Central Park Medical Unit

What Central Park Medical Unit does

Central Park Medical Unit (CPMU) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1975 that provides free emergency medical services to the approximately 40 million annual visitors of Central Park in New York City. The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no paid staff, drawing from a roster of more than 150 professionals including EMTs, paramedics, nurses, doctors, attorneys, and business executives. CPMU operates a specialized fleet of four custom-designed ambulances built to navigate Central Park's tunnels and pathways, an all-terrain vehicle, an emergency response fly car, and a Bicycle Emergency Response Team (BERT) equipped with trauma bags, oxygen, and AEDs. The organization cites one of the fastest ambulance response times in New York State, with prior baselines of 45-90 minutes from city EMS being a key motivator for its founding.

CPMU's service portfolio spans four core areas: direct emergency 911 response within Central Park and bordering streets; medical standby coverage for large public events such as the NYC Marathon, Puerto Rican Day Parade, and major concerts; disaster response including 9/11, Hurricane Sandy (evacuating NYU Langone, Bellevue, and the VA Hospital), the 2003 Blackout, and COVID-19; and community CPR/First Aid training through American Heart Association certified instructors. The organization engages in community outreach to schools and community colleges and maintains an active media presence across CBS, ABC, Business Insider, NY Post, and West Side Spirit. Major institutional supporters include NYPD, FDNY, NYC Parks Department, Central Park Conservancy, Northwell Health, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

The revenue model is entirely donation-driven: 100% of operating funding comes from charitable contributions, grants, and ancillary merchandise (branded T-shirts, hoodies, flags, challenge coins) and training course fees. Anchor funding relationships include the E. William & France Kenyon Foundation ($390,000 Diamond Sponsor for a named ambulance), Reisenbach Philanthropies, the Edward H. Benenson Foundation, the Allen B. Klein Foundation, and historical gifts from Pfizer/American Home Products (1993) and Chase Manhattan Bank (1983). The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 under President Rafael Castellanos, recipient of the President's Call to Service Award.

Name

Central Park Medical Unit

Legal name

Central Park Medical Unit Inc.

Website

https://cpmu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Central Park Medical Unit is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides free emergency medical services, event standby coverage, and disaster response to Central Park's 40 million annual visitors using 150+ professional volunteers and a fleet of custom ambulances, bicycles, and specialty vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Medical Services & Standby Coverage (HLAFANAG)

Keywords

• Volunteer ambulance service
• Emergency medical services
• Free ems care
• Disaster medical response
• Cpr first aid training

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CPMU is 100% donation supported. All donations go directly to supporting free life-saving emergency medical operations. Accepts tax-deductible donations via check, medical supplies, real estate, wills, retirement accounts, trusts, and stock transfers.
2. CPR and First Aid Training Courses: Offers First Aid and CPR classes from American Heart Association certified instructors. 100% of the cost of classes goes towards supporting CPMU operations. Customized classes for corporate groups and community organizations.
3. Apparel Sales: Sells branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, flags, and challenge coins. Revenue supports operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Central Park Medical Unit provides free, life-saving emergency medical services in Central Park and bordering NYC streets via a 100% volunteer workforce operating custom ambulances, an all-terrain vehicle, an emergency response fly car, and a Bicycle Emergency Response Team (BERT). The organization also provides medical standby services for major NYC public events such as the NYC Marathon and Puerto Rican Day Parade, offers American Heart Association-certified CPR and First Aid training, and sells branded apparel to support operations.

