6 OCTOBER 22, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
How three life-saving Queens
BY THE OLD TIMER
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic
brought us a greater sense
of appreciation for paramedics and
emergency medical technicians who answer
calls of distress and put their own
lives on the line to save others in need.
While New York City employs thousands
of professionals who respond to
the medical needs of the public every day,
there are also within our communities
dedicated teams of volunteers who
also provide life-saving services to the
public.
In the 1970s, at a time when the city
grappled with a major fi nancial crisis
that resulted in cutbacks to first responder
units, the Ridgewood, Glendale
and Middle Village communities banded
together to form their own volunteer ambulance
corps to help serve each other.
As they approach their fi ft h decade in
service, the volunteer corps are more
vital today than ever — as the pandemic
has proven.
We’re proud to share with you the
stories of how each of these corps got
their start.
MIDDLE VILLAGE FIRST
ON THE SCENE
Our neighborhood’s fi rst volunteer
group of medical fi rst responders was
the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance
Corps (MVVAC), which was formed in
1972 and received its charter from the
state on Jan. 25, 1974.
The corps rented a storefront in February
of that year, and then launched a
door-to-door fundraising campaign to
buy an ambulance and procure supplies.
MVVAC members walked the streets of
the greater Middle Village area distributing
fact sheets and contribution envelopes,
with all proceeds going toward the
purchase of an ambulance.
MVVAC obtained its fi rst ambulance
on May 25, 1974, and they answered their
fi rst call for service on May 31, 1974. Partial
service began the following day.
MVVAC’s headquarters, a 1975 Oldsmobile
ambulance and its membership
were formally dedicated to service on
June 9, 1974. By November, it expanded
into a 24-hour operation on weekends.
Its new 1974 Dodge ambulance van was
also put into operation.
By the late fall of 1974, the MVVAC had
over 20 EMTs on call. By the end of 1975,
the corps had responded to more than
700 calls for assistance, with a response
time of three to fi ve minutes.
In January 1976, 15 standard fi rst aid
instructors joined the two CPR instructors
and the basic fi rst aid instructors,
giving MVVAC 18 instructors to train
Volunteer EMT’s Angel Calderon (at left) and Michael Ansbasch with the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance
Corps van as seen in 2010. File photo/Ridgewood Times
prospective members.
The growing corps needed additional
space, so it then relocated and refurbished
a second headquarters on April
1, 1976.
GLENDALE ANSWERS
THE CALL
Not to be outdone, a small group of
Glendale residents decided to launch
its own volunteer ambulance corps in
March 1973 to serve the community.
Upon receiving its incorporation
papers on Sept. 18, 1973, this small
group offi cially became known as the
Glendale Volunteer Ambulance Corps
Inc. (VAC), a strictly voluntary nonprofi t
organization dedicated to providing free
fi rst aid and ambulance service to local
residents.
The Glendale VAC’s fi rst headquarters
was located on 69th Street off Myrtle
Avenue, and all of its members were enrolled
in standard and advanced fi rst aid
courses, becoming certifi ed emergency
medical technicians.
The corps’ fi rst vehicle was a 1970
Dodge ambulance formerly used by
Wyckoff Heights Hospital before the
hospital discontinued its ambulance
service at the time. This ambulance was
to be designated “Glendale One,” and on
March 1, 1974, at 7 p.m., the Glendale VAC
opened their door and began providing
the community of Glendale with muchneeded
ambulance service.
The generosity of residents, workers
Members of the Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps at an award
ceremony in 2006. File photo/Ridgewood Times
and business concerns of the community,
as well as others who support the Glendale
VAC, made possible the purchase
of a fully equipped, 1975 Yankee Coach
Dodge Ambulance, which the corps
placed into service in mid-April 1975 as
“Glendale Two.”
The need for a larger headquarters
was also evident, with the lack of space
for training classes and equipment
storage at the 69th Street headquarters.
Aft er checking the locations available for
rent, the corps decided that the Glendale
VAC would make their new home at 66-
20 Myrtle Ave., less than a block from the
Glendale fi rehouse.
In September 1975, the Glendale VAC
was hit hard by the tragic and untimely
death of Frank P. Libraro, 22. He died on
Sept. 2, 1975, of injuries sustained when
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