From Volunteer to Founder, Stacy Librandi Leads Haiti’s Largest Ambulance Network

Born in San Diego and adopted as an infant, Stacy Librandi spent her youth moving across the United States before settling in the Bronx, where she ran a photography business and raised three children. After a fire left her homeless in 2009, she boarded a plane to Haiti weeks after the magnitude-7 quake struck, initially planning a brief stay. Her early efforts distributing food on the airport tarmac evolved into the Humanitarian Emergency Response Organization, which now provides 24/7 ambulance and medevac care throughout Haiti.

HERO’s funding model relies on low-cost annual memberships while also partnering with insurance firms, regional ports and tourism boards to finance operations. The organization adapted to the country’s deteriorating security after 2021, arranging emergency evacuations such as the transport of the former first lady to the United States. Today, HERO remains the sole locally run emergency response system in Haiti, continuing to fill critical gaps in pre-hospital care.