TOWN OF BETHEL, NY — Before 1958, when a serious medical emergency occurred in the Town of Bethel, there was no local ambulance corps. Residents depended on a local funeral home ambulance. It was a hearse fitted with a flashing red warning light on the roof. Its purpose was to transport patients to a hospital, and the attendants frequently had little or no formal emergency medical training.

Everything changed during the summer of 1958.

A terrible automobile accident involving several seriously injured victims occurred in the Bethel area. As residents anxiously waited for help, it took nearly one hour and forty-five minutes for the ambulance to arrive. 

For those watching loved ones suffer while precious minutes slipped away, it became painfully clear that Bethel could no longer depend on the funeral home ambulance. 

That tragic day became the turning point.

Community leaders came together and decided that Bethel needed its own volunteer first aid squad. The first organizational meeting was held at the Mongaup Valley Firehouse. Dr. Sol Dombeck of White Lake accepted the position of the corps' first medical director, and the original first aid classes were conducted at the Dr. Duggan School. Edward Numan became the corps' first dispatcher, answering emergency calls from his drug store and sending volunteers to wherever help was needed.

Fast forward nearly seven decades.

On July 31, 2026, members of the community gathered to celebrate the dedication of the beautifully renovated Bethel  Ambulance Corps headquarters. The modern facility provides spacious housing for the ambulances, room for advanced training, and a home worthy of an organization that has faithfully served the community for generations.

The highlight of the ceremony was the dedication of the new ambulance bay in honor of Betti Jean "BJ" Gettel, recognizing an extraordinary 45 years of active volunteer service.

Those who know BJ understand that this honor could not have gone to a more deserving person. For nearly half a century, she has been one of the faces, hearts and driving forces of the Bethel Volunteer Ambulance Corps. She has answered countless emergency calls, comforted frightened patients and families, mentored new members, and quietly dedicated thousands of hours to helping complete strangers on what were often the worst days of their lives.

Volunteer service isn't measured only by years; it's measured by sacrifice, compassion, and unwavering commitment. BJ embodies those qualities. Her name on the ambulance bay is far more than a sign on a building—it is a permanent reminder of what one dedicated volunteer can mean to an entire community. Long after today's volunteers have retired and new generations take their place, every ambulance that leaves that bay will do so beneath the name of someone who devoted much of her life to serving others.

Today's volunteers continue that proud tradition.

Ask any EMT what three things they never leave home without and the answer is usually the same: their wallet, their keys and their EMS radio.

When the Sullivan County 911 Center dispatches a call, volunteers may be eating dinner with their families, attending a birthday party, shopping at the grocery store, or sleeping soundly in bed. It doesn't matter if it's two o'clock in the afternoon or two o'clock in the morning, in the middle of a snowstorm or a summer thunderstorm—they respond.

Modern emergency medical technicians complete well over one hundred hours of classroom and practical training before passing the rigorous New York State EMT certification examination. They arrive equipped with medical equipment, lifesaving skills and the ability to begin treatment within minutes of an emergency.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of all is this: they are volunteers.

They receive no paycheck for leaving their families, interrupting holidays, or getting out of bed in the middle of the night. They do it because they care about their neighbors and believe that every life is worth helping to save.

The Bethel Ambulance Corps has been there for this community for nearly seventy years. If you've ever thought about giving something back to your community, stop by the headquarters and ask how you can become part of this remarkable organization. You may discover that the greatest reward isn't a paycheck; it's knowing that when someone needed help the most, you were there.

Writer's Note: I proudly served as a member of the Bethel Volunteer Ambulance Corps for 15 years and am honored to be a Lifetime Member.