Emergency medical transport has changed dramatically over the past century, evolving from simple horse-drawn carriages to life-saving ambulances with advanced medical equipment. The original Norfolk Lions Club ambulance, a Henney Packard, is parked in front of Town Hall in this photograph, probably taken soon after the Lions Club was organized in January of 1951. Unlike the modern ambulance, ambulances at this time were not mobile health units and provided only transportation to local hospitals. In the 1960s the focus shifted from transportation to emergency medical service. Ambulance attendants were trained in CPR and other life-saving procedures, allowing them to deliver better care en route to hospitals. The Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance has provided free volunteer ambulance service 24 hours a day for almost 75 years.

—Ann Havemeyer