Spotlight on Norfolk Volunteer Ambulance

Bill Brodnitzki

We moved to Norfolk in 1971, and about a year after moving into town, my neighbor called over to me. “Bill can you go on an ambulance call?” I went! Things were different then. We referred to those days as “load and go.” No training was required, and our Patient Care Reports were one line in a book, very different from the multiple page reports that we do now on the computer.
The ambulance service did between 50 and 60 calls a year back then, and during the day we were dispatched by the Norfolk Pharmacy which was downtown, By the mid-1970s we were getting trained at the EMT level and with training came an improvement in equipment.

The hearse-style ambulance was retired and the first truck-style ambulance was purchased. I stayed active with the service until the mid-1980s when I stepped back.

In 2006 I retrained – a lot had changed – and I returned to being active with Norfolk Ambulance and am still active today, serving as an EMT whenever the calls come.

Through training we are able to provide a better level of care but one problem has not gone away, WE NEED YOU. Volunteers are an important part of a small community. 

The people of this town have been generous with their donations, but we need a few more people to step up and give a little of their time. It is rewarding to know you are helping your neighbors.

Aileen Hester

I was born and raised in Norfolk. I went through the local school system from Botelle, Northwestern Regional 7 to Northwestern Connecticut Community College and then the University of Connecticut. My father, Bill Brodnitzky, was an Emergency Medical Technician(EMT) and I have vague recollections of beingpart of a mass casualty drill in the mid to late 70’s. My mother, Geri, was a nurse, so between the two of them I was always around the medical field. 

I graduated from UConn with a degree in Physical Therapy and have spent my career working within the skilled nursing homes. I work directly in the healthcare system so my transition to ambulance was easier than most.  In 2016, my husband, John, and I (along with a couple of our kids) took the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course and became certified.  I’m currently enrolled in the EMT course to further my service to the ambulance core. 

We at Norfolk Volunteer Ambulance give back to the community…helping our neighbors.   There is a desperate need for healthcare workers at all levels.  I am just trying to do my part to help the community.  The ambulance needs volunteers at all levels.  Anyone can start out small and ease into bigger roles as able, such as I have done by starting as an EMR and transitioning to EMT.

Susanne Function

I became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in 1994 and served Norfolk Ambulance in that position for 23 years. I loved being an EMT. It was challenging and demanding, with something different happening all the time, which made working to assist my community very satisfying. I did many shifts each week and put in untold hours. I loved helping our Norfolk people as an EMT.

During this time, I also began serving as treasurer for the Lions Club in 2013,which means I am also the treasurer for the ambulance, a position I still hold today. At age 77, I gave up one job – being an EMT, but being treasurer gives me the opportunity to continue to serve the community and support the ambulance.

I have an office at the ambulance building and I handle the finances, pay the bills and I keep everything documented for our bookkeeper. I also make sure the office runs smoothly by ordering the supplies, answering phones and any other office work that needs to be done.

It is hard to get volunteers to work with the ambulance, but they are desperately needed. You don’t need to be an EMT to join. We have many jobs that need to be done. It is wonderful to work with a team of outstanding volunteers, to do something greater than yourself.