Town of Newburgh Volunteer Ambulance Corps

In 1967, when St Luke's Hospital ceased ambulance service, Town of Newburgh residents initiated a meeting to form their own Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and incorporated in October 1967. The first vehicle used was a 1965 Cadillac purchased for $5000.00. Emergency phones were situated in three private homes of Corps members who dispatched members 24/7. The Corps' actual first "day on the road" was February 1, 1968. In the first year of service, TONVAC responded to 550 calls. This past year we responded to over 2200 calls.

In 1991 the Town of Newburgh Volunteer Ambulance Corps became NYS Certified, which means a Emergency Medical Technician has to be on the ambulance and in 1992 we became the 2nd volunteer ambulance corps in Orange County to have Automatic External Defibulators on each ambulance for cardiac emergencies. Our first operating budget was $5,993.00 which was garnered solely from the kindness of donations. Now, in 2007 our budget is $409,500.00 funded through third party billing, donations, small grants and a small subsidy from the Town of Newburgh itself. The Town of Newburgh Volunteer Ambulance Corps is still a volunteer organization. However, during the day time , Monday - Friday, we have found it necessary to engage the services of paid EMT's and drivers to continue our coverage of the increasing number of emergency calls..