 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 27, 2007 Page 1 - of - 2  Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue, Inc. CONTACT: Paula Lineberry, PTAR Chief Email: lineberry747@northstate.net PHONE: 336-887-3411 PTAR Open House and Building Dedication Ceremony And 36th Anniversary Celebration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue, Inc. (PTAR) held an Open House and Building Dedication Ceremony at their new Base Station on Sunday, August 19, 2007. First chartered in August 1971, this is PTAR's 36th anniversary. Their new Base Station - their fourth in Guilford County - is located at 2011 Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax, N.C., near the River Landing Retirement Community. The location is in western Guilford County, near Interstate-40, in the fast-growing "Heart of the Triad" area. Their headquarters building is located at 901 South Elm Street in southern High Point. They also have Base Stations in northeast Greensboro at 600 Huffine Mill Road, and southwest Greensboro at 300 Concord Street.  Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue (PTAR) Held An Open House And Building Dedication Ceremony On August 19, 2007 At Their Newest Base Station At 2011 Sandy Ridge Road In Colfax, Near The River Landing Community. Formed in 1971 as the High Point Rescue Squad, PTAR is a private non-profit organization which provides all levels of emergency medical assistance, as well as rescue service, transportation for convalescents and wheelchair-bound patients, and "stand-by" service for special events in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina. PTAR routinely operates 15 ambulances in their local service area on a daily basis, with 12 being assigned throughout Guilford County, and the other 3 answering calls in Randolph County and Davidson County. In 2006, they responded to 26,471 calls for service. In addition, 3 of their ambulances are on-duty 24-hours-a-day to supplement County EMS resources. They currently staff all of their ambulances at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level with at least one State Certified EMT-Intermediate (EMT-I) crewmember on each ambulance.  Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue (PTAR) Held An Open House And Building Dedication Ceremony On August 19, 2007 At Their Newest Base Station At 2011 Sandy Ridge Road In Colfax, Near The River Landing Community. Although PTAR’s primary role is non-emergency response and scheduled transports, they often fill-in on emergency calls when they are closer than County EMS units. They also augment County EMS resources by responding to multiple casualty incidents and disasters, and are available to respond on emergency calls when no County EMS Paramedic units are available, operating under Guilford County Medical Control and adhering to the Guilford County EMS System protocols. PTAR's local service area includes High Point, Greensboro, Jamestown, Archdale, Trinity, Asheboro, Thomasville, Lexington, and other areas of Guilford, Davidson and Randolph counties. The organization also provides transportation outside its normal service area, including many out-of-state trips.  A PTAR ambulance responds on an emergency medical call from their newest Base Station at 2011 Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax. Photo Taken: August 17, 2007 The PTAR staff is comprised of roughly 70 full-time and part-time employees, including several office staff members, and about 25 Volunteers. They operate 20 ALS Licensed Ambulances, 1 Rescue Truck, 3 Boats, 1 Special Operations Trailer, 1 Wheelchair Van, 1 Emergency Support Vehicle, 3 Staff Vehicles, and a 6-wheel All-Terrain-Vehicle. PTAR Chief Paula Lineberry began the Open House and Dedication Ceremony by saying, "I would like to welcome each and every one of you here today, and thank you for coming out to celebrate our building dedication as well as our milestone of 36 years of service to the Piedmont Triad community."  Paula Lineberry, Chief of Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue (PTAR) She added, "We have become one of the largest transportation companies in the State of North Carolina, and we are very proud of that. We contribute this to the pride and dedication of our staff members and all who work for our company, as well as our Board of Directors. Many untold hours have gone into the planning of this building process - and we've seen it from the ground up - of this ambulance base which we call Base-9, or Piedmont Ambulance at Sandy Ridge." Chief Lineberry continued by saying, "Our Board of Directors in their vision of the future saw that there was a need for us to expand our services into this area, which is now referred to as the 'Heart of the Triad'. We have accomplished their dreams. Thanks for coming out and sharing the final product of their dreams." She then introduced Dean Wall, the Chaplain for the North Carolina Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services (NCAREMS), who gave an invocation prayer. He stated, "There is no better service than to serve our fellow man, and this organization - Piedmont Triad Ambulance & Rescue - is certainly fulfilling that position." Following the Pledge of Allegiance, Chief Lineberry introduced U.S. Congressman Howard Coble, who represents the Sixth District of North Carolina. She said, "His support of the Fire and EMS agencies around this area is tremendous. In the past he has been known to assist many of our patients that we've transported, that maybe didn't get their Medicare benefits and stuff, as they should. His office has assisted them to be able to collect the benefits that they deserve, and that they've paid for over the years. He has assisted many of the Fire Departments in our area to receive grant funding for much needed equipment." She added, "He's out there working for our community, folks, and this doesn't go unnoticed by us." Congressman Coble began by saying he was delighted to be at the PTAR Open House and Dedication Ceremony. He said, "I appreciate what you all do. I know of no group that is any more significantly important to our way of life than First Responders - firefighters, law enforcement people, ambulance and emergency rescue. I commend you for it."  (L-R) PTAR Chief Paula Lineberry and U.S. Congressman Howard Coble He continued by saying about PTAR's new Base Station building, "What a great structure this is. I know as you all extend your service to the communities of the Triad, it will be much better done from a facility such as this." Congressman Coble concluded by saying, "I'm delighted to be here, folks. And Chief, best wishes to you and your able staff. And I think it is very appropriately located in the County from which to serve this area... Thanks again to all of you for being here and, Chief, thank you for the invitation." Chief Lineberry said, "We just appreciate him taking time out of his busy schedule to be here. We welcome him here, and if we can do anything for you while you're here, let us know." She then introduced High Point City Councilman Latimer Alexander, who said, "On behalf of Mayor Smothers, who could not make it today, and my fellow City Council members, I want to first thank PTAR for all the service that you have given to the citizens of High Point for the 36 years. And we look forward, with you, to continuing that service to the citizens of the High Point area, and this regional area."  (L-R) PTAR President & Rescue Captain Dwight McDowell, PTAR Chief Paula Lineberry and High Point City Councilman Latimer Alexander Councilman Alexander added, "Many times we talk about regionalism and serving communities across boundary lines. You folks live it every day, and we appreciate it, and all of the citizens of the Triad are blessed for it. Thank you so much, and God bless you as you serve our citizens." Returning to the podium, Chief Lineberry said, "You are all here today supporting us in our new endeavor with this facility, and I feel that it is very important for you to know just a little bit about who we are, where we came from, and maybe where our dreams are going. We would not be here today had it not been for our founding fathers. We have prepared a short slide presentation that tells you just a tidbit about that, and to show you our humble beginnings, because there is a picture of where we started on there, and I want you to compare it to this facility."  When the High Point Rescue Squad was first chartered in August 1971, they housed their first truck in a member's back yard garage. She was referring to an old photo of the building that housed PTAR's first vehicle, which was an old single vehicle garage in the back yard of a charter member. PTAR's newest and largest Base Station - by comparison - consists of 10 bays where ambulances, rescue trucks, boats, etc. can be parked, and equipment can be stored. It also has a large kitchen area, a lounge area, several offices and sleeping areas, a laundry room and a large board room for meetings. Chief Lineberry went on to provide a brief history of PTAR, saying, "It all started on a Sunday afternoon in 1971. There was no facility for the Rescue Squad to stay in, so they organized the Rescue Squad in this workshop of one of our founding members." She added, "High Point Rescue Squad was chartered in August 1971." Having no equipment at the time, she said that the founders went to Raleigh and purchased several "worn out Army jeeps" to get started. Then, in 1972, they approached the High Point City Council to help in locating a building to house the Squad. The City Council allowed the Squad to use the old Fire Station #6 building on East Kearns Avenue. Showing a photo of that building, she said the Squad purchased two boats which were in the photo, and added, "We still have them. They still work."  In 1972 the High Point Rescue Squad moved into the old Fire Station #6 building on East Kearns Ave, where they stayed until they built a new headquarters building in 1980 During the year of 1972, the Squad answered 5 calls, according to Chief Lineberry. That same year, they purchased their first ambulance, which was a 1964 Pontiac station wagon. In 1973, Chief Lineberry said the Squad was up in call volume, answering 46 calls that year - a big jump over 1972. Then, in 1974, they purchased a 1973 Chevy van to be used for heavy rescue operations, and a 1968 3/4 ton Chevy truck to carry lighting equipment. They logged 100 calls that year. In 1975, they purchased 26 VHF radios to communicate with. They also purchased a 1968 Chevy carry-all type ambulance from the Horneytown Fire Department. Call volume that year totaled 220 calls. By 1976, the Squad had 22 volunteer members. They purchased telephone pagers, and two more VHF radios. Call volume for that year more than doubled, with the Squad responding on 573 calls. The following year, in 1977, the High Point Rescue Squad reached an important milestone when