History of Perinton Volunteer Ambulance Corps

Our Heritage

Perinton Ambulance began in 1965 as a part time volunteer service for the approximately 18,000 residents of the village of Fairport and the town of Perinton. Prior to this, the emergency service was a mix, consisting of a funeral hearse or a private car with East Rochester Ambulance volunteers, or a commercial unit from the City of Rochester. Long delays in treatment and transport were normal, as they were in most of America at that time.

A group of local residents, with the backing of the Lions Club, decided that this had to be corrected, and PVAC was born as of April 30, 1965. By mid-September of that year, the first ambulance had been purchased and duty shifts began.

The first coverage was limited to weekends, and week night coverage came within the year, with full time days were added after that. Within three years, this went from a dream to a 24 hour a day staffed base with its own dispatchers. For twenty years, this Corps never failed to have a crew on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In 1965, a year before the landmark white paper on 'Trauma in America' forced the Emergency Medical System (EMS) into existence, training consisted of the usual mix of First Aid courses. CPR was an unknown entity in those days and the stethoscope in the medic's bag was for the use of the doctor, not the attendant.

By the 1970s, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) was beginning to appear on the scene. By 1976 the initial group of 'Category 3' medics (the early equivalent to paramedics) were ready to go. This allowed for formation of an Advanced Life Support (ALS) Corps - The Southeast Quadrant Mobile Critical Care Unit, comprised of members of the Pittsford, East Rochester, Penfield and Perinton Ambulance Corps'.

In 1979 the Perinton Volunteer Ambulance Corps held its collective breath and voluntarily became a certified Corps, nearly 20 years before New York State required that all such units be certified.

Since the dawn of the new millenium, our crews respond to over 3000 requests for our services on an annual basis. Our membership roles have exceeded 100 + people from around the area. We operate three state of the art Type III and a first response command SUV.