CAZENOVIA — The Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVAC) is currently seeking additional volunteer members.

The local ambulance service relies on volunteer drivers, crew coordinators, EMTs and general members, as well as paid professional paramedics. High school student corps members also support CAVAC’s operations.

For 48 years, the organization has served the Cazenovia area not only through emergency services, but also through the short-term loaning of medical equipment, such as crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs. Additionally, one member is certified to install or check children’s car seats. This service can be arranged by calling 315-655-9798.

Like many other volunteer organizations, CAVAC’s membership suffered due to the COVID pandemic.

For 14 consecutive months, the organization was forced to operate with only one on-duty paramedic and one driver at its base at 106 Nelson St. Crew coordinators worked remotely to secure crews to staff the second ambulance in the event of a second emergency call. New member training was halted, and no new member applications were accepted. The previously active 40-member student corps was also sidelined.

“Luckily, the surrounding fire department rescue squads provide frequent, rapid responses to assist the crews when needed,” said CAVAC President Sara Mitchell. “Such collaborative effort leads to a rapid response for emergency situations.”

Despite its limitations, CAVAC requested mutual aid for fewer than five emergency calls throughout the shutdown.

According to Mitchell, calling for mutual aid means that an agency, like CAVAC, is unable to respond to a call, generally due to a lack of a second available crew.

“CAVAC always has a paramedic on duty to respond to a first call,” she explained. “Every effort is made to secure a second ‘backup crew,’ but once in a great while, that doesn’t happen and an outside agency, [like Manlius or Morrisville], is asked by the 911 center to respond.”

CAVAC has now been fully operational for several months, and during the recent Delta outbreak, the organization continued to operate normally.

As of June 29, 2022, CAVAC had approximately 85 members. So far this year, the agency has answered 535 calls; annually, the call volume is about 1,035.

Currently, the organization is experiencing a critical need for both additional crew coordinators and drivers for its two Ford F450s.

Crew coordinators are responsible for the following: securing a second crew in the event of a second emergency call, calling next day crew members to remind them of their shift, filling out call sheets and recording calls in the logbook, answering the business phone, greeting people at the front door, and checking in/out loaner medical equipment.

“Crew coordinators should have good, confident telephone voices, be comfortable with meeting new people, and possess a willingness to learn to understand radio communications,” said Mitchell. “Using those radios is limited; however, listening to and understanding communications between the 911 center and the ambulances is essential.”

Drivers are primarily responsible for driving the ambulances to the scene of an emergency, to the hospital (Syracuse, Hamilton, or Oneida), and then back to base. They are also responsible for helping the paramedic and/or EMT with equipment and cleaning and restocking the ambulance after returning to base.

According to Mitchell, experience driving a four-wheel drive pickup truck is beneficial but not required for drivers.

“Drivers should have clean driving records,” she added. “[They should also] be willing to learn where equipment is stored on the ambulances to be able to assist at the scene of an emergency, be able-bodied, and be willing to follow the instructions of the paramedic and/or members of any assisting rescue squad members.”

Applications can be obtained at cavacambulance.org or by stopping in at the base for a tour of the facility and a conversation regarding membership. A courtesy phone call is encouraged in advance of a visit.