TEANECK VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS

Emergency - 911
Non-Emergency - 201-837-2600
855 WINDSOR ROAD, P. O. BOX 32
TEANECK, NJ 07666-0032

The Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps (TVAC) is an independent, volunteer, non-profit organization that has been providing emergency ambulance service to the Township of Teaneck and its residents since 1939. In 2002, 129 of your friends and neighbors responded to 3,332 calls--an average of nearly 10 calls per day--for help, including heart attacks, strokes, seizures, car accidents, pedestrians struck, falls and fires. Included in this count are 357 instances of two calls at the same time and 22 instances of three or more calls at the same time. Each year TVAC is one of the biggest and busiest volunteer ambulance corps in New Jersey and 2002 was no different from previous years.

While other municipalities have begun to pay for ambulance service or offer their volunteers lucrative stipends and incentives, TVAC remains a 100% volunteer organization. For the last 64 years, none of our members has ever received a payment or stipend for any services rendered. Other municipalities allow volunteers to respond from home to emergencies; TVAC members serve their weekly duty shift at our headquarters on Windsor Road, drastically reducing the number of minutes it takes an ambulance to reach you in an emergency. Because of this, initial calls were answered immediately by an on-duty crew 91 % of the time.

During 2002, TVAC members participated in several large mass casualty incident drills, including events at Tenafly High School, Teaneck Swim Club, Giants Stadium, Garden State Plaza and the George Washington Bridge. These drills help emergency responders prepare for any large-scale incident that requires response from a multitude of different agencies in our area. On October 6, 2002 TVAC hosted a continuing education class on terrorism awareness. In addition, many of our members have taken classes in Hazardous Materials, Incident Command Systems and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

In September 2002, for the first time, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course was offered as an elective class at Teaneck High School. Approximately a dozen students signed up for the rigorous course, and many became members of TVAC as well. The EMT course not only prepares students for emergencies but it also equips them for life-long experiences. Equally as important, the EMT course is transferable for high school credit for physical education or health courses.

In 2002 several of our members celebrated important milestones: In February 2002 Donna Mellor responded to her 2500th call in nearly 20 years of dedicated service. On May 22, 2002 Mordecai Weiss received the EMS Excellence award from Hackensack University Medical Center in recognition for his contributions to TVAC over the last seven years. In addition to serving as chaplain, Rabbi Weiss is a fully trained Emergency Medical Technician who responded to over 1,000 ambulance calls and served as Captain in 2000. On October 8, 2002, Paul Alexander received a meritorious service award for rendering aid at a serious car accident on Route 95 one night when he was off-duty. On November 14, 2002 Anthony Verley and Elie Y. Katz received the Community Service Award from the Chamber of Commerce. On December 16, 2002, Shai Jaskoll received the Walter Pinches Memorial Leadership Award for his role as a leader during his 10 years of membership. The award is named for former TVAC Life Member Walter Pinches, who passed away from cancer in 1995.

In addition to providing emergency ambulance service, TVAC participated in many community activities in 2002, including National Night Out, Teaneck Family Run, Teaneck Clean & Green Weekend, Read Across America, Teaneck First Night and Cedar Lane Alive. On October 14, 2002 TVAC held its annual blood drive, in association with Community Blood Services. 122 people came to donate blood that day in memory of three TVAC life members: Rabbi Stanley Fisch, Police Captain Walter Pinches, and Mr. Bill Shambroom.

There are four important ways you can help us:

JOIN US! We will cover the cost of your Emergency Medical Technician training and provide you with additional in-house hands-on training to improve your competence and confidence as a health care provider.

SUPPORT US FINANCIALLY, as TVAC relies on voluntary donations from Teaneck residents to continue to operate. Donate in memory of a loved one or in honor of one of the milestones we celebrated last year, or donate funds toward a specific piece of equipment.

Many of you would like to help us but do not have the time to complete the necessary training or commit four hours every week. BECOME AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER and donate your expertise in an administrative capacity. Give as much or as little of your time as you can, as much of this work can be done from home or over the telephone. Specific areas of need include, but are not limited to, fundraising, grantwriting, community and public relations, legal advice, filing, and inventory.
HELP US GET TO YOU WHEN YOU NEED US! Call for us as soon as your emergency occurs, even if it is in the middle of the night. Make sure your address is clearly posted and that the front of your home is well lit. Provide the dispatcher with as much detail as possible about the emergency. If you are driving and you see an ambulance or a car with a flashing blue light behind you please pull to the side of the road and stop.

State law restricts the amount of money a town can give to its volunteer ambulance corps. Although we do not pay salaries, we have all the same other expenses as any business, including insurance, training, medical supplies, radios, ambulance maintenance, and building maintenance. For more information about how you can help TVAC please call (201) 837-2600 and ask to be connected to the Ambulance Corps or send email to info@teaneckvac.org.

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