Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps

What Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps does

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps (RVAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance service founded in September 1975 and headquartered at 503 Onderdonk Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens, NY. The organization is certified by the New York State Department of Health-Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and operates a fleet of 3 ambulances covering approximately 16.8 square miles (about 5% of New York City) across 11 neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. RVAC provides emergency 911 response, non-emergency ambulance transport (including patient choice of hospital destination), event medical standby at street fairs and sporting events, community CPR and first-aid training, and a Youth Squad pipeline program launched in 2019.

RVAC runs on a volunteer labor model with approximately 90 active members plus 10 Youth Squad participants, supplemented by a board of directors and operational officers including a Chairman/CEO and Captain. The technical core is conventional BLS ambulance service, augmented by an in-house developed RVAC Portable Amputation Kit (PAK) and BagCeption bag technology, both patent-pending. The organization participates in mutual aid agreements with neighboring volunteer ambulance corps (Glendale, Forest Hills, Bed-Stuy), FDNY, NYC REMSCO, and the NYC Medical Reserve Corps, and primarily transports patients to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and Woodhull Medical Center.

RVAC's revenue model is donation-driven: as a tax-exempt organization (EIN 23-7405104), it relies on individual donations to fund ambulance maintenance, medical supplies, utilities, and community programming. No fees are charged to patients; event standby services are offered with a suggested donation. The go-to-market is community-led, with volunteer recruitment, donor engagement, and brand presence conducted through the website, social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X), community festivals, and word-of-mouth referrals within the Ridgewood-area civic network.

Name

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps

Legal name

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc.

Website

https://ridgewoodvac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer Basic Life Support ambulance service operating since 1975 across 11 Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods with 3 ambulances and approximately 90 active volunteer members responding to about 100 calls per month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private EMS Providers (Contract/Interfacility) (HLAFANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

911/Public EMS Agencies (Municipal/County/Fire-Based) (HLAFANAA), Evacuation, Shelter, Mass Care & Family Reunification (HLAJAGAG)

Keywords

• Emergency medical services
• Volunteer ambulance services
• Basic life support
• Patient transport services
• Community emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Ridgewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, RVAC relies on donations to fund ambulance and headquarters upkeep, medical supplies and medications, utility bills, and community events such as CPR training and block events. Donations are tax-deductible. EIN/TIN: 23-7405104.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps (RVAC) is a New York State Department of Health-certified Basic Life Support (BLS) volunteer ambulance service providing emergency 911 response, non-emergency ambulance transport with patient choice of hospital destination, and event medical standby services across 11 neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. Operating since September 1975 with a fleet of 3 ambulances and approximately 90 active volunteers, the organization responds to roughly 100 calls per month at no charge to patients, funded through tax-deductible donations. Complementary offerings include the Youth Squad program for young people interested in EMS careers, EMT training and certification support, and community CPR training.

Product overview

Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps (RVAC) operates as a single unified service offering emergency medical care through its Basic Life Support ambulance fleet. The organization provides 911 emergency response, non-emergency patient transports, and event medical standby services. Supporting the core ambulance operations are the RVAC Portable Amputation Kits (PAKs) for trauma care, a Youth Squad program for community engagement and future EMS recruitment, EMT training and certification support, and community CPR training initiatives. All services operate from their headquarters at 503 Onderdonk Avenue in Ridgewood, NY.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency 911 BLS Ambulance Response Emergency 911 ambulance response provided by NYS DOH-certified Basic Life Support EMTs within a 16.8-square-mile service area covering 11 Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods. Mutual aid coordination with FDNY and surrounding volunteer ambulance agencies is coordinated through the NYC Regional EMS Council (REMSCO).
• Non-Emergency Ambulance Transport Scheduled and unscheduled non-emergency ambulance transports for residents, with patients able to choose their hospital destination (differentiating from most 9-1-1 agencies). Primary hospital destinations include Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and Woodhull Medical Center.
• Event Medical Standby Services Stand-by and emergency medical response services provided at local street fairs, festivals, and sporting events within the community by trained EMTs. RVAC may request a donation for these services as a volunteer organization.
• Community CPR Training CPR training and education services provided to community members at block parties and events, including CPR instruction delivered by certified instructors such as Chairman Jesus D. Rodriguez.

