Agoracom

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Nelson Cambata knows how to say thank you.

After New Smyrna Beach firefighters came to his house about three months ago to help an elderly family friend who had fallen and broken her hip, the local businessman decided he needed to show his appreciation.

But when he tried to present the agency with a $10,000 check, he was told it could not accept the money.

Cambata insisted on doing something, so fire officials referred him to a supplier of extrication tools and he purchased an entire set for the department. They were delivered Tuesday.

"They went way, way above and beyond," Cambata said about the treatment the 76-year-old woman received.

In describing the call, he said within seconds after hanging up from the 9-1-1 operator, fire crews arrived at his beachside home. From there, they handled the victim with the utmost respect and gentleness.

"It was an unbelievable response," he said. "There are many ways to do a job. You can do it with a personal touch or you can go though the motions."

Cambata said the New Smyrna Beach crew did their jobs with a true "human touch."

"They not only cared for her needs, but my family's needs as well," he said.

Battalion Chief Mike Coats said his crew treated the woman the same as they treat all their victims.

"We didn't do anything different," he said. "It was just that he was very appreciative."

That appreciation translated into a spreader, also known as the "jaws of life," a ram, cutters, other accessories and the pump to operate them, valued at $11,500.

"AMKUS (the company that supplied the equipment) made up the difference," Coats said.

While the equipment is refurbished -- purchased new it would have cost more than $20,000 -- it is like new. Coats said it has been assigned to the department's beachside engine.

With it on that unit, the agency now has the capability to perform extrications anywhere in the city without having to wait for a backup apparatus coming from another zone.

Fire Chief Tim Hawver said Cambata's contribution to his department is one of the biggest in its history and shows the good in people.

"He is a very giving person," Hawver said of his department's benefactor. "You can't tell people no who want to help."

The extrication equipment went into service as soon as it was installed, Coats said.