If you were to pick one word to describe Jeff Speed it would be dependable. During his 39-year tenure on the Wiscasset Ambulance Service, “Speedy,” as his friends call him, was always there when his turn came to take the wheel of the ambulance.

Speed recently retired from the service; May 31 was his last day.

“I’ve tried to get him to stay on,” Ambulance Director Roland Abbott said, shaking his head. “When he turned in his gear, I said ‘Jeff, keep it someday you may want to return’ and I hope he does.”

Abbott and Speed go back a long way together. The two are the last of the original members from when the service was first organized back in 1976. In those early days a crew of volunteers used a makeshift hearse as an ambulance.

“It was a Cadillac station wagon that George Cowen loaned us,” Speed said. The late Mr. Cowen owed a funeral parlor on Federal Street; it’s now the Daigle Funeral Home.

“I think one of the first things we did was paint the hearse white, but it still kind of looked like a hearse,” he added.

Speed said the late Bob MacRae was Wiscasset’s first ambulance director. Some of the other original members he recalled included three married couples: the Costs, Bill and Dotty, Tom and Linda Levenson, and Gert and John Blagdon. Later Gert Blagdon served as ambulance director.

During its first year the Wiscasset Ambulance Service made 146 calls.

The service greatly evolved over the years. In the late 1970s the town replaced its converted hearse with a new modular ambulance. Later a second vehicle was added.

From its beginning the Wiscasset Ambulance Service offered the community 24-hour coverage, seven days a week. Another change came when 911 emergency telephone service was introduced and vehicle GPS systems became available.

Speed said he’s seen volunteers on the ambulance service come and go. One problem with attracting members is finding people who work in town. Speed is the head custodian at Wiscasset High School. He’s been a part of the Wiscasset school system’s custodial staff for 41 years. Because the high school is only a mile from the ambulance garage, Speed was often the first to arrive in an emergency.

Besides being an ambulance driver, Speed’s had many other roles with the service. For a time he was certified as a first responder. Later he took on the responsibility of equipment director ordering the department’s medical supplies. He also served on several search committees that looked into purchasing new ambulances and drove one new vehicle from its New Jersey manufacturer to Wiscasset. 

“I couldn’t guess how many times I’ve gotten behind the wheel of the ambulance or give you any idea how many miles I’ve driven over the years,” he said. “One thing I can tell you is that I’ve been fortunate; I’ve never had one of the ambulances I’ve driven ever break down during a call.”

On leaving the ambulance service, Speed said he’d miss Abbott and the other members he’s served with.

“I won’t miss the 12-hour shifts or getting out of bed to answer a call in the middle of the night,” he said.

Retirement from driving the ambulance will also give him and his wife Debbie more time to spend with their grandchildren. Debbie works for Mobius in Damariscotta and teaches zumba classes.

Besides serving on the ambulance service, Speed has been a member of the Wiscasset Fire Department since 1973.  Not long ago the department honored him with a Lifetime Membership.

“The ambulance service is always looking for new volunteers. I hope that some younger people will take an interest and join,” he added.