Mastic Beach Ambulance Gets New Headquarters

MASTIC BEACH, NY — It was a proud day in the community Monday as a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to unveil the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company's brand-new headquarters, bringing a new beginning to a long-blighted parcel — and the promise of improved response times.

The new, state-of-the-art facility is located at 343 Neighborhood Road, and the ribbon cutting took place almost a year to the day that ground was broken for the new headquarters.

Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Dan Panico were among the elected officials, directors and officers of the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company, community leaders and residents who joined together for the ribbon-cutting.

“This day has been a decade in the making,” Panico said. “This facility will better serve the dedicated volunteers of the ambulance company and the constituents of the district. Furthermore, as the first new building on Neighborhood Road in a decade, the ambulance headquarters will become the model by which all others should follow.”

The two-story, 18,000-square-foot building was designed by LKMA Associates & Nelson & Pope, construction was led by Stalco Construction, Premiere Heat served as the HVAC contractor, WHM Plumbing as the plumbing contractor and Eldor Contracting as the electrical contractor.

"To allow for more efficient emergency response and equipment maintenance operation, the new building features five drive-through vehicle bays, instead of the three one-way bays that were in the previous facility," a release from Brookhaven Town said.

The drive-through design of the bays also further improves the efficiency and safety of operations by allowing the company members to respond out of the building onto both Main Street and Diana Drive — and, the new building also accommodates as many as 15 vehicles, with additional, updated EMT volunteer housing, equipment storage, and decontamination facilities, town officials added.

Mastic Beach Ambulance Chief Charles Voelger reflected on the new beginning: “This new facility not only brings much-needed improvements to the emergency medical services provided to the citizens of Mastic Beach, but it also turns a piece of blighted property into a beautiful, occupied, state of the art municipal building," he said. "The headquarters for the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company proves the threefold commitment our town government has to uplifting this community, supporting volunteerism and civic participation, and revitalizing our Main Street. We are lucky to bring an example of what our Main Street can be to the community."

In addition, he added, the volunteer EMS squad has outgrown its current facility, and volunteers and community will be well served by the new, more centrally located headquarters.

"As a lifelong resident of Mastic Beach, nothing makes me prouder than to work hand in hand with these dedicated public servants and to help bring this project to fruition," Voelger said.

Supervisor Romaine said the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company's new headquarters stands as a proud symbol of Neighborhood Road's revitalization: The property was once the site of a hardware store and then a supermarket, but once vacated, became a constant source of blight, he said. Brookhaven Town acquired the property in 2016, and subsequently demolished the building.

"Most importantly, it will help improve response times and save lives," he said.

Patch photo courtesy Brookhaven Town.