Beacon Volunteer Ambulance goes ALS

[JetPhoto 626]

Starting 06:00 Monday January 25, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance will become an ALS service. BVAC is in our Fifty First year serving residents in the City of Beacon and the Town of Fishkill (in the Chelsea, Glenham and Dutchess Junction fire districts). BVAC is a combination volunteer and paid service.

[TAPSJ 30]

Full ALS???

Thomas

[PVFD233 68]

With it no longer being completly Volunteer any possible name change? Beacon Community Ambulance?

Is 82-89 under any mutual aid agreements for outside the coverage zone and who is 2nd due for 2nd call in the district? Transcare?

Edited January 25, 2010 by SPFC56-233

[JetPhoto 626]

We have 1 medic on 24/7. We may have times were we will have a 2nd medic available but normally just 1. If ALS is needed for 2nd calls Transcare will be called.

mutual aid is limited because we only have 1 medic.

The name will remain the same.

[x129K 1,393]

Why would the name continue to have "Volunteer" in it? It is deceptive and an insult to actual volunteer agencies......

[ny10570 745]

Give them a break, they're only following suit. Ossining, Valhalla and Hawthorn all pay EMS members as well as several combination FDs. Fact is, the majority of the members are volunteers.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Give them a break, they're only following suit. Ossining, Valhalla and Hawthorn all pay EMS members as well as several combination FDs. Fact is, the majority of the members are volunteers.

I understand the questions as well guys but it is what it is for now. Let them enjoy the step they took as it is not a completely easy process and then or even now start a separate thread in a general term instead of on the thread they're starting ALS. Its a little more appropriate and also will follow site guidelines.

Also I know of very few combination FD's that utilize "volunteer" in their names and have career staff. Minus those who add it in on their T--shirts or whatever else they print up despite it not being the official name of the department.

Best of luck to Beacon with their upgrade in service.

Edited January 25, 2010 by alsfirefighter

[fireguy43 35]

Why would the name continue to have "Volunteer" in it? It is deceptive and an insult to actual volunteer agencies......

HUH? BVAC has a long history and favorable reputation in the City of Beacon going back to, I believe, the 1950's. It was always a volunteer organization and generations of Beacon families (the Arquilla's, the Dinan's, etc) served and continue to serve. They hire one medic and all of a sudden they're insulting volunteer agencies????? C'mon, that's out of line and ridiculous.

[x129K 1,393]

Ok,...maybe a bit too harsh on the first post...my bad....how about "misleading"? Is that better?

Regardless, as Tommy posted above, I wish the best to Beacon..

Now who stole my rep point! LOL!

[Guest]

Why would the name continue to have "Volunteer" in it? It is deceptive and an insult to actual volunteer agencies......

Should we start a list of "volunteer" fire dept's who really arent all volunteer i can think of a few right now bvac keep up the good work

[fireguy43 35]

Ok,...maybe a bit too harsh on the first post...my bad....how about "misleading"? Is that better?

Regardless, as Tommy posted above, I wish the best to Beacon..

Now who stole my rep point! LOL!

Dan- You're forgiven since you live and play on the other end of the county and wouldn't be familiar with BVAC. They were originally formed (Beacon guys, help me out here if I'm wrong)with the help of Beacon Engine Co. #1 (33-11). "Beacon Engine" as the locals call them, donated the land across from BFD station #1 for BVAC's first quarters. Although separate, they enjoyed a close relationship with the BFD over the years, and many of the BVAC members are also members of either BFD or other neighboring departments.

Having seen them in operation in their heyday of the 1960's and '70's, and also in the lean years that followed for a while, I am glad that they have been able to make this giant step. I personally don't care what's on the door of the rig, as long as when the door opens, there are qualified people stepping out of it. I drive an ambulance, it says "100% volunteer" on the side, and if I ever see BVAC at Saints, Vassar, or driving up Route 9, I won't be insulted at all.

[TAPSJ 30]

This might help boys.

BVAC

http://www.beaconvac.org/

This is from the History Section o the BVAC Website

The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps was first started in 1958 due to impetus from a Beacon police officer and a Beacon Engine Company member named Walter Detwiller. He was a transplant from New Jersey, but while still living in New Jersey, his son's life was saved by a volunteer ambulance corps in the area. He thought that it would greatly benefit the community to have our own ambulance service in Beacon and he went to work on the project. He enlisted the help of Joe Catalano and George Cable and the members of the Beacon Engine Company and recruited 29 people to start the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

The initial ambulance was a 1948 burned out Cadillac ambulance, donated from a dealer in New Jersey, that the members refurbished. The ambulance was housed at the Beacon Engine Company, which also housed our emergency phone. Soon we outgrew our facilities there and through the efforts of the Beacon Engine Company, an old two bay garage was purchased and donated to BVAC. This was our new home. As the years passed, BVAC again felt the growing pains and in 1975 construction on the current building commenced. This was done primarily by volunteers and the heavy construction was through the Naval Reserve Seabee Unit located in the area. Construction continued for five long years. The BVAC Headquarters as we know it today was dedicated in May of 1980.

There was no county dispatch system for us in the beginning, so at first, 3, then 7 members had phones installed in their homes to receive emergency calls. They would get on the phone and call members to man the ambulance whenever an emergency call came in. In 1980 a new dispatch system came to BVAC as the Beacon Police Department began to answer the phone lines and they would, in turn, dispatch us by way of our, then new, pagers. This continued until 1984 when we joined the Dutchess County Bureau of Fire dispatch system, which we still use to this day.

