Service To The Community

BVAC has an active membership of approximately 60 volunteers and a cadet program for Bergenfield residents who are high school students at least 16 years old. Our members are realtors, business professionals, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police officers, college students and more. Every active member of BVAC is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician.

How it all works

BVAC has crews on duty 24/7/365. There are two shifts every day: the day shift (7am to 7pm) and the night shift (7pm to 7am). The standard hourly commitment for members is one 12-hour shift during the week and two 12-hour shifts per month on weekends. If an ambulance call comes in while all the duty crews are busy on other calls, off duty members are dispatched. 

​

BVAC crews are scheduled with a minimum of two EMTs. A crew is composed of a Crew Chief, at least one senior member, and optionally, one or more probationary members or a cadet.

​

The operational aspects of BVAC are directed by the line officers. The line officers are the Chief, Deputy Chief, First Lieutenant, and Second Lieutenant. The administrative and financial aspects of BVAC are governed by the Executive Board.

​

BVAC is dispatched by the Bergenfield Police Department's 911 center. The dispatchers will also dispatch medically-trained police officers to the scene, ensuring that life-saving measures reach the patient within minutes. If the emergency is considered potentially life-threatening, the dispatchers will also request an Advanced Life Support paramedic unit from one of the local hospitals.

Did You Know?

• BVAC's average response time is less than five minutes.

• BVAC was the first municipal volunteer EMS agency in NJ to carry and administer nebulized albuterol.

• Every member volunteers between 24 and 72 hours per month.

• Every crew has at least two fully trained EMTs.

• BVAC has a complete QA/QI program and annual competency evaluations to keep skills sharp.

• All members undergo a complete background check and medical clearance

Apparatus

Members

Executive Board

President - Lora Schade, EMT

Vice President - Melissa Naylis, EMT

Treasurer - Cecilia Wahl, EMT

Recording Secretary - Kerry Schade, EMT

Financial Secretary - Laura Munoz, EMT

Membership Secretary - Maxwell Farkas

Line Officers

Chief - Ryan Shell, EMT

Deputy Chief - Ahmos Silvera, EMT

First Lieutenant - Efraim Rudin, EMT

Second Lieutenant - Yaeli Rothschild, EMT

​

Active Members

Eve Bae, EMT

Razelle Balota, EMT

Miguel Barrera, EMT

Leiba Bernstein, EMT

Benjamin Bressel, EMT

Angelica Castillo, EMT

Yossi Cohn, EMT

Jake DaCosta, EMT

Pamela Dirr, EMT

Hala Eshmawy, EMT

Judah Farkas, EMT

Maxwell Farkas, EMT

Bradley Freeman, EMT

James Garvey, EMT(I)

Emily Gill, EMT

Yashaan Hafizka, EMT

Yashaar Hafizka, EMT

Kari Haspel, EMT

Amanda Hernandez, EMT

Heather Hofmann-Hayden, EMT

Brendan Ibrahim, EMT

Mark Infield, EMT(I)

Martin Isler, EMT ^

Bruce Kessler, EMT

Maytal Kessler, EMT

Michelle Lerma, EMT

Avi Levenbrown, EMT

Naftali Levenbrown, EMT

Gittel Levin, EMT

Ralph Lewie Jr., EMT *

Dovid Lisker, EMT

​

Jeffrey Mathew, EMT

Jennie Mazzilli, EMT

Laura Munoz, EMT

Melissa Naylis, EMT

Anjali Patel, EMT

Hiren Patel, EMT

Saahil Patel, EMT

Anjana Prakasam, EMT

Steven Rand, EMT

Nasreen Razzaq, EMT

Katie Rolik, EMT

Carly Rosenblatt, EMT

Michael Rothschild, EMT

Yaeli Rothschild, EMT

Efraim Rudin, EMT

Edgardo Sadang, EMT

Tamanna Sarowar, EMT

Caroline Schade, EMT

Kerry Schade, EMT

Lora Schade, EMT *^

Paige Schmelz, EMT

Keren Schwartzman, EMT

Ryan Shell, EMT *

Ahmos Silvera, EMT

Naftali Silvera, EMT

Jacob Stromer, EMT *

Perry Sulich, EMT ^

Yehoshua Szafranski, EMT

Ruchika Vaje, EMT

Cecilia Wahl, EMT

David Weinberger, EMT

​

Reserve Members

Bridget Hayden, EMT

Edward J. Kneisler III, EMR

Alex Kneisler, EMR

Christopher Naylis, EMR

Gerard Naylis, EMR

​

Nancy Naylis, EMR

​Steven Naylis, EMR

David Oldewurtel, EMT

Kevin Schade, EMR

Shannon Vassallo, EMT

Life Members

Nadine Allen

Brian Andrews

Larry Antebi #

Frank Burke

Raymond Callahan #

Margaret Casper

John Casper ^

Richard Cirelli *

Michael DiRienzo

Patricia Drum-Greaves

James Dunn #

Sandra Eckardt ^#

Erin Frino

John Fuhrman #

Martin Fullgrabe #

Bennett Goldstein

Laura Goldstein-Swift

William Goodell ^

William Gormley *

Elaine Groezinger

Rolf Hohloch

Debbie Hughes *

Wasay Hussain

Scott Janssens

Anne Marie Joyce

Robert E. Kirsch *

Cindy K. Kneisler

Edward Kneisler II *^#

Edward Kneisler Jr. #

Adele Macris ^

Corey Mahon

Craig Mahon

James McLoone ^

Neil McCaffrey #

Pam McPhail ^

Gerard Naylis

Nancy Naylis

Katherine Nolan

Matthew Notorangelo

John Pampaloni Jr.

Alan Rabinowitz

Ian Rabinowitz

Thomas Rose *

George Rosein #

John Rube #

Joseph Scherb #

John Schmidt #

Richard Silvia

Sean Sullivan *

John Switzer

Jerillyn Switzer *

William Tyrell

Clifford Wallum #

Ellen Wheatley #

* = Past Chief/Captain

^ = Past President

# = Deceased