Every member of the Little Neck – Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps is a VOLUNTEER!
“We’re Here Because We Care.”
A Look at our Volunteers. . . . .
From Crew Chiefs to Youth Corp, and anywhere in between, all members are unpaid and choose to give up their time to serve their community.
What type of people are members of the Little Neck – Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps? We are teachers, accountants, store clerks, business people, students, retired people, bookbinders, bus drivers, librarians, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. Look around and you will see us. We are everyday people, just as you are. We are people who, outside our professional lives, have committed ourselves to acquiring and maintaining state certification in order to serve you, our neighbors.
The Little Neck – Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps has maintained its identity as a group of caring, skilled, dedicated, state-certified group of volunteers. As volunteers, we unselfishly give our time and skills so that our community may benefit. Our remuneration for our work is seeing the grateful faces of the people we help and knowing that we made a difference in somebody’s life.
Riding Members
All of our members are required to take a valid cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course and maintain a valid CPR certification. The course, called BLS for Healthcare Providers, is taught at our headquarters and culminates in certification with the American Heart Association. Members can take their CPR certification course wherever they prefer as long as they are certified.
After taking the CPR course, many new volunteers choose to take an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class. The EMT course is taken at a nearby learning institute, hospital, community college, or other volunteer ambulance corps. The course usually lasts for six months, going to class twice each week. The course not only gives classroom instruction, but also practical experience through EMT “labs” and rotations. At the end of the class, a state practical exam and a state written exam are administered. Following successful completion of the EMT course, the EMT student is granted state certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic. This certification must be renewed every three years.
Riding members are also given the option to learn how to drive the ambulance. In order to become a driver, the new member must take an initial driving test, then go through a six-month period of ambulance driving training and practice. At the end of the six-month period, the new member is given a second driving test. Upon successful completion of the second driving test, the new member is permitted to drive the ambulance during emergency-response situations.
Positions
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Applicants 18 and older may apply to be an EMT if they CURRENTLY hold a valid NYS DOH Emergency Medical Technician-Basic certification.
Attendant
Applicants 18 and older may apply to be an Attendant. Attendants assist the EMTs out on the ambulance as well as perform a variety of other clerical and administrative tasks.
Youth Corps
Youth Corps typically volunteer for one four-hour shift per week, serving as either riders or dispatchers. Riding Youth Corps members act as an assistant to the Emergency Medical Technicians on the ambulance. Youth Corps members learn to effectively communicate with callers on the phone, as well as the ambulance crew on the radio.
The Youth Corps affords young adults with the opportunity to learn, grow, and mature outside the high school classroom. It strives to instill a sense of civic responsibility, as well as an understanding of the medical field.
Applicants ages 15-17 may apply to be a Youth Corp. Our Youth Corp program affords young adults with the opportunity to learn, grow, and mature outside the high school classroom. It strives to instill a sense of civic responsibility, as well as an understanding of the medical field. Youth Corp will be permitted on the ambulance only to observe.
Youth Corp are only permitted to volunteer between 0700 hours to 2200 hours. Application to this program will require parental consent.
Dispatcher
Applicants 18 or older who are not interested in riding on the ambulance but still want to help their community may apply to be a Dispatcher. Dispatchers serve as emergency call takers and radio dispatchers for both our ambulances and obtain necessary information from callers in order to
initiate emergency assistance. They also perform other clerical and administrative duties related to the provision of emergency medical service. Dispatchers must go through the same initial training as attendants.
New Members
Personnel turnover is the norm for any organization. The Little Neck-Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps is proud that some members are rounding out 25+ years of continuous service. The fact is, though, most people are subject to a change in job, residence, or responsibilities, that require them to leave the Ambulance Corps. The average period of service is between 2 and 3 years. As a consequence, replacement volunteers are in constant need.
All new volunteers of the Little Neck-Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps are accepted on a probationary status; either 288 active and in good standing hours, or recommendation for graduation from probation from 2 Crew Chiefs. This probationary period gives the new member an opportunity to assess his or her interest and aptitude for ambulance work. During this period, field training shifts and actual field experience is afforded. If for any reason the new member decides against continuing with the ambulance corps, he or she can leave without prejudice.
The “welcome mat” is always out for anyone in the community wishing to volunteer. No experience or training is necessary. We train all our members for free! Join us today!
If for whatever reason you are unable to volunteer but still want to support the cause, please consider donating. We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all donations are tax-deductible.