Providing a Continuity of Care
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a relatively new industry in comparison to its older siblings the Police and Fire Departments. While its roots go back to Napoleonic times, modern EMS was more formally structured in the 1970s to provide mobile medical care and transportation. EMS has always been at the leading edge of new technology and training. In the beginning it was mobile defibrillators and in-cab radio communications. Today it's accessing patient records via tablets, or live streaming a patient's vital signs directly to the hospital. While all this technology is impressive, it's the people who work and volunteer at BVA that are truly making a difference.
Cody Dean is the Chief of Brighton Volunteer Ambulance and has been with the agency since 2016. Prior to joining BVA he was Chief of Brockport Ambulance for two years. “BVA is a 501c3 nonprofit, what we call a combination agency, made up of both career and volunteer providers.” BVA is more than a transportation service, short of X-Rays, Cat Scans and surgery, they do everything in the field that happens in the emergency department and they are standing by ready to go 24x7. BVA is at the forefront of using technology to help save lives and provide a better “continuity of care” for BVA’s patients. They use an array of mobile devices and cloud-based applications to quickly and securely gather patient data, provide life saving procedures, and inform the hospital of the status of an incoming patient. There is no real down time for BVA according to Cody “what people don't know about ems is we're essentially very fast-paced. Sometimes it feels like a ‘wild west’ type business because we can go from one moment where we're having a conversation on a zoom meeting, to the next minute we're going out and responding to all types of emergencies, whether it be taking care of somebody that just simply fell down and needs somebody to help, to standing by with a fire department at a structure fire taking care of family members and firefighters. We have to be very flexible. I have to be able to essentially go from my office, where I am able to manage everything, to really being able to do the same thing out in the field. It’s just a vast technological need that I don't think a lot of people expect, we have to go from a to z very quickly but still not drop for the critical parts of the business.”
Like many small businesses, BVA has faced many challenges during these last few months at the height of covid. While BVA does receive a small piece of their operating budget from the Town of Brighton's Special Ambulance Tax District, much of its revenue comes from billing and services rendered. Call volume was down 35% at the peak of covid, and unlike fire & police departments, the vast majority of BVA’s income is tied to calls. BVA is happy to have been able to weather the storm and continue being able to provide the highest level of service to their patients. If your town has a volunteer ambulance service, don't forget to donate, your donation just may save your life.
CETech has been supporting Brighton Volunteer Ambulance for 7 years and absolutely loves having them as our client!
