Down in the 'Danch

Cruising Long Island’s underbelly with the busiest ambulance squad in New York State.

Photos by Lawrence Sumulong

The call comes over the radio as a cardiac arrest, but when the squad members arrive on scene — an art deco-style home in Wyandanch, Long Island — it’s a crime scene instead. The situation is what EMTs call a “signal 50,” or “dead on arrival.” No one will be leaving in the back of the ambulance, which waits with its lights still flashing outside the home.

The deceased is a 25-year-old male who was found by his parents following a heroin overdose — a bulky man, curled in the fetal position, a needle lying next to his arm. On his wrist is a medical bracelet from the rehab center that released him the day before. Pamphlets for Narcotics Anonymous are sprinkled throughout the home.