The Bensonhurst Volunteer Ambulance Service is helping U.S. veterans win the battle against unemployment.
In the spring, the do-gooder group will offer training to aid fighting men and women in becoming state-certified emergency medical technicians at one-quarter of the cost. The group wants to help heroes explore health-care careers without chewing through their G.I. Bills, one member said.
“The idea behind our program is we give them an option,” said ambulance corps director Michael Marquez, whose father was a reservist during the Vietnam War. “Coming back can be difficult. Many times you’ll have veterans who come back and their skills might not necessarily translate to their jobs back home. So this gives people a chance to see if they’re interested in pursuing a career in health care without breaking the bank.”
The ambulance service will host two, 8–10-week courses that will cover basic first-aid care, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, patient assessment, and trauma care. One course only requires a 35-hour commitment and is intended to give participants a taste of life as an emergency responder — the other class is more intensive and offers 160 hours of training, Marquez said.
State certification requires passing a test, and prep courses administered by for-profit groups usually run about $1,000 for classroom experience alone. But vets taking prep classes with the ambulance corps pay just $150–$300 for books and supplies, and they will get field training, according to Marquez.
“What we’re doing is different, because we take it a step further, we take them out for first-hand experience, give them a prep class, and we can help set them up with more classes,” he said. “We want to help get them to where they want to go, and we do it to help them move forward. To help them figure out how to transfer their skills and ease back into civilian life.”
The program will also help vets find community among soldiers in a similar position, according to a former Navy firefighter and current reserves medic who will lead the class.
“When I got back to New York I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go into, a firefighter or an [emergency medical technician]? And so I think this will really help,” said Bensonhurst veteran Jason Norris. “I also feel like once this thing kicks off, one veteran who is successful is going to tell another and hopefully it’ll just snowball and a community will form so we can help one another.”
Bensonhurst Volunteer Ambulance Service is accepting applications for the program. To apply, call (718) 837–5032 or e-mail bvasv
