By Rita J. Egan
After the tragic loss of a child in 1964, local residents joined together to create the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CVAC).
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Richard RafleRichard Rafle, one of the founding members, said up until the mid 1960s there was no ambulance service in the area. Many times a hearse owned by a local funeral parlor had to be used when an emergency occurred. When a child on a tricycle was hit by a developer’s truck, residents waited almost three hours for an ambulance and watched helplessly as the child died.
Even though she was only four years old, Doreen Murphy still remembers that day. After the tragedy her father, Hank Magnani, joined Rafle and other men in the community to develop an ambulance corps. The new volunteers began going door to door in the Commack Fire District to collect donations.
Murphy said she remembers the whole family getting involved with the fundraising efforts. On Wednesday nights her parents would pick up hamburgers at Buddy Burgers, located where Boston Market is today, and bring them to the first garage at Christ the King Church on Indian Head Road. She said the children would help the woman record the donations on index cards, and working together gave everyone a sense of community.
“I have wonderful memories of all that,” said Murphy.
Rafle said the ambulance corps became official in 1966 with their first call. In the first three months the volunteers answered 140 calls, according to a June 15, 1967 Long Islander article.
The first ambulance used was an old Cadillac model that the volunteers needed to buy an engine for, according to Rafle. After a short period the group moved their ambulance from the Christ the King Church property to a potato barn on Veteran’s Highway where today we find Catz of Long Island. The garage remained at this location until the early 70s.
As for uniforms, Rafle said the volunteers would wear white jumpsuits that they ordered from a mail order company. Murphy also remembers those white jumpsuits and her father coming back from his first call covered in blood.
The August 31, 1967 Commack News reported that the company was waiting for its second ambulance at the time. The “disaster rig” was a 1967 Cadillac and would cost $15,000.
While not their original ambulance, CVAC still possesses a 1967 Cadillac. Assistant Chief Mike Hoddinott said the old ambulances could hold up to four patients and hooks on the roof of the car enabled two cots to hang. Rafle said the old ambulances didn’t leave much room for the crew.
In 1973 still located on Veteran’s Highway, the organization became a 24 hour residence crew, according to a June 14, 1973 Long Islander article. It made them the second on Long Island, and their number was 864-8484. Prior to this, residents would call the Suffolk County Police. In the article, then CVAC president Jack Cotter said it would save between five to ten minutes.
Volunteers were alerted of emergencies by phone in the early days, according to Rafle. He also said that once a volunteer was out on the road, the only way to stay in touch were CB radios.
Rafle, who spent a decade as an active member with the corps, said, “Every one of those calls you never forget.”
The former ambulance volunteer remembers many tragic scenes, but the one call that stands out most to him occurred on a New Year’s Day when a woman was in labor. In the ambulance ride, Rafle delivered twins who were premature. Later he was informed that both survived, and 20 years later he ran into the mother, who remembered him as the man who delivered her babies.
It was in September of 1974 when the volunteers finally broke ground at their current location on Burr Road, according to a September 19, 1974 Long Islander article. The property was given to CVAC from the Commack School District. According to Hoddinott, the structure has been added on through the decades. The front with a dispatcher’s office, crew lounge and kitchen is the original part of the building, while the meeting rooms, bunk rooms that sleep eight and two back bays were added after the 80s.
As the area’s needs grew, so did the need for up-to-date ambulances. Jamaica Savings Bank donated a fully-equipped 1976 Dodge van ambulance to CVAC, according to an April 24, 1976 L.I. Reporter article.
Chief C.W. Schwalbe said over the decades their fleet has grown to four ambulances, two first responder cars and four chief vehicles.
A youth group was started in the 80s and still exists today. According to Schwalbe, the group consists of 40 teenagers ranging from ages 14 through 18. At 15 members can dispatch calls and at 16 ride an ambulance. Through the decades many members of the youth group have gone on to volunteer with CVAC or work in the health field. Former volunteers also make up a support group where members help with filing and setting up for events.
The sense of community experienced in the past still remains with Rafle and Murphy. Rafle returned to CVAC as a member of the support group, while Murphy and her mom still go to the corps annual dinner.
A few years ago when Murphy’s father became ill before his death it was the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps that came to his home and brought the former volunteer to the hospital. For Murphy who cherishes those early years, knowing that CVAC was there for her father brought comfort. She said she felt as if everything came full circle for her father.
The ambulance corps now receives 3,500 to 4,000 calls a year, according to Schwalbe, and the volunteers are planning for their future. Covering the Commack Fire Department area, as well as parts of Hauppauge, Smithtown, Elwood and East Northport, CVAC is hoping to expand the garage’s bays and build another bunking area above them. Schwalbe said they also hope to renovate the electrical services and fix the pot holes in the parking lot.
With almost 50 years in the hamlet, the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps continues to remain a staple in the community.