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?
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BVAC's average response time is less than five minutes.
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BVAC was the first municipal volunteer EMS agency in NJ to carry and administer nebulized albuterol.
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Every member volunteers between 24 and 72 hours per month.
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Every crew has at least two fully trained EMTs.
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BVAC has a complete QA/QI program and annual competency evaluations to keep skills sharp.
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All members undergo a complete background check and medical clearance
Apparatus
Ambulance 736
2016 Horton Type III ambulance on a Ford chassisAmbulance 737
2009 Horton Type III ambulance on a Ford chassisAmbulance 738
2005 Horton medium-duty ambulance on an International chassis.Ambulance 739
2000 Horton Type III ambulance on a Ford chassis735
Chevrolet Tahoe non-transport quick response vehicleEMS Support Unit
Used for first response, rehab, Rescue Task Force, and MCIs.Members
Executive Board
President - Martin Isler, EMT
Vice President - Lora Schade, EMT
Treasurer - Cecilia Wahl, EMT
Recording Secretary - Kerry Schade, EMT
Financial Secretary - Melissa Naylis, EMT
Line Officers
Chief - Ryan Shell, EMT
Deputy Chief - Michael Rothschild, EMT
First Lieutenant - Ahmos Silvera, EMT
Second Lieutenant - Laura Munoz, EMT
Active Members
Elianna Ashendorf, EMT
Eve Bae, EMT
Razelle Balota, EMT
Leiba Bernstein, EMT
Benjamin Bressel, EMT
Angelica Castillo, EMT
Yossi Cohn, EMT
Jake DaCosta, EMT
Judah Farkas, EMT
Maxwell Farkas, EMT
Bradley Freeman, EMT
James Garvey, EMT(Ins.)
Yashaar Hafizka, EMT
Kari Haspel, EMT
Amanda Hernandez, EMT
Heather Hofmann-Hayden, EMT
Brendan Ibrahim, EMT
Mark Infield, EMT(Ins.)
Martin Isler, EMT
Bruce 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
Maura McLaughlin, 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 ^
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
Ed Tapanes, EMT
Shannon Vassallo, EMT
Life Members
Nadine Allen
Brian Andrews
Frank Burke
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 ^
Pam McPhail ^
Gerard Naylis
Nancy Naylis
Katherine Nolan
Matthew Notorangelo
John Pampaloni Jr.
Alan Rabinowitz
Ian Rabinowitz
Thomas Rose *
John Rube #
Joseph Scherb #
Richard Silvia
Sean Sullivan *
John Switzer
Jerillyn Switzer *
William Tyrell
Ellen Wheatley #
* = Past Chief
^ = Past President
# = Deceased