OWEGO, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Tioga County has opened a new exhibit that details the county’s history of EMS over its nearly 200 year history.

The Tioga County Historical Society is encouraging the public to visit a new exhibit highlighting the history of local EMT’s and fire, police, and sheriff’s departments.

The exhibit showcases historic equipment from each department, including leather buckets, uniforms, handguns and much more.

The Board President at the Tioga County Historical Society, John Ricklefs says that at least 90% of the exhibit was loaned from the departments to put on display.

Ricklefs says, “Each department has their own stories to tell. Whether its through photo albums, whether its through fire department coats, whether its through some of the helmets, the photographs, that’s their story, that’s their legacy. And not only do we want to keep their legacy alive, but they want to keep their legacy alive.”

Documents show what payroll was like back in the late 1800’s and tributes to service members who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The exhibit is free, and open to everyone.

Ricklefs says the exhibit will on display till around October.

He encourages anyone who may have a piece of Tioga County’s Emergency Services history to stop down and share their stories.