| Year Honored | |
|---|---|
| 2012 | |
| Honoree | |
| Richard 'Dick' Hanlon | |
| Title | |
| EMT | |
| Agency | |
| Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps | |
| Agency City | |
| Madison | |
| Agency State | |
| NJ | |
| Last Call | |
| 2/15/11 | |
| Cause of Death | |
| On-duty Cardiac | |
| Biography | |
| Mr. Hanlon was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 31, 1927. He served in the Korean War with the United States Army, and upon his return home from war he settled in Madison. He started working for the Shulton Company, which later became part of American Cyanamid. He retired in 1992 as a manager after 41 years of dedicated employment.<br /> Then Dick went on to try something else. He had told his family and friends that he had always wanted to become an EMT. They thought he was nuts. But he would tell them of things and people he encountered around the ambulance corps. When he would tell them of how he could help people and how happy he was helping others, his family agreed he had fulfilled one of his dreams and followed it to fruition. Dick was a young 68 years old when he joined the ranks of the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He would eventually go on to become president of the Corps.<br /> <br /> At the Corps, he was known as one of the most compassionate people one could ever meet, "A genuinely great guy." He had an always-present smile that could light up a room, and Dick was always upbeat. His love of dancing always made the Ambulance Corps social events exciting. He served his community with pride, respect, compassion, and most of all passion. Dick treated everyone he met with love as if they were someone special.<br /> <br /> On February 15, 2011 the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps was activated for a motor vehicle accident with numerous injuries. Dick had called in to the police communications desk that he would respond to the Corps and drive the second ambulance to the alarm. He never arrived. Dick was found unresponsive in his car. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was transported to Morristown Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.<br /> <br /> "He was the youngest old man any one of us had ever met."<br /> <br /> Honored 2012 |
The United States Official National EMS Memorial Service
