AUBURN, Mass. – The Auburn Fire Department has a new ambulance, thanks to a large donation from a town resident who passed away last year.

Debbie Virgilio left the department $525,000 in her will. The town's emergency services helped the longtime resident frequently throughout her life. 

The donation shocked Fire Chief Stephen Coleman and came at a time when the department was looking into replacing one of their ambulances. Virgilio's executors handled the financial aspects of the will, and, thanks to Virgilio and her generosity, the department was able to celebrate the new ambulance Wednesday.

"They had no idea that it was coming,” said Joe Schenette, one of the executors of Virgilio’s will. “I walked into Steve Coleman’s office one morning and I said, 'here it is Steve, what do you need?' So, I made his day. You could see there was a look of disbelief, and then as time went on, I got to realize this ambulance is going to fill a big void."

"These opportunities seldom, if ever, come along,” said Joshua Sparks, the department’s EMS coordinator. “So, it was a wonderful gift to share with us and we hope to honor that memory by making the most of it."

The new ambulance will have new cardiac monitor, IV infusion pumps and new video tools for airway management. 

The department says it will use the funds originally intended for the ambulance for other projects.