About the Service
In 1973 an idea was born. To have an ambulance service for both Lisbon/Mt. Vernon, Iowa. A group of dedicated citizens from both towns made plans and recruited people to go door to door, town and country alike. Enough donations were obtained to purchase and ambulance and the Lisbon Mount Vernon Ambulance Service became a reality. Twenty-five volunteers began training and July of 1974 marked the beginning of the service and the service's first run. In 1989 one more door to door canvas solicited additional donations, and thanks to the community support, in 1990, a new building was erected to house both ambulances and all equipment, plus a meeting room and storage space.
Volunteers
The service has a 100% volunteer staff consisting of 25 to 30 crew members. Most volunteers join the service without any previous medical training or experience. New members are trained by our own staff in first aid and CPR. They are familiarized with the ambulance and equipment and participate in a minimum of three ambulance runs as observers.
Community
The Lisbon – Mt Vernon Ambulance Service provides emergency medical services over a 150 square mile area, serving a population of more than 6,000, including more than 1000 students of Cornell College.