Fallon Donates Ambulance for Use in Haiti;
is first ever to be operated in the town of 70,000 people

Fallon has provided the first-ever ambulance to be used by the northern Haiti town of Plaisance. The vehicle, which Fallon recently retired from active duty and refurbished for its second life, is already in service in Haiti, providing medical transportation and treatment to this community of 70,000 people that is served by two health centers.

Prior to the ambulance arriving in Haiti, people seeking medical assistance were forced to find their own way to the health centers, often relying on public transportation. Medical conditions in Haiti leave much to be desired, according to Bernadette Obas, a Boston resident and native of Plaisance, Haiti who has lived here for more than 30 years.

Conditions in Haiti were so bad that a group of ten individuals in New England formed the nonprofit group Le Comite de Placentin de Boston, dedicated specifically to providing help to the residents of Plaisance.

The group consists mainly of Haitian residents who now live in Boston and the Rhode Island area. Bernadette Obas said that the organization has undertaken a number of fundraisers on behalf of the Plaisance residents and has also worked closely with the non-profit IMAC (International Medical Equipment Collaborative) to supply much-needed medical equipment to the island. "We first learned of IMAC through an article in the Pilot newspaper, and then of Fallon Ambulance through some friends," she said.

IMAC assisted Ms. Obas's group with medical equipment; and, when Fallon Ambulance learned of the need for an ambulance, they met with Ms. Obas and made arrangements to secure a vehicle that could be donated for use in Haiti.

"We looked for the first available ambulance coming out of active service and set it aside for the group," said Peter Racicot, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fallon Ambulance. He added, "Our company has had the opportunity to donate ambulances to a number of needy causes, including remote regions of Poland and, now, Haiti."

Obas and other committee members travel between Boston and Haiti several times a year to assess conditions and better determine how their stateside efforts can help their island. She said that material donated can range from gauze pads to chairs for the waiting room. She added, “The people from Fallon Ambulance are so generous to help us by providing this ambulance. It’s a first for our town, and it will save so many lives.”

The Boston organization works in conjunction with other organizations to improve conditions in Plaisance, including setting up medical equipment and training for the care providers on the island.

Racicot added, "There is nothing more satisfying to know that an ambulance that provided continuous service in our primary coverage area can have a second life in an area where it is so desperately needed. This is a great cause that Ms. Obas and her committee have championed, and we are absolutely ecstatic that we can make this contribution. We wish them all the best.”


Fallon Ambulance Service was founded in 1936 by James R. Fallon, Sr., and has remained a family operated business to this day. The founder’s son, James R. (Ray) Fallon, Jr., and five of his children have all played an integral role in the company’s operation and growth. Fallon Ambulance employs more than 400 personnel, and operates 115 vehicles. The company provides 9-1-1 service to Milton, Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth, Braintree and Dedham as well as primary backup to Boston and Randolph. Fallon Ambulance Service also provides medical transportation for a number of nursing homes, hospitals, and HMOs throughout Greater Boston. Headquarters are at 111 Brook Road, Quincy, MA 02169, and Fallon Ambulance operates satellite offices in Weymouth, Allston and Quincy, MA. A new state-of-the-art headquarters is slated for opening in Quincy in the Fall, 2004. Fallon Ambulance Service is a several-time recipient of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s “Success Profile,” and the “local heroes” award by the South Shore Community Action Council. For additional information about Fallon Ambulance services or programs that the company offers, contact Peter Racicot, Senior Vice President of Business Development, at (617) 745-2100, ext. 117 or visit www.fallonambulance.com.