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Safe words: Boro’s first Chinese-speaking ambulance service

Safe words: Boro’s first Chinese-speaking ambulance service
Photo by Georgine Benvenuto

Midwood Ambulance Service rolled out the borough’s first Chinese-speaking ambulance service on April 29.

The program, called Asian American Ambulance, includes two emergency vehicles staffed by two dozen professionals who speak English and Chinese dialects. The service will help reduce anxiety in non-English speakers — particularly the elderly — in the case of an emergency, one community advocate said.

“They provide communication and hopefully remove some of the anxiety and stress during that moment,” said Steven Chung of the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn. “Many seniors have a language barrier. If they have somebody understanding their language, it will calm them down and comfort them.”

Paramedics will be fully trained and able to speak Cantonese, Mandarin, or Fujianese, said Chung. The ambulance will serve people speaking any language, borough-wide, Chung said.

Two Gravesenders who stopped by the ribbon cutting last Friday thought the plan was such a good idea, they are considering volunteering.

“It was a great experience,” said Philip Calder, who stopped by with girlfriend Lisa Ly. “I’m a carpenter by trade, it opened my eyes to maybe changing my profession.”

Calder speaks only English, but Ly, who is also mulling a job as an emergency responder, is fluent in Cantonese and is helping him learn the language, she said.

“I’m actually teaching him now a little bit,” Ly said. “I’m interested in joining the program and being trained.”

Reach reporter Julianne Cuba at (718) 260–4577 or by e-mail at jcuba@cnglocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @julcuba.