In 1997, Louis Calderon fell 25 feet off the side of an escalator and landed on his head.
“The EMTs that were there, I believe, saved my life,” said Calderon, 35. “So that’s why I became an EMT.”
The next year, Calderon joined the Little Neck – Douglaston Ambulance Corps. He is currently the president of the organization, a volunteer and donation-based service that provides both emergency and non-emergency medical transportation to local residents. They also lend out wheelchairs and walkers.
The corps was founded in 1958 with support and a $500 loan, which eventually turned into a contribution, from the Little Neck Lions Club. The operations began out of a garage until the organization found a permanent home in 1961 on 42-18 Marathon Parkway, where it remains today.
The recent treacherous winter weather has kept the Douglaston Ambulance Corps busy responding to calls for slips and falls.
The corps is also part of the city’s Mutual Aid Response System, said Calderon. If the city needs additional help, they will call on volunteer services for assistance. Their emergency medical technicians are certified and trained the same way FDNY EMTs are trained.
“But with us, you’re getting your neighbor that’s going to come and help you,” said Calderon, who also works at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan as a registered nurse.
During the December 26 blizzard of last year, the corps was called to deliver a baby when the snow ensnared FDNY ambulances, said Calderon. His crew was able to reach the mother and had to perform a breech delivery, meaning the baby exited the womb feet first — a more dangerous operation.
There are currently about 35 volunteers working at the corps, ranging in age from 18 to well in their 70s.
The ambulances bring patients to their destinations, including desired hospitals, free of charge. They appeal to insurance companies for reimbursement of expenses, but if the patient has no insurance, the services are still free.
“We’re a community ambulance corps,” he said. “And we help out our community.”
Now, Calderon is trying to modernize the facility. They recently acquired internet service and new computers to streamline operations and volunteer schedules. The corps also now has a web site, www.lndamb.org.
The lounge also just received donations that include a flat-screen TV, a foosball table, a PlayStation console and a pool table to keep the crew entertained as they wait for calls.
Harry Dietrich, 67, is operations chairman at the corps and has been there about 40 years.
“I’ve seen EMS change drastically,” said Dietrich, who came from a family of emergency workers; his father and grandfather were both firefighters.
In 1959, the corps used two Buick car-type ambulances that looked much like station wagons. Now, they have modern ambulances, similar to those used by the FDNY, and are equipped with privacy screens that can be toggled at the press of a button.
The corps does not take calls through 9-1-1. Instead, they have their own emergency line, 718-229-0400. Call their office number, 718-423-2333, for more information.
