Does BVAC charge patients who call for an ambulance?
How can I donate to BVAC?
I called for an ambulance in Bergenfield and received a bill. Why?
How is BVAC funded?
How is BVAC dispatched?
Who runs BVAC?
What is BVAC's territory?
Which hospitals will BVAC take patients to?


Membership
What is the time commitment for members?
Can I join if I'm under 18?
What level of training do BVAC members have?
What is LOSAP?



Q: Does BVAC charge patients who call for an ambulance?
A: No. By definition, a volunteer ambulance corps in the state of New Jersey is a squad that does not bill for services.

Q: How can I donate to BVAC?
A: To help support BVAC, you can mail a tax-deductible check made out to "Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc." to: BVAC; PO Box 72; Bergenfield, NJ 07621. You can also click "Donate" on top of this page to donate via Credit Card or PayPal.

Q: I called 911 for an ambulance in Bergenfield and received a bill. Why?
A: The bill you received was from the paramedic unit - not from BVAC. On potentially life-threatening calls, the Bergenfield police will also dispatch an Advanced Life Support (ALS) unit from one of the local hospitals. The ALS units are staffed by paramedics who have advanced EMT training and can administer advanced levels of medical care such as intravenous medication, cardiac monitoring, advanced airway management, etc. The ALS units will bill you for the care they provide, but BVAC does not receive any of that money.

Q: How is BVAC funded?
A: The vast majority of BVAC's annual expenses (ambulances, supplies, building maintenance, uniforms, training, etc.) are funded by donations from the public. BVAC also receives an annual contribution from the Borough of Bergenfield.

Q: How is BVAC dispatched?
A: BVAC is dispatched by the Bergenfield Police Department's 9-1-1 communications office.

Q: Who runs BVAC?
A: The business aspects of BVAC are run by the Executive Board (President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and Membership Secretary). All operations (ambulance, personnel, equipment, training etc.) are run by the Line Officers (Chief, Deputy Chief, First Lieutenant, and Second Lieutenant). There are also Building Supervisors responsible for the maintenance and use of the BVAC building and grounds. All leadership positions are un-paid.

Q: What is BVAC's territory?
A: BVAC is the legally-designated emergency ambulance squad for the Borough of Bergenfield, New Jersey. BVAC also has mutual-aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and will respond to those towns when they have an emergency and their ambulances are already busy on emergency calls.

Q: Where do BVAC ambulances take patients?
A: BVAC regularly transports patients to the emergency departments at Holy Name Medical Center, Englewood Hospital & Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center (a state-designated trauma center), Hackensack Meridian at Pascack Valley, The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus. If a patient asks to be transported to a farther hospital, the BVAC crew will try their best to accommodate the request. However, it is occasionally necessary to transport to the closest emergency room. This can happen if: the patient is critical and the ambulance crew determines that it is medically necessary to reach a hospital as quickly as possible, if the desired hospital is on bypass/divert, or if there is severely inclement weather. It is important to keep in mind that, by federal law, all hospital emergency rooms are required to accept and treat any emergency patient regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.





MEMBERSHIP

Q: What is the time commitment for members?
A: BVAC is flexible with requirements. We work with members to arrange a commitment that works for them.

Q: Can I join if I'm under 18?
A: Yes! BVAC has a cadet program for 16 & 17 year olds. All cadets are required to obtain EMT certification and will be trained by experienced BVAC members.

Q: What level of training do BVAC members have?
A: The minimum level of training for all active members is certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) by either the state of New Jersey, the National Registry of EMT's, or another state whose EMT certification is granted reciprocity by the New Jersey Department of Health. BVAC will help new members enroll in an EMT class.

Q: What is LOSAP?
A: The "Emergency Services Volunteer Length of Service Award Program", or "LOSAP," was created by the New Jersey state legislature in 1998 as "a system ... to provide tax-deferred income benefits to active volunteer members of an emergency service organization." The LOSAP program was started as a way to improve retention of volunteers. For more information, click here.