it was franchised by Guilford County to answer ambulance calls. They then purchased a brand new ambulance for $15,620 and their call volume almost doubled again, as they answered 916 calls. In 1978 they ran 1,307 calls, and began negotiations with the City of High Point for some land where a permanent home could be built for the Rescue Squad. That deal was finalized in the Spring of 1979 when the Rescue Squad purchased a parcel of land at the corner of South Elm Street and West Ward Avenue in southern High Point, for $12,300. Later, in September 1979, the Rescue Squad was approached by Guilford County Emergency Services Director Charles Porter to place an ambulance in Greensboro during daytime hours. Chief Lineberry said that the purpose of that request was to help the County out when they were overloaded with calls. She said that the Rescue Squad had already been providing similar service in High Point for several years. Also in September 1979, the Rescue Squad purchased another new ambulance for use in Greensboro, and placed it in service on October 01, 1979. It was used in the Greensboro area Monday-Friday during the daytime, and moved back to High Point each night. Chief Lineberry said that the Rescue Squad reached yet another milestone in 1979 when they obtained the certification level of Emergency Medical Technician- Intermediate (EMT-I), which is a step above the Basic EMT level. "In 1980, the impossible dream came true for 37 dedicated men and women who were volunteers. We moved into the new building, located at 901 South Elm Street, which is considered our headquarters today, and is known as Base-7," said Chief Lineberry.  The High Point Rescue Squad built a new headquarters building in 1980, which is located at 901 South Elm Street in High Point. "This is not the end of our story, it is only the beginning," she said. "1990 proved to be very prosperous. We developed a Mission Statement. We decided that our mission would be, 'To Provide The Best Possible Care For Our Patients, By Providing The Best Equipment and Training For Our Personnel,' which we do," said Chief Lineberry. "The 'purpose' for us," she added, is 'To provide convalescent ambulance transportation to the citizens residing in and visiting all of Guilford County, Randolph County and Davidson County, and to provide backup emergency transportation for those same citizens'." Chief Lineberry said that in 1998, "The Board of Directors saw a need to change our name to agree with all the territory that we are now covering. We changed our name from High Point Rescue Squad to Piedmont Triad Ambulance and Rescue, Inc.(PTAR)." Then she said, "A terrible day came. We had to mourn the death of our Chief of over 27 years. We do this in memory of William F. (Bill) Osborne who died on March 14, 1999. The Squad had to appoint a new Chief for the turn of the century, and that was me. I followed in his footsteps. He taught me a lot... He was a very wise man." Chief Paula Lineberry has been with PTAR for 22 years, since joining as a volunteer in 1985. She has been Chief for 8 years, since March 1999. Continuing, she said, "At the turn of the century, we continue to be prosperous. We are now covering 3 Counties, have 4 ambulance bases, a fleet of 20 ambulances, 3 staff vehicles, 1 light rescue truck, 3 boats, an emergency support vehicle, and a special operations trailer. We maintain a staff of over 70 full-time and part-time employees, as well as a full administrative staff." In 2006, PTAR answered 26,471 calls. In March 2006, PTAR began construction on their fourth ambulance base at 2011 Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax. The new building was finished, and crews started running calls from there, in April 2007. Chief Lineberry described the coverage which PTAR currently provides in 2007 as follows: High Point Base-7 at 901 South Elm Street: 1-Unit 24-hours, and 2-Units prime-time Greensboro Base-6 at 300 Concord Street: 1-Unit 24-hours, and 1-Unit 12-hours, and 2-Units prime-time Greensboro Base-10 at 600 Huffine Mill Road: 1-Unit 24-hours, and 3-Units prime-time Colfax Base-9 at 2011 Sandy Ridge Road: 1-Unit 12-hours Randolph County: 1-Unit prime-time (May soon become a 24-hour Unit) Davidson County: 1-Unit prime-time in Thomasville 1-Unit prime-time in Lexington "We've come a long way," said Chief Lineberry, "and we're pretty sure this is not the end of our story." Chief Lineberry then introduced Gordon Joyner, Executive Director of the N.C. Association of Rescue & Emergency Medical Services (NCAREMS). He said, "Back in 1971, some leading people in the High Point area had a dream. In that dream they had a vision to provide emergency services to the people of High Point. As you can see from the history that has gone on, that dream has become a reality. And a lot of it is due to the leadership of William F. (Bill) Osborne."  