Product overview

Central Park Medical Unit provides free emergency medical care services in Central Park and New York City, operating as a 100% volunteer, 100% donation-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit. Core services include emergency ambulance response, disaster response, and CPR & First Aid training courses. The organization also sells branded merchandise (apparel, challenge coins, flags) as a fundraising mechanism. Services are provided by over 150 volunteers with backgrounds in emergency medicine, law enforcement, nursing, and other professions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Patient with cardiac arrest made full recovery after CPMU response during Parkinson's Unity Walk
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• NYPDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Institutional partner supporting CPMU operations. NYPD collaborates with CPMU during disasters and events. Chief William Morris and Captain Jessica Corey presented awards to CPMU volunteers for Hurricane Sandy response.
• FDNYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Institutional partner. FDNY-EMS Division works with CPMU during city-wide emergencies and disaster responses. Collaborated during Hurricane Sandy evacuations.
• NYC Parks DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Institutional partner providing support and recognition. Commissioner Sue Donoghue serves as Ex Officio member of CPMU Board. CPMU operates within NYC Parks with their sponsorship.
• Central Park ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Key institutional partner. President & CEO Elizabeth Smith serves as Ex Officio on CPMU Board. Doug Blonsky, President of CPC, helped raise funds for new ambulances after 2014 fire.
• Northwell HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Gold Sponsor of 50th Anniversary Gala. Previously provided loaner ambulance after 2014 fire. Active healthcare system partner.
• NewYork-Presbyterian HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025Bronze Sponsor and past supporter. Provided loaner ambulance after 2014 fire and assisted with restriping vehicles at no cost. Active healthcare partner.
• Dutch Red Cross First Aid Bike TeamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2015Conducted joint patrol with CPMU Bicycle Emergency Response Team (BERT) in Central Park during National Bike Month and EMS Week. Shared best practices and operational knowledge between organizations.
• NorthShore-LIJ Health SystemminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2014Contacted CPMU within a day of 2014 fire offering to donate loaner ambulance to help operations continue while permanent replacements were arranged.
• NewYork-Presbyterian HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2014Contacted CPMU within a day of 2014 fire offering to donate loaner ambulance. Also restriped vehicles at no cost to CPMU.
• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2013Presented NYC Heart Saver Award to CPMU volunteers for saving a life during Parkinson's Unity Walk. Certified instructors provide CPR and First Aid training.
• NYC Office of Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 November 2012Requested CPMU assistance during Hurricane Sandy for hospital evacuations including NYU Langone and VA Hospital. Coordinates city-wide emergency response.
• Central Park Precinct Community CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975Sponsored CPMU's formation in 1975. Roger Thomas serves as President of CPC Council. Sponsored Community Service Award program with local restaurants and retailers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SeniorCare EMS: A commercial EMS provider in the NYC region whose Medical Director (Josef Schenker) sits on CPMU's Medical Advisory Board; comparable as a paid ambulance service serving overlapping NYC-area markets and events.
• Northwell Health Center for EMS: A major New York health system's EMS/ambulance arm and a sponsor/partner of CPMU; comparable as a hospital-affiliated EMS provider with paid staff and broader service territory.
• FDNY EMS: NYC's municipal 911 EMS provider — the incumbent system CPMU complements and partially displaces in Central Park. Operates citywide with paid paramedics and is the principal stakeholder partner for CPMU.

Direct peers

• Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A Queens volunteer ambulance corps operating as a 501(c)(3) with comparable reliance on volunteer EMTs, community fundraising, and free or subsidized patient care.
• Park Slope Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A Brooklyn-based volunteer ambulance corps providing community-funded EMS services, closely analogous in non-profit structure, volunteer staffing, and reliance on donations and CPR training revenue.
• New York Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NYVAC): A volunteer-staffed New York City ambulance corps providing free or low-cost emergency response across Manhattan, operating on a non-profit model highly comparable to CPMU's volunteer EMS franchise and 911/direct-request response.
• Hatzolah Volunteer EMS: A private volunteer ambulance service operating across the NYC region; shares CPMU's volunteer-driven, free-service model with similarly rapid response and community-embedded operations.
• Jamaica Estates–Holliswood–Bellaire Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A long-standing Queens-based volunteer ambulance corps with community-funded operations and free patient service — a tight comparator for CPMU's non-profit, donation-driven EMS model.

Emerging players

• Global Medical Response: The parent company of AMR and other regional ambulance brands; a broad-scale commercial EMS comparator relevant for understanding the paid-EMS landscape CPMU operates alongside.
• American Medical Response (AMR): The largest private ambulance operator in the US, providing 911 and event medical coverage across many US cities; comparable to CPMU's event-standby business in particular, though operates as a paid commercial model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/parkmedical
• Facebookfacebook.com/parkmedical
• Instagraminstagram.com/parkmedical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-park-medical-unit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Park Medical Unit