The Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC) is America's first minority volunteer ambulance corps, founded in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York in 1988 by James Robinson. BSVAC- (pron. Beesvac) was established organically in response to the lack of citywide first aid services coming to the area. [1] Although the majority of all homicides in New York City occur within the confines of this neighborhood, BSVAC remains the dominant ambulance service.
When BSVAC first started its program, the average response time in Bed-Stuy for city ambulances averaged 30 mins. BSVAC established responses to emergency calls with an average response time of less than four minutes. [1]
BSVAC has established a neighborhood first aid center. [1]
BSVAC has a Youth Corps program that provides CPR, first aid and basic emergency medical training to teens and young adults. A program for younger children, called the Trauma Troopers, has also been developed by BSVAC. [1]
BSVAC has reached out to other minority communities, from Harlem, New York to Los Angeles, California, providing emergency medical training and assistance in setting up programs. [1]
BSVAC has received the Robin Hood Foundation Hero of the Year Award, New York City Hero Award, American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award, Thousand Points of Light Award (awarded by President George H. W. Bush), and the Maxwell House Hero Search Award. [1]
BSVAC operates on an average annual budget of $250,000 through legislative grants, individual donations, Robinson’s reverse mortgage and pension funds. [2] [3] The organization was one of the first Robin Hood Foundation heroes but funding had to be cut off due to bad bookkeeping. [4] In 2016, BSVAC was awarded a $100,000 check by Councilman Robert Cornegy for their response when NYPD Officers Liu and Ramos were shot. [5]
The Magen David Adom is Israel's national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service. The literal meaning of name is "Red Shield of David," but the symbol is more frequently called the "Red Star of David" in many languages. Since June 2006, Magen David Adom has been officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as the national aid society of the State of Israel under the Geneva Conventions, and a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. MDA has a dedicated medical emergency phone number in Israel, 101. MDA can become an auxiliary arm of the Israel Defense Forces during times of war. In 2022, MDA became academically affiliated with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Following the October 7th attacks against Israel, the American Red Cross presented Magen David Adom with the International Humanitarian Service Award stating that the organization "exemplifies and inspires the humanitarian values of human dignity, respect, [and] compassion."
A certified first responder is a person who has completed a course and received certification in providing pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. Certified individuals should have received much more instruction than someone who is trained in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but they are not necessarily a substitute for more advanced emergency medical care rendered by emergency medical technicians and paramedics. First responders typically provide advanced first aid level care, CPR, and automated external defibrillator (AED) usage. The term "certified first responder" is not to be confused with "first responder", which is a generic term referring to the first medically trained responder to arrive on scene and medically trained telecommunication operators who provide pre-arrival medical instructions as trained Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD). Many police officers and firefighters are required to receive training as certified first responders. Advanced medical care is typically provided by EMS, although some police officers and firefighters also train to become emergency medical technicians or paramedics.
Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, colloquially known as StuyTown, is a large post–World War II private residential development on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The complex consists of 110 red brick apartment buildings on an 80-acre (32 ha) tract stretching from First Avenue to Avenue C, between 14th and 23rd Streets. Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village is split up into two parts: Stuyvesant Town, south of 20th Street, and Peter Cooper Village, north of 20th Street. Together, the two developments contain 11,250 apartments.
Bedford–Stuyvesant, colloquially known as Bed–Stuy, is a neighborhood in the northern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Bedford–Stuyvesant is bordered by Flushing Avenue to the north, Classon Avenue to the west, Broadway to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. The main shopping street, Fulton Street, runs east–west the length of the neighborhood and intersects high-traffic north–south streets including Bedford Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, and Stuyvesant Avenue. Bedford–Stuyvesant contains four smaller neighborhoods: Bedford, Stuyvesant Heights, Ocean Hill, and Weeksville. Part of Clinton Hill was once considered part of Bedford–Stuyvesant.
The New York City Police Department Auxiliary Police is a volunteer reserve police force which is a subdivision of the Patrol Services Bureau of the New York City Police Department. Auxiliary Police Officers assist the NYPD with uniformed patrols, providing traffic control, crowd control, and other services during major events.
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads is a 1983 student film by American filmmaker Spike Lee. Lee submitted the film as his master's degree thesis at the Tisch School of the Arts.
Hattie Carthan was an American community activist and environmentalist who was instrumental in improving the quality of life of the Brooklyn, New York community of Bedford-Stuyvesant.
St John Ambulance is a charitable non-governmental organisation dedicated to the teaching and practice of first aid and the support of the national emergency response system in England. Along with St John Ambulance Cymru, St John Ambulance Northern Ireland, and St John Scotland, it is one of four United Kingdom affiliates of the international St John Ambulance movement.
The killing of Timothy Stansbury Jr. occurred in New York City on January 24, 2004. Stansbury was an unarmed 19-year-old in New York City who was shot and killed by New York Police Department Officer Richard S. Neri Jr. Officer Neri and a partner were patrolling the rooftop of a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn at about 1 a.m. Officer Neri, with his gun drawn, approached a rooftop door to check the stairway inside. Neri testified to a Brooklyn grand jury that he fired his standard Glock 19 pistol unintentionally when he was startled as Stansbury pushed open the rooftop door. Stansbury, a resident of an adjoining building, died from one shot in the chest. The grand jury found the shooting to be accidental.
The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps is the primary 911 EMS provider in Hoboken, New Jersey. The corps responds to nearly 5000 calls for service yearly in Hoboken and, as needed, in neighboring areas.
United Hatzalah is an Israeli volunteer-based emergency medical services (EMS) organization providing free service throughout Israel, with its headquarters based in Jerusalem. Its mission is to provide immediate medical intervention during the critical window between the onset of an emergency and the arrival of traditional ambulance assistance. It is one of many Hatzalah organizations in various parts of the world and the only one that includes women and non-Jewish volunteers.
Robert E. Cornegy Jr. is an American politician. He is a former New York City Council Member for the 36th district, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and northern Crown Heights in Brooklyn.
Supervasi is a non-profit organisation and movement based in Maharashtra, India, formed for the purpose of using technology to improve e-governance, business and society.
The Billie Holiday Theatre is an AUDELCO and Obie Award-winning theatre that aims to provide "complete and authentic portrayals" of the African diaspora experience, as well as "artistic and institutional residencies and ... educational programming to people of all ages."
Rasu Jilani is an independent curator, social sculptor, and an entrepreneur. His work is investigating the intersection between art, culture, and civic engagement as a means of raising critical consciousness. The objective of his work is to activate interaction between artists, the local community, and the wider public in order to promote awareness around social issues through exhibitions, humanities, community programs, and cultural events.
The Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation is a community development corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, and the first ever to be established in the United States.
Stefani Zinerman is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she currently represents district 56, which includes Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York, in the New York State Assembly.
Elsie Richardson was a community activist and civil servant in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for founding the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council and contributing to the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, created after she advocated to Robert F. Kennedy.