To the Editor:

I have been volunteering at our very own Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corp since September, 2014.  It is a service that I have taken for granted since we moved here in 2002. However, now that I am one of them, I have been awed by the dedication and sacrifice of these people, some for decades.

As a LPN, I worked for 14 years, being paid well for back-breaking work – both surgical and medical. Yes, I worked overtime, I was expected to be at work no matter the weather, and yes, it was non-stop, gross, no lunch, and occasionally a matter of life or death.

But here’s the catch: I was being paid.

These people that staff our NVAC are not being paid…they volunteer  their time for this.

I have watched these women and men working for hours – sometimes 36 hours at a time (bunking at the ambulance house), all through the night, in rain, sleet, or snow to travel wherever the call sends them, away from their family, without pay. Just because it’s their “hobby,” their passion, their true calling…it would have to be!

So next time you come in contact with a NVAC member, remember to thank them.  This is a job that is emotionally and physically grueling…and most times a matter of life or death!

It definitely takes a special person to do it – especially as a volunteer.

Thank you, NVAC!

Sincerely,

Liz Sortino

13 Turkey Roost Road, Sandy Hook          February 11, 2015