Southampton - It is not uncommon for business people to participate in their communities through their financial contributions and the time they devote to the activities of various organization.

One whose volunteer work is literally life-saving is that of Htun Han, Broker/Owner of Hamptons Realty Group in Amagansett. He is also a marine biologist by training, for which he holds a Ph.D.

Htun Han is the Broker/Owner of Hamptons Realty Group in Amagansett. (Courtesy Photo: Htun Han)

Htun and his wife Khin, natives of Burma, moved to the United States from England in 1977. Htun became an American citizen in 1985 and a Fire Department volunteer in in his hometown of Amagansett, which according to Htun, has the largest all-volunteer emergency medical service in Suffolk County and probably the entire country.

I spoke with Htun just before Memorial Day weekend. What started out as a conversation about real estate, which Htun described as "one of the three parts of his life" evolved into something of much greater magnitude. The other two parts, said Htun, "are my family and my EMT, (Emergency Medical Technician), ambulance volunteer work."

The story he told me explains the interconnection between the last two.

"In 1984 our daughter, Thuzar was born with a terminal illness. For the first 13 months of her life she lived in a hospital. When we took her home to Amagansett, we were told by the doctors that in a medical emergency, we would have to rely on EMT. Htun was so appreciative for the services they provided to him and his family that he approached the captain of the Fire Department to find out how he could repay them - "We need volunteers," was the response - and that was the beginning of his 26 years of volunteer work with the department's ambulance squad.

Would it be accurate to say, Htun, that you perform life-saving activities?

"Yes! Absolutely. There is no doubt about it. What we do on site is what would be done in the hospital emergency room."

What are some of the typical emergency situations that you have responded to, I asked.

"Domestic disturbances are very common. In those instances the police will respond first to secure the situation. When police officers graduate from the police academy they are EMT-qualified, but they are not required to be re-certified, so they will call us in. Attempted suicides, drug overdoses, barroom fights are also very common situations we are called in to respond to. Drownings are another. Falling off ladders and roofs. Dog bites."

How large is the ambulance corps Htun?

"We have approximately 30 members - town workers, plumbers, electricians - people in the community who have the job flexibility to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We must be prepared to drop whatever we are doing and respond to the emergency. We also have scheduled duty-days and nights when we must be available"

How many calls are typical, I asked.

"Usually a few times during the day, about six at night. July and August we receive as many calls as we do in the other 10 months combined."

What are some of the reasons people will discontinue their volunteer work?

"The economy is one reason. People are finding it necessary to work more than one job to pay their bills. Emotional stress is another. You have to be able to respond to an emergency, do the best you can, and then put it out of your mind. We are not allowed to discuss what happened with anyone, family members, friends, even each other. We can call upon "stress management teams," usually other volunteers who have had similar experiences and are trained to deal with stress."

Other than, "gratitude" for the services provided to you and your family in time of great need, are their any other factors that motivate you to do this, let me call it, "heroic" work?

"John, I get great personal satisfaction from helping the people in my community, many who I know by name and they know me. I can't explain it, but I can't tell you how often I am in the midst of trying to find a solution to a problem related to my business when a call comes in, and when I return to my business problem, somehow, the solution becomes evident to me."

How is the real estate business, Htun?

"It's been tough. Every deal is a struggle. A lot of deals do not make it from offer and acceptance to closing. Buyers have become very demanding in their expectations, and some sellers are choosing not to sell because of it. And we, the real estate brokers are caught in the middle."

Is financing an issue in your market, Htun?

"Yes - 70 percent to 80 percent of our sales are mortgage contingent. I always tell my agents to advise buyers to get pre-approved before they make offers on houses. What is affecting some of the appraisals are short-sales and foreclosures. I have seen a dramatic price drop in the last few years. And while I am an optimist by nature, I also think that the evidence indicates that the market has bottomed-out and things are beginning to turn around.