CAZENOVIA — On Feb. 13, Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (CAVAC) members had the opportunity to meet with patients whose lives they helped save last year.
The reunion occurred at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital in Syracuse during a celebration of life with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors, their families, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, St. Joseph’s care teams, and representatives from the American Heart Association.
The patients and their families were honored for their bravery and resilience during unpredictable times, and the involved agencies, including St. Joseph’s Health personnel, were recognized for their exceptional efforts and quick, life-saving actions. The event also acknowledged the critical role of community members who performed hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before EMS arrived.
CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year. CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
The Cazenovia EMS representatives at the event were CAVAC Immediate Past President Kerstin McKay, paramedic Eric Byers, CAVAC President Carla Kinney, and former CAVAC president Sara Mitchell. Kara Judd, a Cazenovia Fire Department emergency medical technician (EMT), was also present.
“I think about 10 survivors attended, but all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest EMS and hospital personnel were recognized even if the survivors didn’t attend,” said McKay.
One of the survivors in attendance was a Cazenovia resident who suffered a cardiac arrest at work. His coworker, also present at the St. Joseph’s event, helped save his life by performing hands-only CPR on him until EMS arrived. Cazenovia Fire Department and CAVAC personnel began treating the patient on the scene. With the patient responding positively, Judd and Byers continued resuscitative treatments in an ambulance driven by CAVAC driver Dan Wheeler. As the patient continued to improve, Manlius paramedic Jake Seager was picked up at the Manlius Fire Department to provide additional hands to help with the patient’s care. The patient continued to improve as the crew turned care over to the team at St. Joseph’s.
“The opportunity to hear accounts of the many survivors present [at] the event revealed details common to most of the survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest,” Byers said when reflecting on his experience at the St. Joseph’s celebration. “First, CPR started quickly after cardiac arrest. This was certainly the case with the bystander providing CPR for the patient in Cazenovia.”
He also pointed out that 15 of the first responder agencies involved with the 2024 saves were fire departments, and, like the Cazenovia Fire Department, most of the departments are staffed with volunteers.
“Because of declining volunteers, ambulances — including CAVAC — typically respond with a driver and paramedic or EMT,” he said. “The local volunteer fire departments provide the additional skilled responders required when a patient suffers a cardiac arrest. For the patient saved in Cazenovia, the skilled responders from the Cazenovia Fire Department made the difference in the outcome. Fortunately, cardiac arrests occur infrequently. However, preparation and training for cardiac arrests and other emergencies must occur frequently. The coordination of efforts in the delivery of care to the patient in Cazenovia reflected the time and effort the Cazenovia Fire Department members invested to care for their fellow citizens.”
CAVAC CPR classes
According to McKay, CAVAC recently received new training equipment and hopes to hold monthly volunteer-led CPR classes for the community.
“Our mission is to provide excellent pre-hospital care to our patients,” McKay said. “The more lay people that are trained in CPR and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), the better the chances are for survival of a cardiac arrest event. [The] pre-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate hasn’t changed much since 1979; however, research shows that providing good quality CPR and having an AED available can improve that percentage significantly. At CAVAC, we are trying to improve that survival rate, with good quality outcomes, as much as we can for our community.”
CAVAC’s hands-only CPR training is free. Its CPR-Basic Life Support (BLS) training — the same training given to EMTs, nurses, and doctors — is $35.
CPR-BLS training includes CPR, AED, and abdominal thrusts for choking. Participants receive an American Heart Association certified card for completing the course.
Hands-only CPR classes are scheduled for March 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. and May 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. CPR-BLS trainings are scheduled for Feb. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m., April 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and June 8 from 1 to 5 p.m.
All classes will be held at CAVAC and are open to anyone. To register, visit cavacambulance.org/cavac-training-classes/.
CAVAC was established in 1974 and is currently based at 106 Nelson St. in Cazenovia. The local ambulance service relies on a team of volunteers — drivers, crew coordinators, EMTs, and general members — and paid professional paramedics. A high school student corps also supports its operations. In addition to providing EMS to Cazenovia and surrounding communities, CAVAC offers short-term medical equipment loans (e.g., crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs) and has a New York State-certified child/baby car seat installer.
According to McKay, CAVAC responded to 1,100 calls in 2024, which equates to about three calls per day on average.
The organization currently has about 130 members plus about 20 student corps members.
“We have many ‘part-time’ members and are always looking for more,” McKay said. “We are particularly in need of drivers — no commercial driver’s license required, just a regular driver’s license — and crew coordinators who man our reception area and help get our backup crews together.”
To learn more about CAVAC and becoming a volunteer, visit cavacambulance.org.
For more information on cardiac arrests and survival rates, visit cpr.heart.org/en/resources/cpr-facts-and-stats.
