April 19, 2024
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After 40 years of service, Henry Hackman steps down from Peru Volunteer Ambulance Service

Hackman began as an EMT before eventually becoming Board President

By Jayce Eustice
Mayor Scott Harl (left) presents longtime businessman Henry Hackman and wife Deb Hackman with a certificate naming him a "Peru Good Neighbor." Hackman, a longtime State Farm agent, retired at the end of January after 40 years.

Mayor Scott Harl (left) presents longtime businessman Henry Hackman and wife Deb Hackman with a certificate naming him a "Peru Good Neighbor." Hackman, a longtime State Farm agent, retired at the end of January after 40 years. (Tom Collins)

Former Peru Businessman Henry Hackman is stepping down from the Peru Volunteer Ambulance Board of Directors after 40 years of service.

Hackman is well-known and respected throughout the local communities after his time with PVAS as well as serving as a local State Farm Insurance Agent located in Peru.

Hackman has been with the Peru Volunteer Ambulance Service since its beginning, which, according to Hackman, stemmed from an unfortunate robbery and chance encounter.

“For me, it was just a way to give something back to the community that was so good to me and my family.”

—  Henry Hackman

Hackman stated that around 1980 there was a shooting at one of the motels on the west end of Peru. The shooter left the motel and traveled into downtown Peru to rob a sporting goods store, were he ended up shooting one of the employees in the leg.

Hackman heard the commotion and went to help the injured employee. An ambulance was called from the lounge of the local motel. As the ambulance, from the private ambulance service, was en route, it was involved in an accident, and the operator was charged with a DUI.

Following this tragic accident, the city decided to try and put together a volunteer ambulance service.

Hackman saw the opportunity to provide a much-needed service to the city and help protect those in need of medical assistance.

“I thought it would be great, I thought the training would be wonderful for my family if they ever had any health issues,” Hackaman said. “So I volunteered and started when the service started in December 1980.”

Hackman said many individuals and organizations were responsible for setting up the PVAS. Late Peru Mayor Donald Baker and the Illinois Department of Public Health were critical in the formation of the PVAS.

Hackman has been with the PVAS since its formation, but stated he stopped taking service calls around 10 years ago. Hackman joked he did it because he needed his sleep more as he got older.

Since stepping down from taking calls, Hackman has still been serving on the Board of Directors until his recent retirement and subsequent move out of Peru.

Hackman was proud of how PVAS has grown in its 40 years in existence and the amount of people in the community it has served.

“At the time we started, we had two ambulances and maybe 20 volunteers,” Hackman said. “One ambulance was just for transfers from nursing homes and hospitals, and the other was for emergency calls.”

At the time of Hackman’s retirement, the service had five ambulances with three designated as advanced life support and two assigned basic life support.

The service grew from just a thought to an essential service that now provides about 3,400 calls a year.

The service originally was completely volunteer, but has since grown to a paid, full-time service. The individuals have gone from basic EMT levels to paramedics to trained as critical-care paramedics.

When Hackman began with the service, he fully intended to do his duty and run ambulance calls while leaving the management side of the service up to other individuals.

“Lo and behold, I end up on the board and, due to an untimely death, as the President of the Board,” Hackman said. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is completely opposite of where I planned on being.’ ”

Throughout Hackman’s many years of service, he has met many individuals and had high praise for the members of the community he served.

“I think it’s the same everywhere, but there’s so many caring and giving people,” Hackman said. “We used to chuckle when it was 100% volunteer, ‘Why would you get up at two o’clock in the morning for an auto accident?’ For me, it was just a way to give something back to the community that was so good to me and my family.”

While Hackman praises the community he served, it is possible the members of the La Salle-Peru area are even more thankful for the many years of service Hackman gave to them.

Moving forward, Hackman hopes to see PVAS continue to grow while offering any assistance he can. He hopes to be able to do some traveling as soon as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic allows.