We have changed and upgraded our service many times since our incorporation on April 16, 1959. We became New York State Certified in 1990, Defibrillation Certified in 1991, and provide complete Advanced Life Support by way of contract providers in October of 1996. We currently run a fleet of three modern, fully equipped, New York State Certified ambulances, as well as a Basic Life Support First Response vehicle. We have also recently added a Mass Casualty Incident Trailer. We currently run approximately 2200 calls per year, which makes us one of the busiest volunteer services in the county.

Thomas

[PVFD233 68]

Having seen them in operation in their heyday of the 1960's and '70's, and also in the lean years that followed for a while, I am glad that they have been able to make this giant step. I personally don't care what's on the door of the rig, as long as when the door opens, there are qualified people stepping out of it. I drive an ambulance, it says "100% volunteer" on the side, and if I ever see BVAC at Saints, Vassar, or driving up Route 9, I won't be insulted at all.

It is not about us. We all know what is what. It comes down to the public and being misleading.

[fireguy43 35]

Well done, Tommy boy.... you're in the running for EMTBravo historian. For the record, Joe Catalano was an eventual Chief of Department in Beacon. I'm not as sure what rank George Cable achieved. In any event, there is a close tie between BVAC and the fire service. Kudos to them for establishing ALS service.

Tommy- where ya been? Had to make a midnight tanker run the other night, waited for you......

[FFD941 20]

From what I've heard you've picked some seasoned Medics to start your New Era, Good Job. I wish you the best of luck.

Edited January 26, 2010 by FFD941

[64FFMJK 21]

I'm not as sure what rank George Cable achieved.

He was the Chief of Glenham last year or so.

Best of luck to BVAC however I do agree with others that the public is prone to temporary stupidity and could get misled by the name now that the have Paid staff.

[Mark Z 18]

Why would the name continue to have "Volunteer" in it? It is deceptive and an insult to actual volunteer agencies......

It is just like a couple of the old fire companies that say Steam Engine Co # whatever, it will be more a hat tip to the past than a statement of fact! Plus if I was BVAC I would keep the name for the goodwill factor instead of people wondering why you came in and took over questions, which you would never hear 90% of asked out loud. I also am assuming that BVAC still has to do fundraising? There are alot of reasons why a name change isn't neccessary and not even advisable, I came up with these reasons in just a couple of minutes, I bet BVAC probably has plenty more than I can come up with!

Congratulations to BVAC!

[NWFDMedic 58]

Congratulations to BVAC. I was transporting a patient to Vassar yesterday morning when I heard 82-89 call in service.

[JetPhoto 626]

BVAC does do fund raising but in today's world that will just not pay all the bills, several years ago we started billing. We use Certified Ambulance Group

[EFFD4091-MLSS emt 13]

Congrats to BVAC, Best of Luck...

[fireguy43 35]

It is just like a couple of the old fire companies that say Steam Engine Co # whatever, it will be more a hat tip to the past than a statement of fact! Plus if I was BVAC I would keep the name for the goodwill factor instead of people wondering why you came in and took over questions, which you would never hear 90% of asked out loud. I also am assuming that BVAC still has to do fundraising? There are alot of reasons why a name change isn't neccessary and not even advisable, I came up with these reasons in just a couple of minutes, I bet BVAC probably has plenty more than I can come up with!

Congratulations to BVAC!

Excellent point.... why throw away 60+ years of goodwill in the name? You'd be answering questions from old time residents for years.

[fireguy43 35]

He was the Chief of Glenham last year or so.

Best of luck to BVAC however I do agree with others that the public is prone to temporary stupidity and could get misled by the name now that the have Paid staff.

Close, but no cigar. George Cable helped initiate BVAC in the late 1950's. The most recent "Cable" that was the Chief of Glenham was Jeff a few years ago. Jeff also has something to do with Safety at Green Haven Prison. Before him, his father Dennis was also a Chief of Glenham back in the 1980's (?). I believe George may have been Dennis's father or uncle. I know, "TMI"

[truck45 1]

Don't really care what it says on the ambulance or what they should be called . I could care less if its a paid service or volunteer service. The more important issue is the response times, and the ability to cover 2nd, and 3rd calls.

Everything else is trivial .

[64FFMJK 21]

Close, but no cigar. George Cable helped initiate BVAC in the late 1950's. The most recent "Cable" that was the Chief of Glenham was Jeff a few years ago. Jeff also has something to do with Safety at Green Haven Prison. Before him, his father Dennis was also a Chief of Glenham back in the 1980's (?). I believe George may have been Dennis's father or uncle. I know, "TMI"

Sorry my bad. I was thinking about Jeff. Jeff is or at least was the FSO (fire Safety Officer) at Green Haven and the Glenham chief for 2008 I believe. I was half asleep when I replied. I talked to Jeff and his father a couple months ago during training and I believe that George was his grandfather and that he may have also been chief or a founder of Glenham FD. I know that the entire Cable family was honored by Glenham for their combined years of service.

[64FFMJK 21]

Don't really care what it says on the ambulance or what they should be called . I could care less if its a paid service or volunteer service. The more important issue is the response times, and the ability to cover 2nd, and 3rd calls.

Everything else is trivial .

Very good point. It doesn't matter what the ambulance says if it never shows up.