Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps
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The Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC) is an organization greatly depended on by the community. It is the nation's first minority-run volunteer ambulance corps, founded in 1988 by Captain James Robinson’s instinctual response to the crisis afflicting the Bed-Stuy community as a result of the lackluster emergency medical services that continue to afflict Bed-Stuy as well as the other minority communities in New York.
When BSVAC first began its operations, the average response time in Bed-Stuy for city ambulances was around 30 minutes. This number is, however, misleading as it connotes an Emergency Response to every 911 call. Never the less, BSVAC established a record-breaking ambulance service that currently responds to over 100 emergency calls in a given week with an average response time of less than 4 minutes. BSVAC also established a neighborhood first aid center and with its miniscule amount of resources available, it has worked diligently to promote preventive health care in the community. BSVAC has lost count of the number of lives it has saved.
In addition to saving lives, the organization, changes the lives of its “Vollies” for the better- individually incubating the talents of anyone that walks through its door instilling confidence, hope, and self-esteem to overcome many road blocks life thrown in their way. To date, thousands of local residents have been trained as First Responders. It has also developed a remarkable Youth Corps program that provides CPR, first aid and basic emergency medical training to teens and young adults, preparing them for full-time employment in emergency medicine. A program for younger children, called the Trauma Troopers, has also been developed by BSVAC; it provides CPR and first aid training. In addition to medical training, these programs provide positive role models and social activities. To date, hundreds of young people have completed the program; embarked on many careers becoming EMTs, nurses, Physician's Assistant, Medical Doctors, Police Officers and Lawyers.
BSVAC has reached out to other minority communities, from Harlem to LA, providing emergency medical training and assistance in setting up programs.
Remarkable accomplishments are numerous, onging and nationally praised including: the Robin Hood Foundation Hero of the Year Award, New York City Hero Award, American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award, Thousand Points of Light Award (awarded by President George Bush), and the Maxwell House Hero Search Award- amongst others.
BSVAC is a New York not-for-profit organization that is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to BSVAC are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted bylaw.
