BY JOYCE RAPP, Lima Historian
In the photo are the retiring Lima Volunteer Ambulance Officers and the incoming officers. In the front row are retiring officers Donna Lindsay, Rescue Captain and Norm Caccamise, Rescue Chief. Back row are current officers, Gisela Wheeler, Secretary; Harold Falls, Treasurer; Scott Domuracki, Rescue Chief and Mike Funicane, Rescue Captain. Photo by Mark Schuster
It is 1977. Frank Smith is Lima Supervisor, Jack Tubbs is Mayor, Jimmy Carter is sitting in the Oval Office and Norman Caccamise has just joined the Lima Ambulance Corps.
At that time, there were only seven members in the group. Six of them drove the ambulance, a red and white Cadillac station wagon which had to be far more relaxing to patients than the first vehicle, a hearse borrowed from O’Connell Funeral Home. There was only one E.M.T. (Emergency Medical Technician) in the group then but that was soon remedied when Norm and the others travelled to Avon for instruction. Five years later, he was elected Corps Chief and has held that position until a few weeks ago when he announced that he was retiring as Chief but NOT from the Corps. According to Norm, “it is time for new blood and new ideas” and introduced his successor, Scott Domuracki, to guests at a recent reception.
During his tenure, membership has increased to twenty-five men and women (but they need more); thirteen are E.M.T.’s and the rest are drivers. In addition, the ambulance group separated from the Fire Department in 1987. Until then, it had been under the Fire Department umbrella. Today, the Corps is an independent organization which entails financial management, elections and other areas. However, it still assists the Fire Department at any fire scene, if needed. And in 2007, the Ambulance group moved to its own facility on West Main Road.
Over the years, the group has received many awards for its work in this community and others. For instance, six members, including their Chief, travelled to New York City in 200l to assist after the 911 attack.
Norman Caccamise has also been personally recognized. He was elected Lima Person of the Year by the Crossroads Committee in 1993, he received the E.M.S. leadership award from the E.M.S Council in 1997, was elected to the Honeoye Falls Hall of Fame in 2000 and selected as Lima Citizen of the Year in 2014.
According to our former Chief, he joined the Corps “to give back to this community” that had watched and helped him grow into manhood.
You did all of that and more, Norm. We thank you and hope that with the extra time available now, you and your Lima High School sweetheart, Shirley, (who became your wife in 1964), will be able to take your labs, Cole and George, for an extra ride each week.
