The Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC) was founded in 1988 to address the urgent need for timely emergency medical services in a community often neglected by city services. Back then, residents faced wait times over 30 minutes for ambulances. Led by founder James Robinson after a personal tragedy, BSVAC evolved into a volunteer-driven organization with over 100 members today, drastically improving response times to four minutes or less. With plans to expand its fleet and territory, BSVAC continues to be a vital service in Brooklyn.
In the 80s, she explained Bed-Stuy was routinely neglected by emergency services - as were many communities of color.
On average, it took the city ambulance services over 30 minutes to respond to a life-threatening emergency in Bed-Stuy ... they didn't want to come and serve our neighborhoods.
People know BSVAC, we've been around for 37 years, so people when they see the ambulance, they're surprised we're still here, we're still in existence.
At the time, the ambulance service was based out of an abandoned building, Dorfman said, with no running water or electricity.
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