WCAA Patch
Warwick Community Ambulance Association
Paramedic Spinning a Star of Life
It was in January, 1956 that the idea originated for a community ambulance service in Lititz, PA.  By June of that year, the American Business Club of Lititz took on the sponsorship of the Warwick Community Ambulance and the Warwick Ambulance Drivers Association was formed to operate it.

The first ambulance was loaned to the club and housed in a garage at no charge.  Within 6 months, 850 families had signed up for membership and the ambulance had responded to 70 calls.  By the end of 1956, the AMBUCS had acquired their own ambulance, a 1954 Cadillac.

In August 1957, a tract of land was purchased to house the new ambulance, and with the help of many caring community members a brick, two vehicle garage was erected in 1958.  The garage was paid for the same year.

In 1960 the Club purchased a brand new ambulance - a 1960 Cadillac.  The price was $14,000 and it was fully paid by 1962.  The organization replaced it's ambulances on a regular basis and by 1975, it was obvious that a second ambulance was needed due to the population growth in the area.

In 1979, the American Business Club purchased the old Lititz Borough garage located across North Lane from the original garage.  The purchase price was $23,000 and it was remodeled to accommodate the expanded services required by the community.  This building was later expanded to allow sleeping quarters and a kitchen for the volunteers.

The physical changes to Warwick Community Ambulance are obvious to anyone who has lived in Lititz or the surrounding area.  It is the changes in Emergency Medicine, however, that have had the largest effect on the organization.  In the beginning the only requirements were a valid driver's license and a wish to serve the community.

By 1963, the drivers were trained in First Aid.  Today, the minimum required is a course in Emergency Response and many of our members are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians.  In addition to the time the volunteers give to respond to the calls, they are required to keep their training up to date and learn new skills, such as the AED. 

The additional requirements have taken a toll on the number of new folks who volunteer at Warwick and every other ambulance association.  We have been fortunate to be joined by an excellent paid staff, but continue to look for caring volunteers.

In 1999, we added a Wheelchair Van to our fleet and a wonderful group of new volunteers joined the organization.  Routine transports in the van have become an important part of the service we offer to Lititz Borough, Warwick Township and a portion of Penn Township.

May, 2003 was the start of another new service from Warwick Community Ambulance.   As a Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance, we have cared for and transported patients.  In recent years, the changes in dispatching emergency services have increased the use of Advanced Life Support (ALS) Ambulances dramatically.  Although we have had excellent ALS units serving us, they came in from other communities as needed.  We felt it was time for Warwick Community Ambulance to add our own ALS service.  The ALS service has been busy since day one.

April of 2004 saw another innovation by Warwick Community Ambulance. One of our ALS providers attended a class in Pottstown called Multi-Lead Medics by internationally known instructor and author,Bob Page. Warwick Community Ambulance sponsored a class in April of 2004 and Bob has been back to this region each year since.

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