Legislator Jim Mazzarella pointed it out: with the temperature hovering at five degrees and the wind chill well below zero on Saturday, the Shirley Community Ambulance might very well have hosted the coldest awards night in Suffolk history.
Asked if he thought they might cancel, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano said, “Are you kidding? These folks would go out in a hurricane. A blizzard isn’t going to stop them.”
The volunteer company had much to celebrate. Numerous members earned service awards and recognition for responding to the most calls. Most impressive were the emergency responders who used their skills and dedication to resuscitate people—strangers who were gone, and whom these heroes brought back to life.
The company’s volunteers, numbering around 70, answered 1,636 calls in 2025—more than four per day—and turned out for neighboring departments 165 times. They provided post-delivery care to three mothers and their newborns and were deployed to 25 structural fires. Their top responder, Arthur Reilly, went on 318 calls. Other notables included Jack Dittler with 242 responses, Michael Neuhaus with 203, and Ashley Vega with 199 alarms answered.
Presented with a special Second Chance Award for their lifesaving actions were Humberto Diaz, Skylar Edwards, and Mike Neuhaus. The trio was recognized for their role in rescuing a severely injured victim and was honored alongside the Trauma Team at NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk. Through their coordinated efforts and rapid response, the victim was given a second chance at life.
Chief Marc Lampert has been with the company for 15 years and is a life member. He recalled the time he and his wife witnessed a car crash on Smith Road and he called 911. “The ambulance arrived, and these young people came out and they weren’t going crazy like you see on TV,” he said. “They collected their gear and calmly went over and assisted the victims.”
Soon after, two other cars crashed and another ambulance responded. “They were calm and collected too, and I told my wife right then and there: that’s what I want to do.” After extensive training, Lampert became an Emergency Medical Technician with a Critical Care designation and now leads one of the most dedicated teams in Suffolk.
“These are the people who show up to help their fellow neighbors no matter what,” Senator Dean Murray said at the Watermill awards dinner in Smithtown. “It could be the middle of the night, a blizzard like we are having right now. They could be at a family event, sleeping, or at work, and they will stop what they are doing to answer the call. The community is fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers.”