Guilfoyle Ambulance Service was established as an ambulance service around 1907 by Dennis E. Guilfoyle who operated a funeral home and flower shop. The business was originally located at 145 Court street in the city of Watertown, at the approximate site of the present-day Top of the Square building. Around April of 1908, Mr. Guilfoyle moved his business to a newly constructed building he had built at 129 Stone street, where a fire house once stood. The first ambulance was a horse drawn carriage. The carriage transported both the deceased and the sick and injured. When an ambulance was needed, the operator attached the carriage to a white horse and the black horse was used for funerals. In 1914, the service purchased its first motorized “funeral car”, which was also used as an ambulance. At that time, Guilfoyle’s ambulance was one of three ambulances operated in the city of Watertown, with the other two operated by the city’s hospitals. Dennis passed away on June 14, 1929 of pneumonia, and was laid to rest in Glenwood Cemetery in the Town of Watertown. His wife, Mrs. Anne (Cullen) Guilfoyle continued to operate the business which consisted of the funeral business and the Guilfoyle Hotel Apartments-a four story building on Stone street until her death in 1943. She was 84 years old.
The Guilfoyle estate continued the operation of the Ambulance Company and funeral home until they were sold in 1946 to Nello Leo Poli, a 34 year old undertaker from New York City. Later that year, Mr. Poli bought the ambulance from the City Hospital (House of Good Samaritan) making Guilfoyle the only ambulance service in Watertown. The Poli funeral home was located on Clinton Street, in the City of Watertown, in the vicinity of the Watertown Savings Bank parking lot. Mr. Poli operated the funeral home under his own name and continued to operate the ambulance company under the Guilfoyle name.
In 1955 Guilfoyle was purchased by Donald F. Pond and a short time after, partnered with Bernard E. Pooler, who operated the business out of the old Guilfoyle building garage located on upper Stone Street. Later the business was operated from the homes of Pond and Pooler who resided at 323 and 411 Stone Street respectively. Mr. Pond retired from the business in 1963 and sold his partnership to Walter Sherman Smith who resided on Stone Street and later at 214 Massey Street. In the early 1960’s when Smith purchased the old Taylor estate carriage house, the ambulances, a 1959 Mercury station wagon, a 1961 and 1963 Cadillac ambulance were stored in a heated garage on the Smith property. It was around this time that the ambulance drew interest from a young man that would become the future owner of Guilfoyle Ambulance and transform it into the business that it is today. In 1961, a 16 year old Bruce M. Wright took a Red Cross first aid course and was given a part time job for the ambulance service. In 1965, Mr. Wright enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Vietnam as a Hospitalman 3rd class (Corpsman) to which he would be awarded a bronze star for heroism for treating a mortally wounded Marine in a firefight. After returning from Vietnam, Mr. Wright would purchase a small portion of stock in Guilfoyle becoming a minority owner.
In 1971 Mr. Smith suddenly passed away of a heart attack after surgery, he was only 45 years old. It was around this time that a 21 year old LPN named Charmaine Grey was introduced to a new form of medicine, Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In 1973 Mr. Pooler sold the business to Bruce M. Wright. At the time of purchase, the business had 3 ambulances (one of them inoperable) and 6 employees. Within 3 years, the Company grew to 6 ambulances and 23 employees. It was also around this time that the transformation of ambulance companies all over the United States transitioned from ambulance attendants and giving patients a ride to the hospital to practicing emergency medicine. It was also under Bruce M., the Company began offering wheelchair transportation to the area in 1991. In 1993, after 20 years of leading Guilfoyle, Bruce M. suddenly passed away of a heart attack. Mr. Wright left behind a wife Charmaine Grey Wright of 15 years and three young sons, Bruce G., Thomas, and Travis. Mrs. Wright assumed control of the Company as its eighth President and CEO, leading to the Company’s largest growth, with over 120 employees, 14 ambulances, 3 paramedic level fly-cars and 6 wheelchair vans.
In May of 2013 Charmaine Wright passed away after a short illness. Her oldest son Bruce G. Wright, a paramedic with the Company since 2004, assumed the role of President and CEO shortly after her death. Thomas and Travis are both active in the Company which continues to provide the same high-quality service it has for the past 115+ years.
It has been said that Guilfoyle is believed to be the oldest continually run commercial ambulance service in the United States. Guilfoyle, located in the City of Watertown maintains a NYS Department of Health Certificate of Need for the entire County of Jefferson and bordering townships in St Lawrence, Lewis and Oswego Counties.
Guilfoyle is certified at the Paramedic level and provides basic and advanced life support transportation as well as Paramedic service for over 8,000 requests and over 600 inter-facility (hospital to hospital) transports each year. Guilfoyle currently has a staff of 90 employees hired from within the communities and operates 9 Ambulances, and 3 Fly Cars.
The invalid Coach Service was started in 1991 and transports over 2600 clients per year in its 4 Invalid Coach wheel chair vans.
Guilfoyle employs over 35 Nationally Certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers and was the first Nationally Licensed Dispatch Centers in NNY, getting licensed in 1994 to provide pre arrival instructions in life threatening situations. In a cooperative effort between Jefferson County 911 Center and Guilfoyle Ambulance this service is provided to anyone who calls 911 in Jefferson County or calls Guilfoyle Ambulance directly.
In 1998 Guilfoyle opened the EMS store and carries a wide variety of emergency medical supplies and equipment for sale to local emergency responders and the public.
Guilfoyle has also provided ambulance coverage to Fort Drum to provide EMS coverage on the training ranges for the troops during maneuvers.
Guilfoyle Ambulance has an employee lease program that has been utilized by several area ambulance services to supplement staffing.
Guilfoyle is active in our local community participating in several community and sporting events.
REFERENCES
1) Shampine, David C (2004, March 7). A successful undertaking: Mr. Guilfoyle’s ambulance service started out in the funeral business. Watertown Daily Times.
2) Shampine, David C (1977, December 16). Bruce Wright’s Guilfoyle: The Dream That Became a Reality. Watertown Daily Times.