The Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad is feeling upbeat during its 55th Anniversary Year. Founded in 1966, it was the County’s primary ambulance service until 1989. That year the county began hiring paramedics, expanding the service from Basic Life Support to Advanced Life Support. The “Squad” then decided to continue its tradition of public service in a way that is still said best in our Mission Statement: “To provide free non-emergency transportation for ambulatory and wheelchair passengers from their places of residence to and from medical facilities throughout Indian River County.”
The past 18 months have been challenging for the “Squad” as it navigated its way through the pandemic period caused by COVID-19. Shutting down in March 2020 for the safety of our customers and drivers, our primary prerogative was to “follow the science,” develop new protocols for a “safety first” operation and be ready to reopen when conditions allowed. A short reopening in October 2020 for 5 weeks was followed by another shutdown as a second wave of COVID-19 swept through the county.
However, as the vaccines began to be administered and the severity of the pandemic eased, a second resumption of service was cautiously begun on March 1, 2021 with a “soft reopening” on a limited schedule. This time our efforts have been significantly more successful. We averaged 5.2 trips per day in March and have seen a steady increase in demand as we expect to handle closer to 15 trips per day in June. While this is certainly encouraging, we are continuing to look forward to making the 28 to 30 trips per day averaged prior to the pandemic.
Two major assets are needed to fulfill our mission. The first is our fleet of vehicles. The second is our volunteer drivers. For the past 5 years we have maintained a fleet of 7 Toyota Scions and 3 wheelchair vans which are driven by some 55 volunteers. Funding for our transportation service is 100% donation based. We receive no monies from any governmental entities or the United Way. Our annual fund-raising campaign began in early April, shortly after we reopened. The generous response of Indian River County residents to date is greatly appreciated.
We are also the recipient of a generous gift from the John’s Island Foundation this year which has allowed us to acquire a fourth wheelchair van. This new vehicle is equipped with the latest in design features, being capable of transporting 2 wheelchairs simultaneously, if needed, as well as having seating for two ambulatory customers. This fleet addition will enhance our service flexibility and allow us to handle higher service demands in the future. Our 55th year of operation is off to a good start after the frustrations of 2020.
We also want to acknowledge the patience and loyalty of our volunteer drivers. Virtually everyone has “stuck” with us throughout these uncertain times. Nevertheless, we can always use additional drivers. If you are interested in becoming one, please call Administrator April Hargett at 772-231-1230 or email her at ircvas@att.net for more details. To learn even more about the “Squad,” please visit our website: www.volunteerambulancesquad.org
Submitted by Woody Sutton