Quantifiable outcome

• Respond to approximately 100 calls per month average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Glendale Volunteer AmbulancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains mutual aid agreement for emergency response coordination. In the event of mass casualty incidents, severe weather conditions, or acts of terrorism, RVAC will be activated by NYC REMSCO to assist 9-1-1 agencies.
• Forest Hills Volunteer AmbulancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid agreement for emergency response coordination and assistance to 9-1-1 agencies during mass casualty incidents or disasters.
• Bed-Stuy Volunteer AmbulancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid agreement for emergency response coordination in NYC.
• NYC Medical Reserve CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVAC member Cameron Yates served as volunteer during COVID-19 pandemic through the NYC Medical Reserve Corps, assigned to Flushing Hospital morgue and Jamaica Hospital emergency department.
• Wyckoff Heights Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary hospital destination for patient transports. One of two main hospitals served by RVAC for emergency and non-emergency transports.
• Woodhull Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary hospital destination for patient transports. One of two main hospitals served by RVAC for emergency and non-emergency transports.
• FDNY (Fire Department of New York)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Emergency Medical Services Council of NYC (NYC REMSCO) activates RVAC to assist FDNY during mass casualty incidents, severe weather, or acts of terrorism.
• NYC Regional EMS Council (REMSCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVAC participates in mutual aid system coordinated by NYC REMSCO for regional emergency response during disasters and mass casualty incidents.
• District 4 of New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorge Delgado serves as Secretary for District 4 of NYS Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association, connecting RVAC to state-level EMS advocacy and coordination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Response (AMR): The largest private ambulance provider in the U.S., active in NYC's interfacility and non-emergency transport market. Relevant as the broader private EMS incumbent whose paid-service model contrasts with RVAC's volunteer approach.
• FDNY EMS: The municipal 9-1-1 EMS agency for New York City. RVAC operates as a complement and mutual aid partner to FDNY, which sets the standard for response and scope across the five boroughs and represents the broader incumbent RVAC augments.
• Ambulnz (by DocGo): A tech-enabled ambulance and medical transport provider operating across NYC. Comparable as a competing non-emergency transport operator that intersects with RVAC's patient-choice and event standby segments.

Emerging players

• SeniorCare EMS: A private NYC-area ambulance provider focused on senior and non-emergency transports, frequently co-appearing with RVAC on hospital runs. Comparable on transport logistics and patient choice of destination, though differentiated by paid-service delivery.

Direct peers

• Glendale Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A neighboring Queens volunteer ambulance corps with an active mutual aid agreement with RVAC. Directly comparable in operating model, certification level, and the underserved-community focus that defines NYC's volunteer EMS landscape.
• Middle Village Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A nearby Queens volunteer ambulance corps whose president sits on RVAC's board. Directly comparable volunteer BLS service model covering an adjacent neighborhood within RVAC's broader catchment.
• Jamaica Volunteer Ambulance Corps: A Queens volunteer ambulance corps referenced alongside RVAC in mutual aid activations. Comparable in BLS volunteer service delivery across the same NYC borough.
• Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (Bed-Stuy VAC): A Brooklyn-based volunteer ambulance corps that partners with RVAC through NYC REMSCO mutual aid. Comparable as a community-rooted, donation-funded BLS service in an underserved NYC neighborhood.
• Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Service: A fellow NYC volunteer ambulance corps in Queens that shares a mutual aid agreement with RVAC. Comparable in that both are BLS-certified, donation-funded volunteer organizations providing 911 response and non-emergency transport to similar dense urban neighborhoods.

Others

• EMS Access Inc: A NYC-area nonprofit providing leadership and management support to volunteer EMS agencies across the five boroughs, led by RVAC board Secretary Matthew Tirschwell. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for the same volunteer EMS infrastructure in which RVAC operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rvacvollies
• Facebookfacebook.com/ridgewood.vac
• Instagraminstagram.com/ridgewoodvac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ridgewood-volunteer-ambulance-corps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps