The Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the coordinated Town of Bedford Response System, the Corps responds to the medical emergencies for both Katonah and Bedford Hills, and provides mutual-aid services for surrounding communities, as well as coverage for large sections of Interstate 684 and the Saw Mill River Parkway. More than fifty active members - all volunteers- are paged out by the police to respond to medical emergencies in one of the Corp's two fully equipped modern ambulances.
The Corp responds to approximately 600 calls per year and in addition to providing emergency medical care, provides many other services, including free CPR training, free blood pressure readings at events, "stand-by" at parades, athletic events and instruction at schools and camps.The Katonah Lions Ambulance Corps was founded in 1953, under the sponsorship of the Katonah Lions Club. The donation of a 1947 Cadillac ambulance by the Katanah Fire Department made the Corps a functioning entity which answered sixteen calls the first year.
In October of 1964, the Corps purchased a newer ambulance and in 1967, the present property on Route 117 was purchased from the Town of Bedford, and an ambulance garage was constructed. By 1968, communications with the Bedford Police Department was established. The next few years witnessed tremendous growth. A paging system was initiated, and the number of calls answered increased rapidly. A second ambulance was purchased to handle additional emergencies.
In 1980, the name was changed to the Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and in 1987, through donations of labor and materials from the community, and many hours of hard work by the Corps members, a new building was completed on the site of the old garage.
Today, the Corps is one of the leading EMS agencies in the county, with excellent response times and a strong record of service to the communities it serves. Currently, the KBHVAC has a strong need for daytime members - i.e. people who are able to help out between 6 AM and 6 PM daily. A vast majority of the current Corps members work outside of the community or have jobs that do not allow them to volunteer during the day. The KBHVAC is looking for individuals willing to volunteer a day or half day during the weekdays. The individuals can be at home or their place of business; they just should be able to leave when the police pager goes off and to go to the ambulance garage. No training is needed (new members will receive CPR training within six months).For more information and an application form, call Tina Foster at (914) 241-5872 and leave a message.
The Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps offers free CPR training for community residents and groups at its headquarters on Route 117 in Katonah. Participants in these courses will receive lifesaving skills for use in respiratory and cardiac emergencies. Anyone who completes the course will receive an American Heart Association CPR card good for two years.