Good Fellowship's history dates back to early 1951. Sometime during that period a large warehouse fire occurred in the borough during which approximately 40 fire fighters were injured. At that time West Chester was served by only two ambulances; one provided by The Chester County Hospital and one provided by the Memorial Hospital. This warehouse fire put a severe strain on the resources of these ambulance services, and caused everyone involved to re-examine the need for emergency medical services.

Nick Mastrangelo, a volunteer fire fighter and the owner of the Horse and Hound Tavern in West Chester, decided that ambulance service in West Chester needed to be drastically improved in order to meet the needs of it's residents. Nick, along with his brother Paul, Charles "Ace" Biscoti, Parke Himelright, Marple Lewis, and Dominick Duranto got together to lay the framework for a new ambulance service. After quite a bit of discussion Good Fellowship Club of Chester County, Inc. was born on June 18, 1951.

The organization began operation with its base at the Horse and Hound Bar and a used 1951 Packard (above) as it's primary vehicle. Between March and December of 1952 the ambulance responded to 394 calls. Late 1952 brought a new home to the company, which now was located at 223 N. Walnut Street. The following year brought a second, new 1953 ambulance which helped the club respond to 706 calls that year. Good Fellowship's income in 1953 was only $4,357.53 and a family membership was just two dollars! As the years went by the fleet increased, with 1955 bringing yet a third ambulance.

For some reason a black hole exists between 1955 and 1967 when not much was recorded about the activities of the organization. Yet 1968 was a booming year with the company responding to 1864 calls and generating a total income of $22,000! And look what that would buy (right)... A few of our members are seen here showing off all the "latest" tools available to them. Continuing, Family membership rates were on the rise, also - now five dollars. As well, the company adopted a policy to bill patients in January 1968.  A call in the Borough cost $10, and a trip to Philadelphia was a staggering $25.

In 1971 the club dedicated and moved into its new building (ceremony seen below) on Montgomery Avenue in West Goshen Township. The dedication was held on May 16, 1971 with several local dignitaries in attendance. The building was constructed at a total cost of just $40,000 on land leased from the Chester County Hospital. At that time the club had grown to five ambulances, two paid drivers, and almost forty volunteers.

1973 brought a landmark decision to Good Fellowship - The active membership approved a motion to allow females to become active members. Subscription rates were now up to $10.

In 1976 the club bought it's sixth ambulance and 3,825 calls were handled by an active crew that consisted of just 16 Emergency Medical Technicians.

1987 was a tough year. Our insurance company decided to cancel our coverage, and prompted the club to announce publicly that it would cease operations on December 10th, 1987. Luckily with the help of many different people the crisis was averted, and service continued uninterrupted.

Good Fellowship continues to grow at a progressive rate each year. Our total call volume in 2007 is expected to pass 5000 calls (routine transports and emergencies) - all with the support of over 125 dedicated volunteers. Our commitment to quality service has made us one of the strongest EMS providers in the area, with a response record that is unmatched - not one missed call in over 15 years. The company makes a bit of history each day, and as you can see, has come quite a long way.