AMBULANCE COMPANY DISPATCHES HOLIDAY JOY.

Byline: Dennis McCarthy 

How Bernie Sand got from a Reseda convalescent hospital bed Thanksgiving Day to his favorite spot on the couch at home in West Hills next to his dog, Marky, is the kind of holiday story that makes you want to go out and rent ``It's A Wonderful Life'' or ``Miracle on 34th Street.''

It's got it all - kids, family, and the normally bottom-line-conscious cold heart of corporate America warming up for the holidays.

American Medical Response may not be big in name identification, but this emergency and nonemergency ambulance service company is drawing great reviews from families like the Sands who want to be together again on important family holidays, like Christmas, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.

Families that may want a grandmother or grandfather in a convalescent hospital to be home with them Christmas Day to see their newest great-grandchild.

Or families, like the Sands, where dad suffered a paralyzing stroke three months ago, and his wife and daughters wanted nothing more than to grant him his wish this Thanksgiving - to come home for the day.

``It was physically just too tough for us to get him home by ourselves, so we knew we were going to need some help,'' said Sandy Sand, Bernie's wife of 40 years.

She began calling around to nonemergency ambulance companies about four days before Thanksgiving, waiting until the last minute because she was not sure how her ailing husband was going to be feeling.

``I began calling all the places in the Yellow Pages, and either they were closed on Thanksgiving, totally booked already, or only doing dialysis patients that day,'' Sandy said.

``When I called them (American Medical Response), the young lady on the phone asked what we needed the ambulance for. When I told her it was to bring my husband home for the day from a convalescent hospital, she said they'd be happy to do it.

``When I asked her how much it would cost, she said approximately $300, but there would be no charge,'' Sandy said. ``I was shocked. I asked her, It's free? She said, Yes, it was on them.''

Alfonso Castro, a supervisor with American Medical Response, said shock and surprise is the typical reaction his employees get when families are told about his company's ``Home For the Holidays'' program.

``It's a gift,'' Castro said. ``We want to see families together again on special days like this. It makes them feel better and makes us feel better.

``I wish we all could see things like this happen more often,'' he said. ``We don't ask for anything, just a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.''

So, on Thanksgiving Day this year, one of Castro's ambulances pulled up in front of Woodland Care Center in Reseda, and two attendants walked inside and lifted Bernie Sand out of bed as his two daughters watched.

They drove him home to West Hills, where Sandy was getting things ready, just like old times.

``The TV was already turned on to golf when he came in,'' Sandy said. ``He sat down on his favorite spot on the couch with Marky, our dog, lying next to him.

``All he kept saying was how nice it was to be in his corner on the couch again,'' she said.

Relatives and family friends stopped by during the day to see how Bernie was doing. He greeted them all as best he could from his corner on the couch - instead of a hospital bed.

``It was such a wonderful day for all our family, thanks to that ambulance company,'' Sandy said.

Bernie's coming home for Christmas Day, too, but his daughters, Beth and Karen, and Sandy have decided they can transport him themselves this time, now that Bernie's able to help them a little more.

``I'd rather see some other family benefit from American's generosity, anyhow,'' Sandy says.

A free ride home for the holidays. Nice, warm touch.

The telephone number for American Medical Response is [phone].