Teaneck Volunteer
Ambulance Corps is the sole provider of emergency
ambulance service in Teaneck. Since 1939, TVAC's
all-volunteer staff has responded to any and all medical
emergencies and traumas within Township limits. Calls
are answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by on-duty
EMT crews waiting at ambulance corps headquarters at 855
Windsor Rd. Three modern ambulances, built on
highly-reliable medium-duty truck chassis, provide
first-line service, with an older light-duty ambulance
on reserve. All ambulances are equipped with
semi-automatic defibrillators for heart emergencies, and
each first-line ambulance carries enough basic supplies
to start treatment on up to eight trauma patients while
waiting the arrival of additional ambulances.
One-hundred sixteen men and women volunteer their time,
without wages, salaries, or other stipends, so that
no-one is ever charged for TVAC services. This is an
important achievement, as many people with the most
serious chronic health problems, and the most frequent
need for emergency ambulance services, almost always
have no money to spare. In fact TVAC is the only link in
the chain of emergency medical care that doesn't send a
bill to the patient. When a person becomes a member of
TVAC, he or she is required to become state-certified as
an Emergency Medical Technician, and also to complete a
rigorous internal training program that includes
supervisory reviews, and written and practical
qualifications tests. Permanent appointment can only be
achieved upon successful completion of all requirements.
All members are required to maintain their
certifications by attending 48 continuing education
units every three years, and by annual recertification
in CPR. Additionally, one third of TVAC members are
certified to the level of performing defibrillations,
and they must also annually recertify. Another strict
internal program qualifies members for driving to
emergencies. All active members must be in quarters, on
duty at least four hours a week to insure prompt,
reliable response, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In 1996, TVAC responded to 3291
ambulance runs, an increase of 2.2 percent over last
year. This averages to 9 runs a day, but due to the
unpredictable and random nature of emergencies, some
days saw 18 or 19 runs, with the bulk during the day
tour, between 7 AM and 7 PM. About two out of every ten
calls occur simultaneously, and 3 out of a hundred occur
contemporaneously. On three occasions, four ambulance
emergencies occurred at the same time. It should also be
noted that even some single emergencies are for
breathing or heart-related illness, but a full range of
calls, including auto accidents, construction injuries,
sports mishaps and violent assaults, as well as other
assorted illnesses, required a wide range of skills and
equipment. TVAC responds to all working fires and
serious hazardous material emergencies in Teaneck, and
cooperates with Box 54's fire service support unit in
providing fireground rehabilitation of firefighters to
prevent life-threatening heat stress injuries. TVAC also
provides considerable mutual aid service to surrounding
municipalities when their own ambulance service becomes
overloaded, and on occasion calls on some of the
neighbors for reciprocation when local emergency medical
demand exceeds the available resources. Among the most
serious challenges facing TVAC in 1996 was the
multi-casualty pedestrian trauma on Thanksgiving Day on
Route 95, a man struck by a work train under the Cedar
Lane railroad bridge, a two-patient assault involving a
tire iron that was still in progress when our first
member arrived, several hot-weather fires, and a series
of multi-casualty auto accidents. Notable also was a
cardiac arrest in a Cedar Lane take-out food business
while an unrelated multi-casualty auto accident occurred
right outside the door of the shop. The middle-aged CPR
patient was successfully revived by the first-arriving
crew while three more crews, responding from off-duty,
treated and transported the numerous injuries from the
accident. During the blizzard of Jan. 1996, all four
TVAC ambulances were staffed with five members a piece,
and one was relocated to the east side of Teaneck so
that normal response times were maintained despite thick
accumulations of snow and ice blocking streets, walkways
and even doorways.
TVAC is not a municipal agency, but
is rather a private, non-profit corporation. The
Township provides dispatch service via the Teaneck
Police, as well as leasing two ambulances to TVAC at $1
year each. However, a restriction in state law limits
municipal financial contributions to no more than
$35,000 per year. TVAC's annual budget amounts to over
$200,000 per year, with major expenses for insurance,
training, vehicle maintenance, and disposable sterile
supplies. The rest must be raised via voluntary
contributions. Unfortunately, only 18% of local
residents, and 1% of local businesses contribute to
Teaneck's free ambulance service, and major efforts must
be made each year to inform the public of our financial
needs. The good news is that TVAC personnel situation is
good, with ongoing recruiting that makes us the largest,
best-staffed emergency ambulance service in Bergen
County.
