OUR STORY

In 1949, a suggestion was made by members of the North End Hose Company, a division of the Eastchester Fire Department to establish a volunteer ambulance service. Three years later a group of committed individuals led by Attorney Harold Blass secured incorporation papers for the Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps (EVAC). The originally elected officers of the Corps were President Rocco Rescigno, Vice President Adolph Zorzo, Secretary Vincent Logiudice, and Treasurer Jerry M. Nuzzi.

Shortly after incorporation in February 1952, the membership voted to purchase their first Miller Cadillac ambulance. After incorporation, many residents of the community along with the Board of Fire Commissioners, Lawrence Hospital, the Eastchester Town Council, the Eastchester Chamber of Commerce, and many other local organizations supported the establishment of EVAC.

On March 1, 1952, EVAC’s first ambulance was officially placed into service at the North End Fire House, which served as the agency’s headquarters. During EVAC’s first year of operations, members responded to over 90 calls.

In 1966 the Eastchester Fire Department constructed a new addition to accommodate EVAC’s vehicles and members.

As the years progressed and EVAC’s membership roster increased, it became evident that EVAC could no longer operate out of the North End Fire House. In 1984, EVAC began a massive fundraising campaign to support the construction of a new building of our own.

On December 6, 1986, EVAC broke ground on what was to become their new state of the art headquarters.

Four years later, on October 21, 1990, EVAC officially opened its new headquarters for operations.

Shortly after, in May of 1991, EVAC earned the distinction of being a New York State Department of Health Ambulance Service. This distinction affirmed EVAC’s commitment to the rigorous training standards set by the state for certified first responders, emergency medical technicians, and advanced emergency medical technicians, as well as for maintaining the equipment and communication standards necessary to provide the highest quality life support services to our community.

In July of 1995, EVAC implemented its Advanced Life Support (ALS) program, which provided an around the clock staffed Paramedic responsible for responding to all calls and triaging patients to determine the appropriate treatment needed. The program was complemented by a rapid response vehicle known as a “fly-car” (57M1).

Beginning in 1999, the Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe, which serves to support broad social services through grants and technical support to local agencies and community projects, committed financial support to EVAC reserved for the purchase of a new ambulance every three years. Due to the generosity of the Community Fund and the citizens of Eastchester, Bronxville, and Tuckahoe, EVAC has purchased high quality, state of the art ambulances. In addition to the support of the Community Fund, EVAC operations are supported through private donations and revenue recovery efforts.

Another major milestone for EVAC occurred in 2005 when all medical emergencies started to be dispatched by Westchester County’s Department of Emergency Services, known as 60-Control. This allows Westchester County to dispatch EMS services more efficiently according to patient condition. 60-Control also uses Emergency Medical Dispatching, a system where they are able to give pre-arrival instructions to family members or bystanders to further help the patient until first responders arrive.

Due to increasing call volume, EVAC placed 57B3 into service, expanding the fleet from three to four ambulances. This marked a significant operational enhancement to meet growing community demand.

EVAC became an American Heart Association Authorized BLS Training Center, allowing the agency to host CPR and First Aid courses for the community.

In 2025, EVAC further expanded its educational mission by becoming an aligned ALS Training Site, offering ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) programs.

EVAC officially opened its Memorial Garden in front of headquarters. Designed and built by members Anthony Gaudio and Michael Tomechko, the garden honors the lives lost on September 11, 2001, as well as EVAC members who have passed away.

Several EVAC members partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to assist David Alexander in setting a Guinness World Record on the set of Today in New York City on April 9, 2014.

EVAC was named 2014 Westchester County EMS Agency of the Year by the Westchester Regional EMS Council in recognition of operational excellence, clinical performance, and community service.

EVAC formally launched its Bicycle Response Unit to enhance rapid deployment capabilities at large-scale public events. These units provide expedited access to patients in congested environments. The program was fully modernized and revamped in April 2024.

EVAC added a second paramedic unit (57-Medic2) as a daytime trial (7:00 AM – 3:00 PM) to address increasing call volume. In March 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted EMS operations. Due to sustained system demand, 57-Medic2 expanded to a 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM schedule, strengthening Advanced Life Support capacity.

EVAC entered into a formal agreement with the Town of Pelham to provide EMS services to the Villages of Pelham and Pelham Manor. The agreement included staffing one 24/7 Paramedic Flycar and one 24/7 ALS ambulance, representing a major regional expansion of EVAC’s operational footprint.

EVAC was named 2023 Westchester County EMS Agency of the Year by the Westchester Regional EMS Council, marking the second time the organization received this prestigious distinction.

Pelham EMS, managed by EVAC, was named 2024 Westchester County EMS Agency of the Year by the Westchester Regional EMS Council. This recognition represents a significant accomplishment achieved after only one year of active service under EVAC management, reflecting rapid system development, clinical integration, and operational stability.