11/26	F.O.P. Lodge 104 (Montgomery County) donates four new resuscitators to Box 21. Box 21 purchases a Life Pak V monitor/defibrillator. Children’s Medical Center purchases two ambulances, and Box 21 is no longer primarily responsible for CMC transports. Box 21 assists Randolph Township Fire Department at a multiple-alarm dwelling fire (fatal to one resident) on Kimmel Road in sub-zero temperatures. Box 21 provides lighting for Kettering and Huber Heights SHAT teams at a fourteen hour stand-off with a murder suspect on Annabelle Lane in Kettering.
1983 11/23/83	Box 21 purchases a truck to use for water rescue (1971 Chevrolet Kurbmaster formerly used by Frito-Lay) as a direct result of a dive rescue attempt for three victims on 01/01 on Whipp Road in Kettering. Ambulance 208, a Horton MR/10 is purchased for use at special event. A mercy flight to London, Ontario, jointly sponsored by Box 21 and the Firefighters Union begins a relationship with members of London’s St. John Ambulance Brigade. Box 21 members assist DFD at general alarm fire at the Travel Master Motel, First and Perry Streets (fatal to one).
1984 03/04	A 500 psi air compressor and four-bottle cascade system are put into service as the result of the donation by a single individual. Truck 207, Water Rescue and Air Cascade Unit is put into service and becomes the focal point for the dive rescue team. Box 21 disposes of its aluminum boats (some as old as 30 years) and purchases two Achilles inflatables. Box 21 flies a Dayton resident who was a victim of a heart attack and stroke home from Sebastian, Florida.
1985	Dayton Hydrobowl was host to both the national Stock and Modified Outboard Races and the National Inboard Hydroplanes in 1985. (This the third time this dual event has occurred in Dayton, 1981 and 1983 are the others.) Box 21 spent many hours at these events, providing EMS and injured drivers recovery services.
1986 02/17	David M. Dill became President/Chief. Assist Randolph Township on I-70 at the Stillwater River when semi-truck went into river, 9 hours, rescue and canteen.
1987	Peter Snyder was elected President/Chief. Constitution amended to separate Administrative and Operation functions. Box 21 started doing the removal of injured race boat drivers at the APBA boat races on a trial basis.
1988	Peter Snyder was elected Chief of Operations. Douglas Coppess was elected President.
1989	Douglas Wagner was elected Chief of Operations. William Wentling was elected President. Members donated in excess of 10,000 hours on activities of Box 21.
1990	Old Truck 202, a 1968 Dodge 4x4 was retired and replaced with a Dodge 4x4 Canadian Military vehicle. It is equipped as an off road Rescue and Lighting Truck.
1991	New Dive/Rescue Truck put in service.
1992	Ralph Wilhelm elected Chief of Operations.
1993	Barbara Fletcher was elected President.
1994	Constitution revised to allow associate and district members to hold administrative office and to enable active members more available time with operational duties. E.H. Howard elected President; Bill Greger, Vice President; Karen Beavers, Corporate Secretary; Pat Turell, Treasurer. New Rehab unit put in service. First official duty was as support vehicle for Ku Klux Klan rally at Court House Square.
1995	Mickey Retman elected Chief of Operations. Box 21 with a grant from Iams Pet Food starts K-9 program Box 21 is granted a license to operate Bingo to raise funds.
1996	Four scuba divers drysuits are acquired.
1997	Karen Beavers elected President. Gumby suit acquired for Ice Rescue. Box 21 provides rehab for all law enforcement, F.B.I and Secret Service on two separate presidential details during the year. Donates old canteen truck to Dayton Fire Department.
1998	Truck 1902 with funds from Bingo is outfitted with new 12KW generator and 4 light 6000-watt candlepower rack light tower.
1999	Missing girl in Kettering makes national news. Box 21 assists in rehab and water rescue. Cincinnati Tornado touchdown, Box 21 took a team of 6, 1902 rescue and light truck, stayed for 2 days assisting rescue teams. Box 21 Rescue Squad starts building the new 1901 Heavy Rescue and Light truck at Devers Trucks.
2000	New Heavy Rescue & Light Truck Unit #201 put into service and Nicknamed "RESCUE 21"
2001	Box21Rescue.org is launched
2002	New 1901 is put into service. Old 1901 is retired and sold. New Pickup Truck is purchased and put into service to tow boats, help on supply runs and ferry members to scenes.
2003 8/31	The last concert at Dayton's Memorial hall featuring County Music Star Larry Gatlin is held. All proceeds benefiting Box 21 Rescue Squad
2004	Lisa Sorrell elected Chief of Operations - First female to hold office of Chief. Mickey Retman elected Deputy Chief of Operations