6 JANUARY 28, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
RVAC set to expand EMS service
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
The Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance
Corps (RVAC) announced
it will expand its volunteer and
community-based EMS service to
cover Woodhaven, Richmond Hill and
Kew Gardens this year.
The RVAC is a New York state
certified volunteer-run organization,
offering emergency and nonemergency
ambulance services for
parts of western Queens and Brooklyn.
In Queens, they currently serve
Ridgewood, Maspeth, Glendale and
Middle Village.
To expand their service deeper
into the borough, the corps submitted
a formal application to New
York City Regional Emergency in
December. The application is the
results of an agreement reached
with the current board of directors
of the Woodhaven Richmond Hill
Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
“The leadership of each ambulance
corps took significant steps since this
process has started to revitalize and
revolutionize how community-based
ambulance services will operate in
New York City in the future,” said
Kevin Mahoney, a current board
member of the RVAC.
The RVAC hosted several meetings
with many community leaders,
elected officials, civic associations
and organizations representing
Woodhaven, Richmond Hill and Kew
Gardens during the process. They
received support from Community
Board 9, The Greater Woodhaven
Development Corporation, The
Woodhaven Residents Block Association,
The Woodhaven Cultural & Historical
Society and the Woodhaven
Business Improvement District.
They also received support from
Council members Eric Ulrich, Robert
Holden, Karen Koslowitz and City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson;
State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr.; Assemblywoman
Jenifer Rajkumar; and
former Assemblyman Mike Miller.
In 2019, the RVAC merged with
the Glendale VAC and Middle Village
VAC, in order to create a more
enhanced, centralized clinical
services and operational efficiency
opportunity. They now all operate
together as a unified EMS service.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues,
RVAC’s trained volunteers
are determined to not only to treat
sick and injured individuals, but to
also grow the influence of community
based EMS throughout the city.
They were one of many volunteer
ambulance corps who stepped in to
help FDNY during the height of the
pandemic last March.
“These services provide more than
emergency care for the sick and injured
and provide an outlet for local
youth and adults to gain training
and experience to become New York
State Certified Emergency Medical
Technicians,” Mahoney said. “They
are introducing the future leaders to
the emergency services field.”
For more information on RVCA’s
service and volunteer options,
visit www.RidgewoodVAC.com.
Photo courtesy of Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps
WE ARE NOW OFFERING TELEMEDICINE SERVICES
Monday: 7:30am – 8:00pm
Tuesday: 7:30am –8:00pm
Wednesday: 7:30am – 8:00pm
Thursday: 7:30am – 8:00pm
66-86 Fresh Pond Road,
Ridgewood, NY 11385
EXTENDED HOURS*:
74-01 Myrtle Avenue
Glendale, NY 11385
(718) 821-5500
(718) 497 - 1919
Friday: 7:30am – 7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am – 4:00pm
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