GUEST OPINION, March 4
By: Peter Simon
On Feb. 3, Albert Toto Sr. passed away at the age of 91. A lifelong Princeton resident, his commitment to health and safety still reverberates through the community. For over three decades, he volunteered with the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad, creating and expanding an organization to meet the emergency medical and technical rescue needs of the community.
The squad was originally a component of the Princeton Engine Company No. 1. Shortly after receiving its first Cadillac ambulance in 1941, membership was opened to non-fire department members. Albert was the first to join, and he played a key role in defining the squad and its mission through the early years.
Times have certainly changed since Albert’s first years on the squad. The original Cadillac ambulance responded to 279 calls in 1942, the first full year of operations; we now operate eight vehicles, including three ambulances, and responded to 2,321 calls in 2004.
Albert’s service was unwavering. Numerous dinners got cold or went completely uneaten as he often had to leave his family behind to help strangers in need. While working in his family-owned market, Albert’s parents wondered how he could leave work to respond to calls. His answer was simple: People’s groceries could wait; the sick and injured needed him more urgently.
Albert led our organization as both captain and president before taking over as treasurer, a position he held for 12 years. Past members credit his tight fiscal control as a crucial element in allowing the squad to expand and meet the growing needs of the community. A quiet and devoted man, Albert took great pride in the squad and avidly promoted it at displays and demonstrations. His dependability and professionalism made him a role model for many squad members fortunate enough to serve during his tenure.
His wife, Ida, a member of the squad’s Ladies Auxiliary, recounts many stories about his experiences. One particularly haunting tale dates back to 1955 and showcases Albert’s heroism and devotion to helping others. Two boys were canoeing across the Millstone River when the heavy current resulting from a flood caused the boys’ boat to overturn near a low-head dam. Rescuers were called, with Albert being one of the first squad members to arrive. They quickly attempted to reach the overturned canoe using a rowboat. Shortly after they freed the canoe from the dam, the rowboat got caught in the turbulence and sustained damage. Efforts to free themselves from the dam’s undertow were unsuccessful and the boat capsized. Albert and his partner were thrown into the river, where they spent a few harrowing minutes before being rescued. Albert’s desire to try to save the two boys overshadowed the fact that he did not know how to swim.
Current members of the squad had the privilege of providing an honor guard at Albert’s viewing and serving as pallbearers at his funeral. We are grateful to the Toto family for this opportunity and hope we conveyed just how important Albert was to our organization. Watching the scores of family and friends pay their last respects, we quietly wondered how many thousands of other lives were touched by his life-saving volunteering.
As a final gesture of support, the Toto family has named the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad as one of the organizations to which memorial contributions can be made. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law, and can be sent to the squad at P.O. Box 529, Princeton, NJ 08542.
Peter Simon is publicity chair of the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad.