Ambulance Corps Responds to Record Number of Calls

The first two weeks of 2014 have been unusually busy at the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, due in large part to the extreme weather. The overall call volume is nearly 20% higher than the same period last year.

In the 24-hour period starting January 5, SVAC responded to 13 calls, four times its average. While most of the calls were falls due to slippery walkways from a weekend storm, SVAC also responded to a cardiac arrest and three medical-related calls. In all, ten people were transported to area hospitals.

"If we are transporting a patient, an ambulance will be tied-up for at least an hour," said David Raizen, SVAC's President. "Two of our three ambulances handled all of those calls, with at least one of them on the road constantly during that time."

Then, last Friday and Saturday after temperatures rose, SVAC responded to a total of 21 calls in 48 hours, which included three Scarsdale ambulances standing by at a gas leak on Garth Road.

The last time SVAC was this busy was during Hurricane Sandy, in 2012, when they responded to 13 calls in 28 hours. In all three events, Scarsdale was able to handle the increased call volume without requesting assistance from neighboring towns, a practice known as "mutual aid." Mutual aid introduces delayed response times due to the process of finding an available ambulance and the added distance to the scene.

"The only thing predicable about EMS is that it's unpredictable," said Raizen. "This serves as a reminder of how important it is to support SVAC, both financially and through volunteerism, to continue our tradition of providing the highest level of pre-hospital care in the County."

The SVAC fund drive is 85% under its annual goal. Proceeds are primarily used for insurance and to hire career paramedics who can administer more than 40 drugs and interpret an EKG in the field.

They also rely heavily on volunteers to drive the ambulance and provide additional care, eliminating the need to tax Scarsdale residents for EMS services. No experience is necessary as SVAC provides all needed training to its volunteers.

For more details about donating or volunteering, visit www.scarsdalevac.com. Checks can also be sent directly to PO Box 92, Scarsdale, NY 10583.