Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad

What Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad does

Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad (BHVRS) is a nonprofit volunteer emergency medical services organization founded in 1942 and headquartered at 378 Snyder Avenue, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. The organization provides 24/7 emergency medical response — including medical emergencies, fall response, motor vehicle accidents, and ambulance transport to hospitals — to the roughly 14,000 residents of Berkeley Heights township, operating entirely free of charge through volunteer EMTs and supported by a roster of approximately 24 regular members. Services are delivered via the municipal 911 dispatch system with volunteers responding from home when on-call.

The organization's offerings extend beyond core EMS response into structured volunteer recruitment and training. Three membership tiers form the operational backbone: a Riding Membership for adults 18+ who respond to calls and pursue EMT certification; a Cadet Membership for high school students aged 16-18 who ride under supervision; and an Auxiliary Membership for non-riding volunteers handling grant writing, clerical work, design, website maintenance, and community outreach. The core technology stack is limited to conventional EMS equipment — ambulances, CPR/AED devices, EMT supplies, and basic life support gear — with no proprietary software or AI components.

BHVRS is funded primarily through tax-deductible community donations, since no fees are charged for transport or supplies. A supplemental non-donation revenue stream comes from a used-clothing donation shed operated in partnership with Turnkey Enterprises, LLC on the squad's property. The organization also participates in a regional mutual-aid partnership with the Long Hill Volunteer Ambulance Squad, conducts school and community outreach events, and maintains presence on Facebook, Twitter (@bhrescue), and bhvrs.org. It is governed independently by its volunteer members with no parent organization, equity backing, or institutional ownership.

Name

Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad

Legal name

Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad

Website

https://bhvrs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad is a 1942-founded nonprofit volunteer EMS organization providing free 24/7 emergency medical response and ambulance transport to the 14,000 residents of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, funded by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disaster Medical Assistance & Field Care (DMAT/Field Hospitals) (HLAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Volunteer emergency medical services
• Ambulance response services
• Basic life support
• Community EMS programs
• Patient transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization is funded primarily through tax-deductible donations from the community. They do not charge for transport to the hospital or for medical supplies. All donations are used to purchase supplies and equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad provides free, 24/7 volunteer-staffed emergency medical services to the Berkeley Heights, NJ community, responding to medical emergencies, falls, motor vehicle accidents, and other health crises, and transporting patients to hospitals. The organization supports its service with three volunteer membership tracks—Riding, Cadet, and Auxiliary—plus community education and outreach, all funded through tax-deductible donations rather than fees to patients.

Product overview

The Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad (BHVRS) operates as a single unified emergency medical services organization offering volunteer-based ambulance response and transport. The core offering is 24/7 emergency medical response staffed by volunteer EMTs. Supporting programs include three membership tiers: Riding Membership for adult volunteers who respond to calls and receive EMT training; Cadet Membership for high school students providing early exposure to EMS careers; and Auxiliary Membership for non-riding volunteers who support administrative, technical, and community functions. The organization is funded entirely through tax-deductible donations and does not charge for services or medical supplies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Medical Response Services 24/7 emergency medical response for the Berkeley Heights community, including on-scene care for medical emergencies, falls, and motor vehicle accidents, and transport to hospitals. Provided free of charge by volunteer EMTs.
• Riding Membership Program Volunteer program for adults 18+ who ride on ambulances with experienced crews, receive CPR and first aid training, and pursue EMT certification while serving the Berkeley Heights community.
• Cadet Membership Program Volunteer program for high school students (ages 16-18) who ride on ambulances under adult supervision, with training provided in CPR, first aid, and EMT coursework as an early pathway into EMS careers.
• Auxiliary Membership Program Non-riding volunteer program supporting the squad through grant writing, clerical work, graphic design, website maintenance, community events, and grounds maintenance.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Turnkey Enterprises, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for used clothing donations. Turnkey Enterprises collects donations of used clothing from the community in a shed at the Squad Building's back parking lot. The BHVRS benefits from each pound donated, and donors can receive receipts for their contributions.
• Long Hill Volunteer Ambulance SquadminorOthersEmergency services partner. When BHVRS member Carolyn Sayre's son suffered a mild concussion, Long Hill Volunteer Ambulance Squad responded to the call. The organizations work together as part of the regional EMS network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• St. John Ambulance: International volunteer-led first aid and emergency medical response organization. Comparable in its volunteer-based community EMS model and reliance on charitable contributions, though operating at a much larger multi-national scale.
• American Red Cross: National humanitarian organization providing emergency response, disaster relief, and health and safety training. Operates broadly in the emergency response space through a volunteer and donation-funded model similar in funding structure to BHVRS, though at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Mountainside Rescue Squad: Volunteer EMS organization in Mountainside, NJ (also in Union County) providing similar free ambulance services through community donations. Directly comparable as a small-town NJ volunteer rescue squad.
• New Providence Rescue Squad: Volunteer rescue squad serving New Providence, NJ, a small adjacent municipality. Operates on the same volunteer, community-funded EMS model and would be part of the same regional mutual-aid network.
• Scotch Plains Rescue Squad: Volunteer rescue squad in Scotch Plains, NJ providing free emergency medical services to residents through community donations. Closely mirrors BHVRS's volunteer, donation-only operating model in another Union County municipality.
• Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad: Volunteer emergency medical service in Summit, NJ operating since 1962 with a similar donation-funded, community-embedded model. Directly comparable as a neighboring NJ volunteer EMS squad serving an affluent commuter town.
• Westfield Rescue Squad: Volunteer rescue squad serving Westfield, NJ with free emergency medical services funded by community donations. Same Union County region and same volunteer-based operating model as BHVRS.
• Long Hill Volunteer Ambulance Squad: Neighboring volunteer ambulance squad in Long Hill Township, NJ that BHVRS actively partners with for mutual EMS response. Operates the same volunteer, donation-funded model serving a similar small-town New Jersey community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bhrescue
• Facebookfacebook.com/BHVRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bhvrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad