Frequently Asked Questions

How can I join?
What training is available?
I am an EMT in another state - can I still join?
I am an RN. Can I ride as a nurse?
How long is a shift?
What types of calls will I see?
What's the difference between an "EMT" and a "Paramedic?"

...And some Infrequently Asked Questions

What's it like at the garage?
How often do you upgrade ambulances?
Is Southern Berkshire town-owned?
Has Southern Berkshire ever responded to New York or Connecticut?

Q. How can I join Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad?
A. You can call 528-3632 and leave your name and telephone number. Someone from the squad will follow up with you shortly thereafter. The squad offers CPR classes, as does Fairview Hospital.

Q. I have no training right now. What training is available?
A. The squad became an accredited EMT-Basic training institution in 2007. For information about training offered by SBVAS, please visit our training page.

Q. I'm already an EMT, but in another state. Can I still join?
A. Actually, yes! The "Massachusetts standards are so high they don't grant reciprocity, but all other states accept Massachusetts certification" story you might have heard is a complete myth. Massachusetts grants reciprocity to EMT's from other states if they find that "EMT training is equivalent to that required by the Department [of Public Health] for the level of certification for which the person is applying." In some cases, the Department of Public Health may "waive the practical examination requirement if the Department finds that the person passed a state practical examination for EMT that meets or exceeds the standards of the Department’s approved practical examination required in 105 CMR 170.910." In practice, the Department never waives the practical exam. EMT certification could be yours for the asking. Look for the "EMT Challenge Documents" at the OEMS web site.

Q. I am an RN. Can I ride as a nurse?
A. In order to provide pre-hospital emergency life support with an ambulance service, Massachusetts requires that you be an EMT-B. After being in service as an EMT-B for one year, you will be eligible to challenge the Massachusetts EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic exam.

Q. How long is a shift?
A. Night shifts are from 6pm to 6am. SBVAS has four bedrooms in the squad building and most personnel respond to calls from there. EMT's typically take a radio or pager, turn it's volume up, and set it on the night stand. (If responding from home, the member must be able to arrive at the garage within five minutes of our emergency tones going off.) The question inevitably arises, "will I get any sleep?" Statistical analysis shows that about sixty percent of our calls during any given year happen during the day shift. Also, there are no single nights that have higher call volumes than other nights. The night you choose to take call may have no activity at all, may be non-stop, or may be anything in between. Night shifts are all volunteer and unpaid.

Q. What types of calls will I see?
A. Calls run the gamut. Most calls are routine (SBVAS responds to many nursing homes to transport patients, for example). Only a small percentage of emergency calls are what could only be characterized as strikingly bizarre. Southern Berkshire has responded to bloody noses, cardiac arrests, motor vehicle accidents, fires, even small plane crashes... but remember that no emergency is ever routine to the person having it! In all cases, patient confidentiality is paramount. Names, patient data, or the specifics of whatever you see should not be discussed with others who did not participate in the call.

Q. What is the difference between an "EMT" and a "Paramedic?"
A. The best answer to this question is a description of the levels of EMT. A division of the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, has set standards for three levels of Emergency Medical Technician. States are free to adopt DOT standards, or they may adopt their own. (The National Registry does not set standards, it implements DOT recommendations. This is a common misconception; one made even by state EMS officials).

All pre-hospital emergency life support providers start at the Basic level. As noted above, an EMT-Basic course is approximately 140 hours in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has chosen not only to adopt the DOT recommended curriculum for EMT-Basics, but to add several topics of study.

The next level of EMT is the EMT-Intermediate, which 41 states recognize in some form. In Massachusetts, an EMT-I course is approximately 80 hours of classroom time, and after classroom study, students are required to spend a minimum of 80 hours doing ride time in an ambulance. During this ride time, the EMT-I student must initiate certain emergency procedures in the field under the guidance of another Intermediate or Paramedic before the student can take the exam. In Massachusetts, an Intermediate can initiate IV's and employ advanced airway devices to deliver Oxygen to patients. In over 30 states, Intermediates are also given the training to administer some medications that the EMT-Basic cannot. Massachusetts bases its EMT-I training on the DOT standard that was developed in 1985 (called the "EMT-I/85"). The DOT revised the EMT-Intermediate standard in 1999 (called the "EMT-I/99 National Standard Curriculum"); Massachusetts has elected not to adopt this standard at this time.

A few states have a level of EMT above the Intermediate but below Paramedic. For example, Georgia has the Cardiac Technician, and New York has the EMT-Critical Care. These EMT's are typically trained in the use of advanced rescue techniques as well as in the use of a number of cardiac-related medications.

The highest level of EMT, recognized in all 50 states, is the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic. The classroom time and clinical time required to become a Paramedic varies from state to state, but not by much: most programs run from 1,400 to 2,000 hours of study. To put things in perspective, it has been said that in the first ten minutes of a cardiac arrest, there is little difference between what a doctor can do and what an EMT-Paramedic can do. EMT-Paramedics are trained in the use of numerous emergency procedures that other levels of EMT are not. In addition, EMT-Paramedics are trained in the administration of scores of medications that lower levels of technician are not authorized to administer.

Q. What's it like at the garage?
A. SBVAS is no dungeon! As noted above, the squad has four bedrooms upstairs with twin-sized beds. There is a Nautilus machine. There is an office upstairs with a library; it has a computer and a high-speed Internet connection (we recognize that members often need to get things done on-line, whether for business, recreation, or education). Downstairs, there is a business office suitable for conferencing, a kitchen, and a livingroom with a TV, VCR, and DVD player. Wifi is available for members. The heated garage has three vehicle bays housing two ambulances, Units 15 and 16. The third bay is often used by members to wash and wax their cars. Finally, the squad has a classroom area with newly refurnished tables, chairs, a whiteboard, an inFocus digital projector, surround sound speakers, screens, and a computer (also with high-speed Internet access) to facilitate instructors' presentations. To arrange a tour, see the first question about joining!

Q. How often do you upgrade ambulances?
A. SBVAS upgrades an ambulance approximately once every four years.

Q. Is Southern Berkshire town-owned?
A. SBVAS is not a municipal ambulance service; SBVAS is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. SBVAS has a yearly call volume of 1,700 calls and is run as a business, with members volunteering literally thousands of hours serving the corporation in many different capacities. Patients' insurance carriers are billed, but EMT's riding nights are unpaid. Revenue goes toward operations, equipment, medical supplies and staff training.

Q. Has Southern Berkshire ever responded to New York or Connecticut?
A. This is called "mutual aid." SBVAS has responded to emergencies just over the Massachusetts line in both Connecticut and New York. This is rare, but it does happen. EMT's do not need reciprocity in these states when this occurs. Nearby services that SBVAS has interfaced with include North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Squad in Canaan, Connecticut and Community Rescue in Copake, New York.