Gordon Joyner, Executive Director of the N.C. Association of Rescue & Emergency Medical Services (NCAREMS) Mr. Joyner said, "I've had the privilege to know him since 1979. That's when I first met him. And he became one of my bosses in 1981. He was one of our 24 member Board of Directors of NCAREMS. And you always knew where Bill stood. But he was always on the right side. Because he had this vision. He knew the way things should be, and that's the way they ought to be." He added that when they placed a plaque of Bill Osborne in the NCAREMS office, he told the Deputy Executive Director of NCAREMS, "Every morning when you come in, first thing you see is Bill Osborne's plaque on this wall up there, I said you've got to bow down and pay homage. Because he's the man who had the foresight to see." He said, "The first roster that was filed by the old High Point Rescue, there's 24 people on that roster. And Bill Osborne was one of them, too. But Bill was a leader and had a vision of the future. And he lived to see most of it come to place. And now you all, the torch has been passed to you, and the challenge to you is to continue to carry that beacon forward." Chief Lineberry then introduced a couple of guests in the audience. One was Joel Faircloth, the Deputy Executive Director of NCAREMS. The other was Bill Henderson, the NCAREMS Area-VIII Director. She also thanked the Guilford County Commissioners for their support, and said they had sent their best wishes. She also thanked the High Point City Council for their support, saying, "We have that every day." Chief Lineberry also thanked Susan Chilton, with the Administrative Offices of Guilford County's Training Division for attending the event, as well as Tom Smith, the Administrator and Executive Director of River Landing, saying, "He's our neighbor - and he's a good neighbor." Other neighbors who Chief Lineberry thanked for attending the event were Mr. and Mrs. Stafford, who live next door to the new Base Station. She said, "They've been very helpful to us, and we appreciate their support." She also recognized the PTAR Board of Directors, thanking them for their support and having a vision. "I would like to thank Patsy Hege, our Field Supervisor. She has worked many untold hours, and I appreciate her support to me and to this agency," said Chief Lineberry. "I would like to thank the Building Committee for planning and coordinating this function today. That would be Jan Long, our Vice President Gart Evans, and Patsy Whitfield, our Chaplain," she said. Chief Lineberry also said, "I would like to thank the PTAR field personnel for the great job they do daily. My administrative office staff, they're here, and I appreciate what they do. Deborrah Esquivel has worked many untold hours on the slide presentation." She added, "Each and every one of them will go the extra mile to help me with anything, and help this company to make a positive impact on the community. That's what sets our Squad aside from everybody else. It truly is. Their pride and dedication does not go unnoticed, but sometimes we fail to say thanks. They have been committed to their job and what they do, and often times their efforts go unnoticed, and many times they are criticized instead of thanked. They miss meals, they miss special holidays, and they miss time with their families. They work in extreme weather conditions - imagine that. They also have to look into the eyes of the elderly and give them bad news about their spouses of many years. They work upside down in ditches. They work in unfavorable conditions. But you know what? They do this because they care. This is what makes our agency strong and successful, and I'd like to thank my entire staff for the job they do. They are the backbone of this organization." Chief Lineberry then asked her staff members in attendance to stand and be recognized. PTAR President and Rescue Captain Dwight McDowell then stepped to the podium to present the new building dedication, and the Board Room dedication. Mr. McDowell has been a volunteer with PTAR for 30 years, since joining in February 1977. He is also a State Certified Rescue Technician Instructor.  PTAR President & Rescue Captain Dwight McDowell Unveiling a plaque, he dedicated the Board Room of the new building to the late John Davis, Jr., founder of Davis Furniture Industries. Mr. McDowell talked about how John Davis, Jr. supported the Rescue Squad over the years, contributing both time, money and labor. When the Rescue Squad built their headquarters building in 1980, Mr. McDowell said, "He physically helped build it," saying that John Davis, Jr. helped cut plywood for the roof, and used an old tractor to grade the property.  (L-R) PTAR Chief Paula Lineberry and PTAR President & Rescue Captain Dwight McDowell at the Open House and Building Dedication Ceremony for their newest Base Station. Mr. McDowell said, "It's hard to say all the things that he has done, but the community will miss a great man. That's why we chose to dedicate our Board Room in John's memory. And we appreciate very much everything that John and his family have done for this organization over the years. I don't think we could put a monetary value on what was done for us." He also noted that the furniture in the new PTAR building's Board Room was donated by Davis Furniture Industries. He then asked PTAR Chaplain Patsy Whitfield to read a poem in memory of the late PTAR Chief William F. (Bill) Osborne as part of the new building dedication ceremony. Afterwards, a framed copy of the poem was presented to Mrs. Phyllis Osborne, along with another framed photo of her late husband.  (L-R) PTAR Chaplain Patsy Whitfield presenting a framed poem and photo to Mrs. Phyllis Osborne, wife of the late PTAR Chief William F. (Bill) Osborne  (L-R) PTAR Chief Paula Lineberry presenting a framed photo to Mrs. Phyllis Osborne, wife of the late PTAR Chief William F. (Bill) Osborne NOTE: News media organizations have permission to publish the photos contained within this news release. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |