November 6, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 Waldwick WALVAC develops program for drivers under 21 Waldwick Volunteer Ambulance Corps Members of the Waldwick Volunteer Ambulance Corps (WALVAC) as young as 18 years of age may now drive the ambu- lance when responding to an emergency. WALVAC recently changed its bylaws to drop the driver’s age from 21 so that all its active members would be eligible to drive. The mayor and council approved the change last month. While the corps is autonomous from the Borough of Waldwick (private dona- tions pay for everything from training to new equipment and vehicles), WALVAC does receive insurance coverage from the borough through the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF). Previously, a borough ordinance prohibited anyone under the age of 21 from driving an emergency vehicle. The corps sold borough officials and the JIF on the lower age by developing a formalized training program for the younger drivers. “We’re happy that the corps will help these young men and women be able to drive and no longer be limited,” said Mayor Thomas Giordano. Following some recent changes in licensing criteria by the state, many towns in the area now only accept volunteers 21 and older, giving Waldwick a recruiting edge. Under the leadership of Captain Tammi Moses, the corps created the driver train- ing program to ensure that all vehicle oper- ators are responsibly prepared to drive an ambulance. This new approach combines behind-the-wheel time (a bare minimum of at least 100 non-emergency miles) with five hours of lecture components. Lec- tures include learning street names and possible hazards to vehicle operations in both emergency and non-emergency situ- ations. Before any trainee may even climb into the driver’s seat, he/she must undergo rig- orous instruction in a “Coaching the Emer- gency Vehicle Operator” course. Members must also agree to submit an abstract of their driver’s license, with anyone with over three points excluded. As with many emergency service agen- cies, Moses said, WALVAC had experi- enced a sharp decline of volunteers over the past several years. Thanks to a suc- cessful membership drive, however, 15 new members joined last spring. She said the corps is hopeful that this new policy will help to encourage additional mem- bers to join and later retain them as they continue to help out their community. In addition to the training program, all corps volunteers must be nationally cer- tified Emergency Medical Technicians, which requires them to go through approx- imately 250 hours of emergency training. This training includes CPR, oxygen ther- apy, vital signs, patient assessment, respi- ratory emergencies, airway management, allergic reactions, pediatric emergencies, pharmacology, health and safety of the responder, and medical ethics to name a few. The training helps to ensure that those who complete it are fully prepared to handle emergencies. Caught up in a wave of volunteerism that swept across the state in the 1950s, a group of 22 members of Waldwick’s Walter Nightingale Post #57 of the Ameri- can Legion formed the Waldwick Ameri- can Legion Volunteer Ambulance Corps in May of 1951. Their motto was known as “Mercy on Wheels.” In October 1952 the corps purchased its first ambulance, a 1951 Ford, equipped with an oxygen unit, resuscitator, splints, a backboard, bandages, first aid kit, firefighter air tank, crutches, extra blankets, and a cot, to transport patients to the hospital. Anyone interested in donating or becoming a WALVAC member should contact the corps at (201) 445-8772 or visit waldwickems.com Moses can personally address any questions.