About Us

An Overview of R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service, LLC

R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service, LLC has been in existence since June 1951. The service was formerly known as Frank J. Foley Ambulance Service, named for its original owner. Prior to 1951, ambulance service for the region was provided by the Elliot Community Hospital in Keene. Due to renovations to the hospital in 1951, the ambulance service could no longer operate from that facility; therefore the operation of the ambulance service was sent out to bid. The Frank J. Foley Funeral Home, of Keene, was awarded the contract.

On June 1, 1952 the Foley Ambulance Service began providing ambulance service to the Monadnock Region for all towns except Winchester and Jaffrey. Foley’s operated with two ambulances from 1951 to 1964. In 1955, Frank Foley purchased a low-band two-way radio system and became the first ambulance service in the state to have direct radio communications with the emergency department at the hospital. Febuary 5, 1961, Robert J. DiLuzio became an employee of the Frank J. Foley Funeral Home and Ambulance Service. In 1964, due to his enthusiasm for the profession, DiLuzio added a third rescue/ambulance vehicle by converting his personal station wagon into a response unit. In 1965, the original radio system was upgraded to high-band frequencies that are currently used by emergency services in the region today.

In 1975, Robert J. DiLuzio, Sr. purchased the funeral home and ambulance service from the Frank Foley estate. At that time, the name of the company was changed to R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service and operated as a division of Foley Funeral Home, Inc. After evaluating the current status of the business, Robert DiLuzio approached the City of Keene about the costs of operating the ambulance service. After a one-year study, it was agreed the Keene Fire Department would provide emergency service to the community and R.J. Ambulance Service would continue to provide services to the area medical facilities as well as all transfer and long distance ambulance services. DiLuzio also agreed to provide free twenty-four hour back-up ambulance coverage to the fire department.

After seeing an increase in the need for non-traditional medical and ambulance transportation, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service began providing wheelchair transport services in the fall of 1983. This system was designed to transport wheelchair bound and walking impaired patients from their homes and local nursing facilities to non-emergency medical appointments at the hospital and area clinics. The service was initially provided with a low roof passenger van that was converted with a manually operated wheelchair ramp. The popularity and utilization of these services has increased drastically, and we now operate with state-of-the-art custom-built wheelchair transport vehicles.

The mid to late 1980s brought a great deal of change in the level of prehospital care provided by R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service. The ambulance service purchased one of the first two defibrillators that were placed in service in the region. New equipment standards as well as new certification and licensing policies paved the way for many changes for the company. In 1991, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service became the first service to provide EMT-Intermediate level of care in the Keene area. This allowed providers to perform intravenous skills and advanced assessment and airway techniques to their patients prior to being transported to the hospital.

In January of 1995, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service made a major administrative change. Due to the increase in business, as well as increased government regulation, the ambulance service separated from Foley Funeral Home, Inc. and became a Limited Liability Company. Although this changed how the business was managed, the staff and facility arrangement remained the same. This change allowed the ambulance service to grow and change independently from the operations of the funeral home, and prepare the company for the many changes that were to come over the next several years.

Recognizing the needs of the community, in 1997, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service, LLC began researching the expansion of the level of prehospital care provided in the region. At that time, several communities approached DiLuzio about providing emergency ambulance services to their towns. In 1998, the service signed a State of New Hampshire ALS agreement along with the Cheshire Medical Center to begin providing paramedic level service to patients during interfacility transports. In preparation for these changes and due to contractual agreements, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service, LLC began providing immediate response with crews stationed in-house twenty-four hours per day. Prior to this, crews responded from home during the hours of 5pm and 8 am. After one year of organization and orientation, in June 1999, R.J. DiLuzio Ambulance Service, LLC began to provide prehospital emergency paramedic response to the Monadnock region.

After many years in the business, we have come a long way. Our history shows our dedication to advancement for the good of the community and the customers that we care for. Currently, we operate five ambulances, three wheelchair transport vehicles and a paramedic response unit. We operate with state-of-the-art medical equipment and are continually researching and upgrading our equipment and operations to provide exceptional care and service. We constantly motivate our employees to increase their certifications and knowledge base. We are very proud of our deeply rooted commitment to the community and we feel that we have always shown our willingness to expand our services and provide care to those in need.