The Career Of A Lifetime

In a culture where most of us can expect to work for seven different employers during our lives, John Rzasa has chosen a lifetime career with the family owned and operated Fallon Ambulance in Milton.

Rzasa is celebrating his 35th year of service with the company. His only plans to leave will be upon his retirement in 2010 and the Fallon family, gratefully, would not have it any other way.

Armed with a First Aid Card from the Boy Scouts, Rzasa was hired by the company founder, Ray Fallon Sr. on December 7, 1965 as a first aid provider. In those days the company had six ambulances, three in Dorchester and three in Cambridge and a half dozen employees. Today Fallon Ambulance employs 425 and has a fleet of over 100 ambulances with trained paramedics and EMTs.

Times have changed for the ambulance industry and Rzasa has been there every step of the way. In the early years, Rzasa remembers that clients used to tip for ambulance transports; a $2 tip was common for transports to Deaconess Hospital. While the company didn't encourage employees to take tips, Rzasa says that clients were offended if a tip was refused.

Over the years, Rzasa traveled the highways for out of state medical transports often to New York City to pick up patients with head traumas to bring them back to Boston for treatment. Other medical transports included trips to Washington D.C. and Quebec, Canada.

Rzasa recalls the famous case of Sunny Van Bulow. He was assigned to transport her from Brigham and Women's Hospital down to a New York City Hospital where the family had reserved an entire floor.

When former President George Bush was Vice President he visited the area and Rzasa was assigned to the motorcade with the Secret Service. He also stood by throughout the night in case medical assistance was necessary. In 1965, Queen Elizabeth came to Boston aboard her yacht, the Britannia and was docked next to the Constitution in Boston Harbor. Rzasa was assigned to the Queen and was fortunately not needed. Rzasa has also driven ambulances for a documentary aired by the British Broadcasting Corporation and for a movie where he drove around the rotary in South Boston with lights flashing a dozen times until filming was complete.

"I've had a wonderful time with the best company you could every work for," said Rzasa. "Ray Fallon Senior is a great guy, he would give you the shirt off his back in a snowstorm. In fact, the whole family is inspiring, always doing for others."

For Rzasa working for the Fallon family business has been such a great experience that his son has followed in his footsteps and started his career with Fallon Ambulance.

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.