To the resuce
Moody honored after 2,000 calls



GUILDERLAND — Western Avenue has seen a lot of change in 45 years. Back then, the two-lane road was more commonly known as Western Turnpike and the rescue squad that bears its name drove Cadillacs for ambulances.

Wesely P. Moody remembers, because he was there.

Honored as the longest-serving member in the rescue squad’s history, Moody was presented with a plaque commemorating his 45th year of service last Thursday.

At age 72, Moody doesn’t plan on leaving the halls of his beloved rescue squad anytime soon.
"As my general practitioner has said, ‘I’m only trying to keep you alive.’ And I’m trying to do the same thing," Moody said with a crooked smiled. "Fortunately, I’ve enjoyed good health."

Since 1961, Moody has been a proud member of the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad in Guilderland and has made many, many ambulance runs along Route 20 during those years.
"I’ve answered a lot of ambulance calls," Moody told The Enterprise. "Although I have never actively kept track of it"It must be between 2,000 and 2,500 calls."

Back in 1961, while he was working for the New York State Department of Transportation, one of Moody’s friends belonged to the McKownville Fire Department. Moody soon discovered that a member of the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad was going to be visiting the firehouse.
"He wanted to know if I’d be interested in meeting with him," Moody said.

After speaking with the rescue squad worker, Moody was hooked. Both he and his friend signed up.

Forty-five years later, Moody’s still working there and wearing his orange medic’s jacket with a Turnpike insignia and an Emergency Medical Technician patch on his arm.
"If I never went to that meeting, I never would have gotten here," said Moody. "I joined a crew that was a regular Monday-night crew"and I gained experience with them in terms of first aid and operating the equipment."

Moody has seen not only Western Avenue change, but his beloved squad as well.
"In 1967, the DOT was established at the federal level. It was that program that made the requirements for future vehicles and brought in the kinds of units that are commonplace today," Moody said. "Prior to that, the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad had Cadillac-type of ambulances."

With many changes over the years and rapidly-improving technology, Moody said the one thing that stands out as the most important is cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
"Everything evolves with experience, but one of the most notable things are the changes in CPR from ’61 to the present," said Moody. "Today it has significantly improved in effectiveness."

Moody said that one of the original rescue-squad members from 1941 showed him where their original building stood on Route 20.
"I took a picture of this building that was shared with the State Police," Moody said. "It’s long-gone now but I still have that picture."

The squad’s new building on Centre Drive is a vast improvement over its old station one building at 1851 Western Ave., said Moody. Since the building didn’t even have hot water, sanitation became a concern, he said. The rescue squad members used to go door-to-door for donations to keep their daily operations running, he said.
"I was responsible for the very last door-to-door drive"Our goal was $65,000, but we exceeded it by several thousand," Moody said.
"He’s still very much active with the squad," said Howard Huth, the squad’s chief of operations. "Not so much as riding with us as he provides counsel." Moody also said he oversees the squad’s insurance policies.

Moody rode ambulances for over 30 years as an active associate before switching over to become an associate member, a title he still proudly carries today. He was also the squad’s president for seven-and-a-half years, its treasurer, and he served on its board of directors.
"Time flies by," he said.
Nowadays, Moody and his wife have traded in their cold New York winters for warmer Florida ones, but he still makes time for the squad that he calls "absolutely one of the greatest."