By Laura Lane
Stacy Stuck has many fond memories of growing up in North Merrick, but what she remembers most is chasing fire engines.
"Anytime the fire whistle went off, my mom threw my brother and me into the car, and we followed the fire trucks," said Stuck, a 25-year-old with a warm, engaging smile. "Sometimes when we'd get to the fire, we'd get out and watch. I was always interested, and wanted to know what was going on."
Although her mother, Kathleen, never could have predicted it, Stacy would eventually chase fires as an adult, but not merely to watch. Stuck recently decided against a career as a police officer and instead became an emergency medical technician for the Merrick Volunteer Fire Department.
A personal-injury insurance claims representative by day, Stuck, who now lives in Merrick, makes an effort to stay in town or nearby. She wants to be available to respond to any calls that might require her assistance. And there are plenty.
"We get at least 600 calls a year in Merrick that need an ambulance for all kinds of issues, from car accidents to people who call complaining that they don't feel well and need to go to the hospital," said Merrick Fire Chief Ron Luparello. "Because we're a volunteer fire department, the problem is that all of those calls put a strain on the EMT workers. With people's schedules these days, they may not always be around when the calls come in, and this puts a strain on those that are available."
Stuck said she doesn't mind. Often when she's returning from a call, another will come in. Even though she isn't required to take the second call, she said she always chooses to, happy to help out.
"The amount of calls has increased dramatically," said Luparello. "The thing is that people are living longer, and more elderly means more issues. It's become more than the emergency medical services can handle, and that goes for all over the country."
Stuck joined the Merrick Fire Department last January. She immediately began taking classes at the Emergency Medical Services Academy in East Meadow two nights a week, and she went on calls with EMS workers from her firehouse, Friendship Engine & Hose, assisting them by loading the ambulance with the EMS and oxygen bags.
She became certified as an EMT-B, a basic emergency medical technician, on June 15. With additional schooling, she could become an EMT-critical care worker, and with even more classes, an EMT-paramedic. Stuck found the training invaluable, and said she is considering taking more classes in the future.
"In school, I learned how to handle any scenario, from diabetes to sunstroke," she said. "That's really more of what I've been dealing with in Merrick. And most of the teachers at the academy were volunteers. They'd sit down and tell stories and give advice, which helped so much when I started doing this."
Stuck was still attending classes at the academy when she answered a call with other EMTs for a car accident that claimed the life of Lisa Iburg, 9, this spring. Ejected from the car, Lisa died shortly afterward, a victim of severe head trauma.
One month shy of certification, Stuck helped transport the driver of the Acura that struck Iburg's minivan to the hospital. "It was hard because he was crying and screaming, 'Help the little girls, not me!'" Stuck recalled. "It didn't affect me at the time because when your adrenaline is going, you don't think of how bad it is; you just want to get to the injured party and help them. And there were other ambulances there, and I was focusing on the driver. I didn't know the little girl died until after we took the driver to the hospital. With so much commotion, you have to focus on the one piece, but that accident did open my eyes, and I realized not everything is going to be easy."
Stuck describes herself as a calm person. She said she's the one who will focus on finding a plan to solve a problem, even if everyone else around her is panicking.
To help people who are emotionally distraught, she'll tell them about a serious car accident she had when she was 19, to show them that what is happening to them has even happened to an EMT. Stuck totaled her car that day and suffered a herniated disc in her neck, from which she still feels pain. She recalls her hysteria and her pain.
"I think that accident prepared me to empathize with people who are in accidents," she said. "And I know now that the people who showed up to help me when I had the accident didn't do anything right."
Luparello is impressed by Stuck. He said she's doing well, which he attributes to her training and the help that she received from fellow Merrick Fire Department EMS workers. "Merrick is very lucky, because we have a lot of experienced emergency medical technicians, some of whom are paid professionals," Luparello said. "I've watched Stacy work, and she looks very fluent with her actions and doesn't skip a beat or panic. She's very professional for [having worked] such a short time. Sometimes the new ones clam up, maybe get nervous. If you think about it, you have someone's life in your hands."
As for being the only woman in the Merrick Fire Department, Stuck is unfazed. She said she is treated equally, and never "feels like a girl." She has even forged friendships with some of the firemen in the house. "They always respect me and are always there for me emotionally, asking me if I need anything," said Stuck. "They're like my brothers; I've never felt awkward. And they make sure that I'm involved in everything."
People often tell Stuck that they wish they could do what she's doing, and say that they're proud of her. "People thank me for volunteering as an EMT worker, and a lot of people look up to me now," she said. "I'm proud of myself that I can volunteer and work full time at the same time. You sacrifice a lot doing this, your time, and I don't see my friends and family as much. But I did find a new family with the fire department, so it works both ways."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
