Park Slope Volunteer Ambulance Corps
Encyclopedia
Community organization
Community organizations are civil society non-profits that operate within a single local community. They are essentially a subset of the wider group of nonprofits. Like other nonprofits they are often run on a voluntary basis and are self funded...
that provides emergency medical response
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
, rescue
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
operations, patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
assessment, treatment, and transport, regardless of ability to pay in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Since 1992, members have responded to over ten thousand calls for help.
Mission
PSVAC's mission is as follows:- Provide emergency medical responseEmergency medicineEmergency medicine is a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. While not usually providing long-term or continuing care, emergency medicine physicians diagnose a variety of illnesses and undertake acute...
, rescue operations, patient assessment, treatment, and transport, regardless of ability to pay - Provide placement, educational and event services to members of the community
History
The Park Slope Volunteer Ambulance Corps was founded by members of the Park Slope, BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
community in 1992, in response to a scarcity of EMS resources and increased call-times.
PSVAC has served the community for over 15 years, and has won a number of recognitions and awards and sponsorships.
Today, the Park Slope Volunteer Ambulance Corps has over 50 active members , including 10 crew chiefs. PSVAC has three ambulances, patrol bicycles and a first-response fly car. The Corps responds to thousands of calls every year, resulting in treating and/or transporting over seven hundred patients. By comparison, there are entire communities around the country whose annual response is less than 500 calls.
PSVAC is a participating member of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY)'s NYC 911 system.
Membership
The Corps is composed of unpaid volunteersVolunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
who donate their time and a wide range of skills and experience. Members who work on PSVAC's ambulances are all highly trained medical personnel, capable of handling a wide range of emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
situations.
Members come from all walks of life. Some are medical professionals, such as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-Bs), paramedics, doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, etc. Others work in finance, law enforcement, construction, education, business, or are self-employed.
Most members are New York State certified EMT-Bs and work on the ambulances
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
. Other members serve as dispatchers
Dispatch (logistics)
Dispatch is a procedure for assigning employees or vehicles to customers. Industries that dispatch include taxicabs, couriers, emergency services, as well as home and commercial services such as maid services, plumbing, HVAC, pest control and electricians.With vehicle dispatching, clients are...
, instructors, manage membership recruitment and perform other support functions.