Brewster FD accepting bids for ambulance service

[x635 4,066]

Will the crew be using Brewster's ambulances, or Transcares?

[x1243 141]

Will the crew be using Brewster's ambulances, or Transcares?

Brewster's units

[ckroll 101]

And one last point; I feel that once an agency hires paid EMS personel, they can no longer use the "VAC" moniker...

It's only a name. Can a fire department call themselves volunteer if they hire services like EMT's, or drivers? Heavens, we've been paying for services for years. We pay someone to clean the buildings, to service the rigs-- and a working rig is just as important to EMS as the EMT-- we pay someone to bill.... I think my home corps was even getting the rigs professionally detailed for parades for a while.

Does billing or staffing define volunteer? Perhaps it is time to call ourselves 'profits' or 'not for profits', though that said, I think most 'profits' aren't making much and most 'not for profits' are raking it in.

Whatever they call themselves, Brewster made a decision that puts patient care ahead of ego or tradition and for this they should be applauded. I am with those who wonder how this will affect mutual aid, however.

[DDixie 12]

I agree 100%, goes along the lines with agencies that use "Paramedic Service(s)" in their names, even if they have BLS units, the citizen's don't know the difference, but that is a horse of a different color.

My basic point, I feel things like that are misleading.

That's an unfair statement! There may be VACs that use a paid paramedic on their ambulance, or a paid EMT to supplement the staffing need when a volunteer EMT is unavailable, but that doesn't take away from the Volunteer status of the VAC. Many of these VACs still have members (volunteers) who go on calls and give of their free time to serve the community by riding on calls. It all depends on the culture of the Corps and a true understanding of what the expectations are of the volunteers to be a member of such Corps. It's not the Bake Sale club that people join, and that may mean that a serious time commitment needs to be take if you are a volunteer. But the most important thing is for VACs to find a way to guarantee they have the needed staffing (paid or volunteer) to provide the expected coverage to their own community.

[x129K 1,393]

That's an unfair statement! There may be VACs that use a paid paramedic on their ambulance, or a paid EMT to supplement the staffing need when a volunteer EMT is unavailable, but that doesn't take away from the Volunteer status of the VAC. Many of these VACs still have members (volunteers) who go on calls and give of their free time to serve the community by riding on calls. It all depends on the culture of the Corps and a true understanding of what the expectations are of the volunteers to be a member of such Corps. It's not the Bake Sale club that people join, and that may mean that a serious time commitment needs to be take if you are a volunteer. But the most important thing is for VACs to find a way to guarantee they have the needed staffing (paid or volunteer) to provide the expected coverage to their own community.

Ummm..actually....once you start having supplemental paid personell...you go from being volunteer to combo...and who the hell wants CAC on the side of their buses!?

Change it to EMS and move on to what matters - people.

[JohnnyOV 2]

and who the hell wants CAC on the side of their buses!?

Especially if you're from the Boston area... no offense to your horrendous accent guys

[x129K 1,393]

Especially if you're from the Boston area... no offense to your horrendous accent guys

Bwhahahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wiscems 23]

What other VACs in Westchester have gone paid? Just curious.

[ckroll 101]

Ummm..actually....once you start having supplemental paid personell...you go from being volunteer to combo...and who the hell wants CAC on the side of their buses!?

Change it to EMS and move on to what matters - people.

I'm liking CAC, with a scruffy tabby cat hacking up a hair ball [star of Life] as the mascot. At least it's not misleading....

[JJB531 652]

What other VACs in Westchester have gone paid? Just curious.

Briarcliff (Part Time - Transcare)

Croton-on-Hudson (Part Time - Ossining)

Eastchester (Part Time)

Harrison (Full Time)

Hawthorne (Part Time - Empress)

Ossining (Full Time)

Peekskill (Part Time - Hudson Valley I believe)

Port Chester/Rye/Rye Brook (Full Time)

Scarsdale (Part Time)

Valhalla (Part Time - TransCare)

Others (i.e. Larchmont/Mamaroneck) hire their own paid medics but still provide volunteer BLS coverage.

Edited September 28, 2011 by JJB531

[LTNRFD 266]

Others (i.e. Larchmont/Mamaroneck) hire their own paid medics but still provide volunteer BLS coverage.

The Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont VAC does not employ any paramedics or EMT's. They never have. The paramedics and EMT's are all employed by the Town of Mamaroneck Ambulance District. The district is a branch of the town government just as the recreation or the building departments are. The Ambulance District has a contract to supply paramedics to both the Larchmont VAC and Mamaroneck EMS. The Ambulance District is the one who does the billing and receives the money from the billing to pay for the paramedic service.

[JJB531 652]

The Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont VAC does not employ any paramedics or EMT's. They never have. The paramedics and EMT's are all employed by the Town of Mamaroneck Ambulance District. The district is a branch of the town government just as the recreation or the building departments are. The Ambulance District has a contract to supply paramedics to both the Larchmont VAC and Mamaroneck EMS. The Ambulance District is the one who does the billing and receives the money from the billing to pay for the paramedic service.

Thanks for the clarification

[wiscems 23]

Thanks! I believe Mamaroneck/Larchmont also pay drivers PT.

Edited September 30, 2011 by wiscems

[MoFire390 118]

Briarcliff (Part Time - Transcare)

Croton-on-Hudson (Part Time - Ossining)

Eastchester (Part Time)

Harrison (Full Time)

Hawthorne (Part Time - Empress)

Ossining (Full Time)

Peekskill (Part Time - Hudson Valley I believe)

Port Chester/Rye/Rye Brook (Full Time)

Scarsdale (Part Time)

Valhalla (Part Time - TransCare)

Others (i.e. Larchmont/Mamaroneck) hire their own paid medics but still provide volunteer BLS coverage.

peekskill is empress 7a-7p 7 days a week.

mohegan is empress as well

[firedude 985]

Thanks! I believe Mamaroneck/Larchmont also pay drivers PT.

Drivers for MEMS and VAC are not paid at all. If no volunteers sign up for a shift then TMAD will pay for a driver. If a driver never shows, then who ever has 49-12 would respond to drive the bus.

[WAS967 97]

I'm liking CAC, with a scruffy tabby cat hacking up a hair ball [star of Life] as the mascot. At least it's not misleading....

We used to have Bill the Cat (from Bloom County on the side of the Peekskill VAC rig(s) for a while. The cartoon was small but amusing. Some thought it a tad unprofessional - clearly they had no sense of humor. I'm sure some buff on here has a picture of it.